IK Våg goalkeeper Sean McDermott will touch down in London tomorrow morning to begin his new career with Arsenal, but while one stopper is just at the start of his adventure with the Gunners, another is saying his good byes.
Charlie Mann will complete the formalities of his move across London to Crystal Palace shortly having agreed to transfer to the Eagles a month ago. The 16-year-old was due to sign a scholarship this summer but decided to jump ship due to McDermott’s arrival added to the progress of Luke Chambers and Yilmaz Aksoy.
Mann featured on a handful of occasions for the Under 18’s last term and was the substitute stopper throughout the successful Youth Cup run in. Unfortunately he was given no assurances over his future ahead of the new campaign and has decided to seek a new challenge. It draws to a close Charlie’s occasion with Arsenal which started when he was just 9.
Yet where one player departs, another enters. Norwegian born Republic of Ireland Under 17 international Sean McDermott has finally completed his long awaited transfer after agreeing a deal before Christmas. Liam Brady will no doubt be delighted to have beaten a whole host of English and Scottish club’s to his signature after two trials.
Sean kept goal in the final of the Atalanta Cup last summer and saved and then scored the winner in the final shootout against Juventus. He then went away for another tournament shortly after the season began where it was made clear that Arsenal were keen to sign him. Previous trials with Tottenham, Manchester United, Leeds United and Falkirk were also successful but the McDermott family wanted Sean to finish school before leaving minnows IK Våg where he was the second choice ‘keeper for the first team despite his tender age.
The Kristiansand born 16-year-old recently celebrated his 16th birthday and he’s agreed a three-year-deal which will take him up to his 19th – where Sean believe he’ll only be a year away from challenging for first team honours.
“It feels really great, Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs and one of the best at developing players”
“I think I can be the first choice keeper there when I’m a little over 20 years old. I’m not going to Arsenal for nothing – I will be the first choice keeper”
Respected agent Jim Solbakken helped push through the transfer – like he did with another Gunner, Havard Nordtveit, – and he too believes his client made the right choice in joining Arsene Wenger’s men.
“Now, Sean has managed to come to one of the world’s best clubs. Only it is an achievement. Now there is all the processes – but he can go all the way”
Solbakken was coy on the amount of money which changed hands between the two clubs but confirmed that McDermott would only receive scholarship pay, and that the majority of the money Arsenal will pay would come if Sean makes the first team. Local newspapers speculate that the fee is around $7 million dollars (£4.3 million). He will begin next season as the first choice Under 18 goalkeeper.
Article By – J.Sanderson
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strange picture
4.3m quid for a 16yr old keeper??? you’re joking, right? That’s the main reason Wenger’s always so short of cash to buy proper players for his 1st team: he wastes 4.3m on 16yr old keepers and 5m on 17yr old midfielder. Maybe the extra cash could’ve been used to land Xabi Alonso or Maxi Rodriguez.
Also, I cannot believe there isn’t a 16yr old keeper in the UK that we could’ve had for free…the money we’re talking about here is purely scandalous and extremely disrespectful to those who pay a fortune to watch a first team populated with young Africans and French kids.
It will only be as much as that if he makes the first team Eddie. Only around a million or so pounds will be up front, the rest would follow in installments.
The picture is of Sean at his school saying goodbye his class mates yesterday.
Ok, J., I accept that the fee is contingent on a number of factors but at a time when the youth set up is extremely well-equipped and the manager is reportedly short of funds, do you not agree it would make more sense to keep the extra few million spent on youth players and use that to add to the kitty or to improve the contracts of guys like Bendtner, RvP and, potentially, Arshavin?
eddie: free v. quality. and what is disrespectful about watching young African and French kids? (Also, what young African kids are we watching? We have 3 Africans, all over 24.)
4.3m will be like all our transfers: an initial fee, more if he makes X first team appearances, more if he wins X trophies, more if he wins X international appearances.
If you could have spent under 5m and bought Buffon or Casillas at 16, would you? Or would you have gone for “a 16yr old keeper in the UK that we could’ve had for free”? Arsenal strive to find the best, at all ages, that we can get in our price range. Obviously there has never been a club with a 100% successful purchases rate, but ours is better than most and if the likes of Utd were also in for him, it’s for a reason.
Also, remember another two things: our youth spending is seperated from our first team spending and wenger refuses to be held ransom for players/doesn’t like to work like perez/laporta and be an absolute cunt. principles are half of what the arsenal do. if that means not being taken for a mug because liverpool wanna take us for a ride (even if we can afford to), then he’s going to stick with his principles.
well i hope he will turn out to be top quality. If he is one of those special keepers who can start playing first team football at 25/26 then it would be good.
