Some of Arsenal’s Young players will learn their fate in the next two months as Reserves coach Neil Banfield will sit down with Head Of Youth Development Liam Brady as well as Manager Arsene Wenger to decide who will stay with the Gunners next season, and who will have to look for new employment.
Yesterday’s 5-1 win over Derby was dominated by impressive performances from the Under 18’s players and scholars meaning players such as James Dunne, Paul Rodgers, Abu Ogogo, Rene Steer, Kerrea Gilbert, Rui Fonte, Mark Randall, Vincent Van Den Berg and Kieran Gibbs will have two months to show they can be some use, or find themselves free agents.
However we have seen with the likes of David Bentley, Matthew Upson, Jermaine Pennant plus many others there is life after Arsenal, and for the unlucky players who are released they will hope to start that assent to stardom with a small club.
Last season saw a mixture of results for the players who were released, Lee Butcher joined Tottenham, Giogios Efrem went to Rangers, Ryan Garry joined Bournmouth and Joe O’Cearuill went to Barnet, however he is now playing back in Ireland, there were players who were not so lucky, Marc Elston and Carl Parisio remain free agents after long injuries, Marc spent some time at non league Chelmsford but injury meant he was not given an extended contract.
We touched on the 5-1 win yesterday for the Reserves, now lets focus a little more on the game, after the match Neil Banfield has heaped praise on individuals which Arsene Wenger were watching, including Gilles Sunu who bagged his first goal for the club, and Banfield admits their is plenty to come from the exciting forward:
“Gilles’ work ethic really impresses me. He is a smashing lad. It takes time for players to settle in and it takes time even for senior players to settle in. But this lad has come from France to a new culture and new club and now he is gradually settling down so hopefully we can see the best of him next season.”
He also touched on Jack Wilshere and Havard Nordtveit, Wilshere was very very impressive he had to play on the right hand side which is tricky for a left footed player, but he made the most of it and helped the second half destruction, he is also a Hale End boy something which the Reserves boss thinks is extra special:
“Jack is only 16 and he is one that has come through the Academy system under Steve Bould and Liam Brady and now he is pushing into the Reserves. He came on and equipped himself very well tonight.”
and on the captain Nordtveit:
“Havard has a very good range of passing although sometimes it can get a bit predictable and I think at the top level people might read it, but he will learn to disguise it. He is a good footballer and his defending is getting better and we hold high hopes for the lad.”
You can read more quotes from the boss, as well as find out more on Justin Hoyte’s injury on the clubs official website.
Finally, our competition closed last night, we had a surprisingly high amount of entries unfortunately not all of them correct, the answers we were looking for were.
1. Steve Bould (Under 18s) Steve Gatting (Under 16s)
2. NEC Nijmegen
3. UD Salamanca
4. Håvard Nordtveit
5. Norwegian
6. CA Osasuna
7. Cardiff City, Southend United
8. Nacer Barazite
9. Chateauroux
10. Cardiff City Under 18s
Congratulations for everybody who got it correct, the winner will be e-mailed some time in the next two days to arrange, delivery.
Right now time for a new feature on the blog, Young Guns has teamed up with The Gooner Forum to bring you a Podcast mainly based around the first team, but i feature giving you news on the Reserves & Youth, so what can you look forward to on this weeks Cast?
Features
- First Team News & Update
- Latest Reserves & Youth Match News
- Nike Cup Update
- Gilles Sunu & Fran Merida Contract Review.
- Carlos Vela Wants Arsenal Return
- Player Profile – Conor Henderson
- Debate – “Who Should Arsenal Sign In the Summer”
- Latest Forum News
You can download the actual file, and play it through your media player or put it on your Ipod/MP3 player by clicking Here, or you listen it on this page, by clicking the play button below, be sure to leave your comments/suggestions. Enjoy !
Article By – J.Sanderson
Havent seen many matches with them but I would have kept at least Randall, Gibbs and maybe also Rodgers and Ogogo. Rodgers and Ogogo is almost better than Eboue and Hoyte.
Ogogo better than Eboue? i think its a little wide of the mark, Eboue is similar to Dunne, where he will do well for half the game, and then he will mess it up by doing something stupid.
Was wondering what happened to Parisio, seemed a decent one to me.
Most of our released youngsters go onto sucessful careers elsewhere most of the time anyway.
Have a gut feeling that Nordveit will get converted into a DM kind of like a reverse Djorou type thing.
I think that most of the ’89 kids will be released. Traore will probably stay, he might go on loan. And Vela will of course be with us next season.
Rui Fonte must count as a huge dissapointment. He was supposed to be the new Nuno Gomes but he has barely scored.
It would not surprise me if at least these players will leave: Gilbert, Justin Hoyte, Ogogo, Rodgers, Simpson, Dunne and van den Berg.
I really hope that Gibbs and Randall are given longer at the club as they look like good players for the future. Especially Gibbs as hes a natural winger in the Ryan Giggs mould. Randall is talented but i think he will struggle to get into the team as Fab, Denilson, Merida and Diaby will all be infront of him. However Wenger must rate him as hes bin the only reserves player to go on the Training Camp for the last 2 years.
Good point Stone, Fonte has been so dissapointing, he has the potential but i seems doesnt want to express it.
and i think all the players i mentioned will leave, maybe Fonte will go on loan, and Gibbs has a chance to make it, but with Vela coming back it makes it tricky.
Yeah maybe, but it wouldn’t hurt to keep him just in case you know.
The lack of a big squad hurted us this season alot
Perhaps if Theo is used as a striker next year and Vela is used as back up for the right wing then Gibbs my get his chance?
I don’t think Gibbs is ready for first team duty yet. A season on loan would do him good.
I would like to see some of the english youngsters go on loan to a spanish club.
Gibbs, Randell, G. Hoyte and simpson could all be sent out on loan next season to see how they hold up and if they perform bring them home to the emirates
The Hoyte’s will never make it as footballers, probably sprinters. I hope this jinxes itself
so if certain players just signed a contract not so long ago they will still get released because i thought rodgers,gibbs,randall and gavin signed contracts.
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People up in Burnley actually rate Mark Randall quite highly, some even say he is the best midfielder at the club. The reason he hasn’t been playing is probably more to do with their on off promotion challenge, I guess the manager felt more experience was needed. People were calling for him to be used more though as it was felt he adds much needed creativity and has a good range of passing.
J.Sanderson, your blog is a real pleasure to read and v. informative about the youngsters we often don’t hear enough about. your work is def. appreciated by all your readers.
i particularly liked hearing about where past youngsters have gone, such as efrem and garry who i had forgotten about! if possible could you do a piece on other past youngsters and where they are now? keep up the good work.
thanks Richard, i will be a more in depth article on some of those players, tomorrow afternoon, so be sure to visit the blog then :)
wenger sees vela as a second striker eventually so i think that gibbs has the chance