Mark Randall and Kieran Gibbs have travelled with the first team to Sunderland this afternoon, and the pair could both feature in tomorrow’s Premiership fixture between the Gunners and the Black cats. Both players have recently returned from loan spells at Burnley and Norwich, and both players have had spells sat on the bench during the fore mentioned loan periods.
Arsene Wenger has confirmed he will be cautious in the summer when clubs come knocking for Arsenal’s young stars.
“Now they need now to show they are good enough, They have, like everybody, to fight to play, and if they are good enough they play. It’s as simple as that.
“They didn’t play a lot and that’s why it’s sometimes disappointing you give them up to Championship teams and they don’t play.
“(If) you want to play for Arsenal, you have at least to play in the Championship. When you go somewhere and you are on the bench, you cannot come back and say ‘I have to play for Arsenal’, because if you don’t play in the Championship team it’s difficult.”
Wenger also went on to describe the importance of loaning, and how high Arsenal rate the option to send the young prospects to other clubs.
“For us it’s part of education, to have a period of your life to play in a team who has responsibilities and to be under pressure and show how well you can do in the Championship.
“So it’s just to get you used to realising that life is not as easy as it looks in the football world.”
He also talked about some of the young English prospects in the system, and as we first announced he confirmed Jack Wilshere, along with Kieran Gibbs and Henri Lansbury will be fighting for a first team place next term.
“It’s fantastic because there is guaranteed stability when you have English players coming through. If I can bring a few through I will be very happy,”
“Gibbs, Jack Wilshere, Henri Lansbury, all might be included in the group next year. There is a core coming up, but I cannot tell you now whether all of them will make it.”
Wenger added: “I feel we have produced many good players English players and many of them play in other clubs. We have produced plenty, more than anybody else in England, but not enough for us.”
Article By – J.Sanderson
Nice Article Sanderson. Are Randall and Lansbury the same sort of player? If so then who do you think has a better chance at making it here at Arsenal? I think Wenger favours Lansbury
I’ve to agree with Wenger on such matters.
As mentioned in a few blog entries on Youngguns, the clubs that loaned our players haven’t really provided many chances for our youngsters to grow and learn from first team action. Most clubs are treating them as cover for their first team. I can clearly see why Wenger has to do this “rethink” thingy.
To be honest, this time around I feel that Arsenal would truly have a better set of young talents, particularly the English ones as compared to the ones that we have for the past seasons. Technically and tactically these youngsters are capable of providing Wenger more headache as they are talented and most important of all, can master the art of Wengerball.
If these youngsters continue to work hard and smart, and also maintain a positive attitude (negative attitude basically wreck the chances of these youngsters, think of Pennant and Bentley), then we Arsenal fans (particularly the English Arsenal fans) would feel proud of the English talents we have.
:)
Randall is more of a classy play-maker type, whereas Lansbury is a box-to-box midfielder.
Lansbury is always injured, so i feel despite Randall not having as much ability, he will have a better chance.
so was gael clichy so was gerrad that didnt stop them from becoming world class players
whats up with Benik Afobe is he going to be in Fist Team or U18 next year? Do u rate him m8
FIRST TEAM! hes not even 17
so what, If he is good he don`t have to be 17
He will be 16 next
and you had one player on loan that you didnt mention…player that wasnt on the bench but playing regulary and often scoring goals…player that won player of the season award…
Afobe will be under 18s next season, he has recently turned 15, so calm down guys.
Yes Jay Simpson, we all know about him. His future lies elsewhere i feel.
i was talking about wenger…i know you know him, but it seems wenger doesnt know him…
ta m8
ta m8
No problem Assgunner.
Chaos what do you mean mate? who do i know and who does Wenger not know
he is saying that wenger completly ignored him like he doesn’t even know who he is
intresting that wenger did not mention randall when talking of gibbs, wilshire and lansbury…or am i just reading into it to much?
:)im sorry that i wrote it so badly mate…
in my first comment i meant that it seems wenger doesnt know simpson…it was ironic
Maybe, but he did not mention Barazite or Nordtveit.
Dont worry about it mate.
I see what you mean, im sure he knows about Simpson, because he has spoken about him before. But its also like he does not see him as a regular for the first team.
Nordtveit and Barazite were probably not mentioned because Wenger was talking about young english players :)
Aviv Shelly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZZsM3FqMc4&feature=related
On the video it says he’s joining the arsenal academy, is there any truth in it?
Can you confirm anything J>Sanderson
Not sure mate, i only know about the Under 16’s/18s and Reserves, no reason to suggest he is lying, so maybe he will join.
Sucks to not hear anything about Jay Simpson. I like him a lot.
Ww have nothing to lose tomorrow so i say give Simpson a chance and see how he plays and give him a chance in pre season he could be really good and could make impact. remember how long it look theo to make impact so i say give Jay a chance it’s only fair seen as though he went on loan and played his ass off!
cumon AW do the right thing
hey js, do u read the ‘le grove’ blog. wot do u think of it mate?
Le Grove?.. well you either love it or you hate it.
I like Pedro from Le Grove he is a great guy, some things i dont agree with, but others i do.
Its difficult, nice to see something different
Honestly after seeing Simpson 4 times he is not Arsenal class. He has ability no doubt, having a great physical make up is going to give him a career in the game but lacks a trick or two.
i dont agree with their misleading headlines and their habbit of abusing people that dont agree with them. how old is pedro?
“intresting that wenger did not mention randall when talking of gibbs, wilshire and lansbury…or am i just reading into it to much?
Lightning Kev said this on May 10, 2008 at 12:57”
am i wrong or not? randall has been listed as first team player at arsenal.com, but having no fixed number along with gilbert.
He obviously rates Randall or he wouldnt have added him to the squad for the sunderland game and Randall wouldnt have been the only reserves player to train in Austria with the first team for the last 2 years.
Nordtveit on the bench too :D