The only keepers i know who have been number one at top european teams before the age of 26 are Buffon, Casillias, Check, Raina and Joe Hart lol.
By that time almunia would be old, and Fabianski would have had a good chance in the first team aswell.
eddie;
Not only are you a thick twat, your a thick racist twat…
F*uck off you bigot…
No offence
The 4.3m has been reported in an effin tabloid FFS. And even IF the amount were true, it would be small change as we’d be paying that for a 1st choice prem quality keeper… Less than Blackburn paid for fatty Robinson…
What I find a touch disrespectful, Samuel, (and I picked French and African because it happens to be the case at Arsenal, specifically), is that we are continuously told there are no funds available to the manager yet we manage to find enough to spend on these kids who then rarely go on to shoot the lights out. As for what kids I’m talking about, I was referrinng specifically to guys like Eboue (2m), Song (4m), Diaby (4m), Aliadiere (500k), to name but a few, whom we spent various sums on when in their teens and who have done little to justify the expense thereafter.
I don’t get your point about the budgets being separate for the youth team and for the senior team. Surely if Arsenal have a 20m budget, of which 5m is for the youth team, if 3m of that isn’t spent, can it not go to Wenger for 1st team needs?
Wilshere – free; JET – free; Bentley – free; Sidwell – free; Simpson – free. Don’t tell me some of those could not have done better than or as good as Denilson, Eboue, Ramsey, Song.
Sunu is another we have spent money on and while I’m sure he’ll grow up to be a decent player, he will not, in my view, be that much better than Simpson and I will bet my house on Sunu making the 1st team squad for at least 2 years while Simpson will be sold by Wenger. I’d love him to prove me wrong but that’s the trend.
Maybe Wenger needs to justify the sums spent on these kids, which is why the free ones are sold at a profit and the ones that cost money are kept…am I being too cynical.
Spike, J. wrote that local papers reported the fee, not the tabloids. As for the racist thing, please read my next post and reconsider carefully. I am talking about spending money on young players in general and in Arsenal’s case, we ended up with a lot of those in the first team who happen to be French and African. This comment is also linked to my complaint over spending big money on a young Irish keeper and to a Welsh midfielder, so think before you write, as it is evident that I am not the “thick” one around here.
By the way, I thought this was a forum for debate rather than for insult.
eddie you’re an idiot. we got anelka for 500k and sold him for over 20 million — the proceeds paid for henry. we got cesc for next to nothing and he’s worth something like 40million now. small investments lead to big rewards but not all the time, because theres no such thing as a sure thing in football. wenger considers himself a caretaker of the club. he cares about our longterm future more so than the fans who’re becoming more and more of an embarassment as the year wears on. ffs man.
If you are good enough at Arsenal, you play. I understand being an advocate for local players but in terms of football that’s a very blinkered approach. Song and Diaby are both young and still developing but Song has more than shown his worth this season. Eboue was the best right-back in Europe two seasons ago and before we got Sagna, there were few better than him in England.
And in the case of Aaron Ramsey, he is potentially one of the best in the world at his position. Ramsey has everything and if you’ve ever watched Wales recently, you’ll know that 5 million was a snip.
Wenger does justify those sums. For every Alliadiere, there’s a Fabregas. And foreign players are not given preference. Why don’t you mention players like Kieran Gibbs? Because that would totally ruin your credibility? Wenger could have recalled Traore or thrown Eboue to the left. But instead he throws in a 19 year old Englishman. Why don’t you mention Walcott also, we spunked the best part of ten million on him, at 16.
And the idea of the seperate budget is that the Youth Team is treated as a different entity. Our youth academy has to be allowed to grow and I assume that Steve Bould has his own budget and that the money is specifically for youth signings, and is completely disconnected from the budget for the first team.
The money is completely wrong. In the local paper the chairman of the club is quoted as saying they will be paid “several million kroner” if Sean makes the first team. 1 million Kr is about £100 000, so going by the headline “several” means about 43. Even the Sun would be proud of exaggerating a quote like that!
Soo a local paper is different to a tabloid? In what respect? Are you suggestin they are a bastion of honesty and integrity?
Oh I get it, its just for you to use as evidence so you can have a whinge….
racist twat!
Eddie you’re spending way too much time eating ANR for breakfast. Myles Palmer has lost the plot and you need to read between the lines.
Right now Kaka will cost Madrid 56 million. Imagine Arsenal buying him for 5 million when he is 15. That’s what Wenger is trying to do, and I think it’s a magnificent project.
Soooo, you have a thing against the Welsh, the irish, french and africans….
Dear o dear, I bet we all can guess what party you voted for yesterday….
I think your white hood is restricting the blood supply to your brain….
Remember that Myles Palmer never liked Thierry Henry, which is absolutely ridiculous. His views on Henry typified Myles’s “French and Africans” attitude, and I was and still am quite digusted by it.
Compare that to Myles’ favourite Robbie Keane, who was a dismal failure when signed by Liverpool for big bucks.
Eric
ANR, more psecifically, Miles palmer, is a pathetic excuse for an Arsenal blog. The old fool has NO insight, yet continues to come out with unsunstantiated nonsense, that he is the only one privvy to. I used to find it annoying, now he’s just a sad old sod, not even worth laughin at.
Bentley burnt his bridges at Arsenal. He had the choice to stay and fight for a place, or go… he went and slagged off the club while doin so. Wheres he now?
Sidwell, was a lot classier, but he still left instead of fighting for a place…
Hi Guys. I can tell you this. Arsenal paid nothing close to $ 7 mm. . Im reading the newspaper now, and What the boss of the Local club (IK VÅG) said was that the deal was worth several million kroner(NOK) which probably means 300-400 thousand pounds – maybe a bit more.. The assumption for the deal to be worth that much was that he made it to the firstteam. And if he does, its a bargain anyways. so lets not get carried away here
Actually Erichero, £5 million isn’t too far off from what Milan paid to bring Kaka over at 21: €8.5 million in 2003.
Anyway there is no way that Arsenal are going to end up paying £4.3 million for this keeper if he doesn’t make it. It’s more likely £500 thousand up front and rising to 4.3 million if he becomes Arsenal’s number 1. 4.3m for a number one keeper isn’t a big deal.
and A=Arsenal,
The truly special keepers show themselves before 25, more like 20-22 you know you have an elite on your hands.
@ Eddie, u ought to shut up, we want the best talent not mediocre, if you are good enough then u will get your chance as long as they strive to improve technically, mentally & physically.
As soon as someone says “French and African kids” I know he gets it from ANR, because Myles is always using that time. I generally like reading ANR because it’s fresh and emotive, but it’s become heavy going. Le Grove is also a bit grim, but at least it it’s opinionated and the guys know more than some of the other bloggers.
I like coming to Young Guns because it reminds us of the best thing about Arsenal right now and that is the core focus of the club: getting the top young talent in the world and building a team of the future. I’m not convinced the tactic will work, but it’s a joyride for now.
We have a plethora of really promising young players. Some closer to the 1st team than others, yet some people just wanna whinge and bitch coz we might be spending money on young players??? Wilshire and JET should be in the 1st team at the expense of Diaby and Song??? Yeah, that makes sense… lets kill them and their Arsenal careers before they are even ready. I think jet and Wilshire will come good, but they aint ready yet. Like Coquelin, Id love em to be 1st choice players, along with a few others, but that aint gonna happen next season, IMO, and they deffo werent ready last year.
I think its a knee jerk reraction, probably brought on by a very frustraing season, to suggest our very talented yutes wouldve done better than some of our 1st team scapegoats, erm, I mean players.
And as for Bentley and Sidwell???? Sheeeeesh, not a chance.
Spot on Spike – “kneejerk reaction” sums it up. The fact that we’re signing young players has nothing to do with whether we need a new defender or DM.
Did you see Lampard’s complaint about Chelsea’s poor academy?
Let me break this down point by point:
“What I find a touch disrespectful, Samuel, (and I picked French and African because it happens to be the case at Arsenal, specifically), is that we are continuously told there are no funds available to the manager yet we manage to find enough to spend on these kids who then rarely go on to shoot the lights out.”
Now 1, who has actually said this at the club? Paper and blog talk can speculate all they like but the party line held by the club is we can afford whoever we want. Think about who you are told this by and how reliable they are next time.
“As for what kids I’m talking about, I was referrinng specifically to guys like Eboue (2m), Song (4m), Diaby (4m), Aliadiere (500k), to name but a few, whom we spent various sums on when in their teens and who have done little to justify the expense thereafter.”
Eboue, Song and Diaby are all currently back-ups in their position and are international footballers under 25. 2/3 arguably have had bad seasons but Eboue was essential in taking us to a Champions League final – I wouldn’t say he didn’t justify his price right there; whereas Song and Diaby show glimpses of how good they can be if they sort their heads out (Song – think end of season; Diaby – think Fenerbache, *that* goal against Villa, a couple other times). And for every Aliadiere, there is not only a Cesc, but a Clichy and a Toure: our success rate is much higher than our failures.
“I don’t get your point about the budgets being separate for the youth team and for the senior team. Surely if Arsenal have a 20m budget, of which 5m is for the youth team, if 3m of that isn’t spent, can it not go to Wenger for 1st team needs?”
I don’t think you understand what happened with Xabi Alonso. Wenger, supposedly, would have paid the extra if it wasn’t for the disrepect and misleading way Liverpool went about it. Liverpool ruined that deal, it had nothing to do with where our money was budgeted. Ethics are essential to the club. It’s not a strict guideline but we budget for the future as well as the current team. They can mix but it’s how our silly season starts.
“Wilshere – free; JET – free; Bentley – free; Sidwell – free; Simpson – free. Don’t tell me some of those could not have done better than or as good as Denilson, Eboue, Ramsey, Song.”
Wilshere is 17. Bentley is shit. Sidwell is shit. Neither could make an impact in teams that didn’t even make the Champions League and fell apart in the UEFA Cup. Simpson couldn’t make an impact at West Brom. Denilson has captained freaking Brazil at every uXX level and was one of the most effective players in the league this season (in the same way Kuyt was – he won’t get any plaudits but he did his job incredibly well) in his first season starting in the Premiership. Eboue – see above. Ramsey was identified by not only Wenger, but Moyes and Ferguson as well as the next great CM in a Scholes or Gerrard mould. (Sidwell, alas, was not.) Song has been progressing since the ANC, where he made the select XI.
“Sunu is another we have spent money on and while I’m sure he’ll grow up to be a decent player, he will not, in my view, be that much better than Simpson and I will bet my house on Sunu making the 1st team squad for at least 2 years while Simpson will be sold by Wenger. I’d love him to prove me wrong but that’s the trend.”
Personally, I don’t think Sunu will make it. I’d love to be proved wrong but it’s a habit of the game at the highest level. And it’s not a case of Sunu v. Simpson. It’s a case of Sunu v. Simpson v. Vela v. Walcott v. Bendtner – we have 3 of the most exciting strikers in the world (all three bought as teenagers coincidentally) and that’s the standard we hold. “Best/most promising in the world.” Ask Lupoli, anything less is not enough. It does not matter whether we spent money on them or not. Simpson obviously isn’t up to that standard – it does not matter about his nationality or whatever. In fact, the accusation that the club wouldn’t love to see it’s academy produce world class talent for the sake of half a million or whatever is beyond ridiculous. (Even in economic terms- think of how many shirts Terry sells compared to Carvalho etc.)
“Maybe Wenger needs to justify the sums spent on these kids, which is why the free ones are sold at a profit and the ones that cost money are kept…am I being too cynical.”
Does the existence of our captain not justify it? Or Clichy? Or the many other players? The ‘free’ ones, which we spend a decade developing, are sold because they haven’t turned out good enough, or in cases like Bentley and Pennant – have had the potential to but their attitudes were so poor they shot themselves in the foot.
And the idea that we just sell the ‘free’ ones is stupid. Simpson’s still with us, yeah? As is Gibbs, Wilshere, fucking Randall, etc. etc. If the boss thinks you are good enough is the only standard- not price tag, nationality, fan or media speculation.
eddie said this on June 5, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Did you see Lampard’s complaint about Chelsea’s poor academy?
Erichero said this on June 5, 2009 at 3:56 pm
You got a link for this, I’d love to read it actually.
Samuel I think you should stop now before you stoop to Eddie’s level. It’s clear we all know he’s wrong and he does too, but he just won’t admit that he has got something wrong.
Crocker: Slow Friday innit? :)
LOL there’s no way the fee is that high. It’ll be more like £400,000, with possibly something in seven figures *if* he becomes first choice. Which is a VERY BIG if!
Wow – aggressive feedback indeed for what was supposed to be just my opinion.
MY view, is that Eboue was not worth what was paid for him and has not justified it thus far. As for being the best right back in the league…well, you that’s your opinion. I don’t rate him, you do – end of matter.
So now it takes Myles Palmer mentioning that Wenger’s signings are predominantly French and African for anyone else to draw the same conclusion, does it? As if it isn’t that obvious…It happens to be that way with Wenger. I wouold be saying exactly the same thing if most of his signings were German and Dutch. But I will hold my hands up and admit that mentioning someone’s nationality might offend some people, so I apologize.
I still don’t get the “racist tag”, though. Do you actually mean “xenophobic”? Because I have been quite clear in my favouring of Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Jay Simpson, who are quite clearly black, as opposed to paying for kids to be brought in at vast expense, whether they are black, white, french, welsh, english, it doesn’t f*cking matter because that’s not the point I am trying to make.
My initial point was: why do we seemingly spend so much money on bringing in 16 and 17yr old players when we could use the money for other areas of the club that really need it because, in my opinion, our youth set-up is well-enough equiped.
Samuel – your “intel” on the Xabi Alonso deal is laughable.
Supergunner07 – “we want the best talent, not mediocrity”…so you reckon Song, Diaby, Denilson, Walcott and Ramsey would get anywhere near the 1st teams of Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Barca, Real, Bayern, Milan, etc, do you? You’re living on a different planet, son.
Note that to this point, I have managed to avoid the name-calling and aggression that obviously entails having an opinion different to everyone else’s. You people should chill out.
Lol – sorry, I’m with bigoted, racist Eddie (albeit (in some ways) for completely different reasons). At 16, he is free to sign a pro-contract with any club afaik (some compensation pending, tbd). I doubt the fee was 4.3M up front, probably an initial sum of 200k rising to 4.3M IF he makes it at the top level. If he seriously has blown 4.3M on a 16 year old keeper, he needs his head examined. I mean that would be like insisting to play a headless chicken, diving 3rd rate Ivorian right-back & a disinterested, nihilistic, perpetually offside Togolese fwd ahead of players with much more ability, spirit, drive and motivation.. oh wait…
Oh and perhaps I might want to know where the 3,600 GBP I’m spending on 3x Season Tickets is going, why it isn’t going towards re-enforcing the glaring holes in our squad, that every fan can see, the media can see, the opposition can see, but Mr Myopic seems to be able to ‘miss’.
Mr Alonso was ‘a few quid’ short of arriving last summer, shame that… try and get him now..
I don’t want to see anymore ‘kids’ (be they from Africa, France, Mars or somewhere in the Crab Nebulae) with promise arriving, I want to see him adequately replace long-since departed core ‘spine’ players (Seaman, Adams, Vieira, Henry) with experienced, seasoned quality pro’s.
I just read on another Norwegian site that the £4.3 million was all but confirmed by the agent.
Right, J, great reporting as usual. Question; when are the new player profiles coming, for instance, of this guy? And of the new signings, and the guys who moved up a level?
And another point, my opinion on this case is based on the fee J reports in his blog. I would suggest the local paper in a small Norwegian town would more likely have details of the fee than say the Sun or the Daily Star. Much in the same way as I would trust a fee quoted for an Everton transfer more if it came from the Liverpool Echo than from the Mirror.
If the fee is nowhere near 4.3m quid and is more like a basic compensation of 40 grand or something, then there’s no problem – and that would apply to any players, anywhere in the world, by the way, for those of you convinced that I’m a racist. But let’s face it, that’s too easy a weapon to use when you can’t be bothered to actually read what somebody has written.
Eddie: I said ‘supposedly’. Of course no-one really knows what happened. Also, Palmer has previous of outright racist comments (The Djourou’s ancestors comment springs to mind).
“so you reckon Song, Diaby, Denilson, Walcott and Ramsey would get anywhere near the 1st teams of Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Barca, Real, Bayern, Milan, etc, do you? You’re living on a different planet, son.”
We beat Chelsea to Diaby, Chelsea to Theo, Utd to Ramsey and Song. So yeah, I think they would.
Aeoric: Remember we also have to pay off the stadium, and it was the first season we spent over 10m on 2 players. Pretty certain Seaman (Lehmann), Adams (Campbell), Vieira (Cesc) and Henry (Ade and Eduardo) all were replaced incredibly well.
I just don’t understand people’s negativity. Our spending on youngsters does not effect immediate first team transfers- so why take a negative view if we can also get a Cesc or a Clichy or a Toure on the cheap? How is this a problem? Seriously?
I thought it was quite funny how ANR said we need to get more known players like Sagna. LOL – I’d never heard of him before he arrived.
Tony Adams wasn’t bought at the top of his game for 30 million pounds, and neither was Thierry Henry the world’s greatest striker when we purchased him for 10 million.
Eddie; Man U wanted Song and Ramsey. Look at Liverpool, where Babel and Riera and Lucas are all crap yet playing. Denilson and Walcott would easily get in there. You’re rhetoric sucks cause you have no clue. Other teams integrate youth as well. Bottom line is, we have the best youth in the world, bar none. And it costs money.
Samuel – Liverpool beat us to Babel and he doesn’t even get in their squad (they’re actually looking to sell him) but you know he’d be a starter for us.
After one season at Chelsea I can guarantee you Mourinho would’ve tinned Diaby outta there, as he did with the perpetually-injured Robben. As for Theo, if Chelsea were willing to part with the infinitely more effective Shaun Wright-Phillips, you can bet your arse Theo would be playing at Wigan by now.
And finally, if you think Alex Song would get anywhere near a starting berth at United, who spent the better chunk of 60m quid on Carrick, Anderson and Hargreaves, then you must be his biggest fan.
As for J confirming the fee at 4.3m from another source, all I can say is: this guy better be the next fucking Gigi Buffon and Wenger better not open his gob again about lack of funds when he signs Blaise Matuidi from St Etienne rather than Maxi Rodriguez or Xabi Alonso to parnter Cesc.
Eddie now you are being an idiot as well as showing you know fuck all. Maxi Rordriguez is a Winger/AM, he will never partner Cesc. Man U wanted Song, it is that simple. He would be playing. Anderson has shown to be rather disapointing as a DM, and certainly SOng will be/is better as a DM than Anderson. If a cunt like Macheda can play so should Diaby.
eddie: Actually, Ajax offered us him for £6m and we refused. There are even Babel comments about how he’d like to play for us one day but isn’t ready yet. The next month he went to Liverpool for £11m.
Wright-Phillips “infinitely more effective”? Tell that to Fabio Capello. You should be running the England side.
Pretty certain Song’s got more of a chance of starting for United than Hargreaves ;)
Also, I’d be fucking pissed off if we signed Maxi to partner Cesc. Why the fuck do we need a second rate right winger when we have the fourth best in the world (Arshavin) and the best young right winger in the world (Walcott)? That can’t be a serious comments can it? Really?
haho – interesting how we have the best youth in the world at the moment. Out of curiosity, how much did we spend on that double-winning side? How much were Bartley, Coquelin and Sunu? How successful were our youth teams when Clichy, Song, Aliadiere and Denilson were in them? Who won all the players of the season awards (don’t count Coquelin as he won a newbie award that he had a 1 in 2 chance of winning)? Who came top of the scoring and assist charts? Did it really cost us that much? Probably less than 4.3m, I’d guess…
What annoys me also is when fans come on to the blogs like they’ve got some divine right to win trophies. It’s like: Wenger, you didn’t win the league, now you must be accountable to me.
What you have at Arsenal right now is what Toon fans could only wish for, so get a grip, get a drink and get a life. Or switch your support every year to the team that has just won the league.
Eddie; interesting how the teams you name actually never consisted of the players you name. This team has people like Coquelin, Lansbury, Murphy, Watt, JET and of course Wilshere. Nobody ever talked about a young Karbassyoon or Sidwell or Molz or whoever like they do now about this generation. They are a team together, we have worked very hard for this bunch of players… Ferguson took 9 years for the Scholes Giggs bunch, we took 13 years for this bunch.
eddie: You aren’t making us wrong; you are arguing something else. The point of the past 10 years of Arsenal at youth level has always been: “buy it until Hale End can start producing world class quality itself”. But also buying the most exciting young players in the world for pittance – well, you’ll never convince 99% of Arsenal fans that it’s a bad idea. Especially while Cesc is captain.
didn’t he say that if leeds were to get back in to the prem he’d want to play there?
Is he not a leeds fan?
You’ve also got to remember Sidwell et al from our last FA Youth Cup win came from the old academy which was downright shoddy in every respect (bad pitches, old and irrelevant training techniques, no coaches invested, no focus on mental stability that lead to bentley/pennant/cole-esque arrogance and the drunks we had for the 90s). Hale End was heavily invested in at the turn of the century, so naturally we are only starting to see its possible effects on the first team: Gibbs is the first player of a Hale End academy to break the first team, and he’s still in his teens.
“Samuel – Liverpool beat us to Babel and he doesn’t even get in their squad (they’re actually looking to sell him) but you know he’d be a starter for us.”
Babel is shit. I have never seen anything credible other than tabloid speculation that we were ever interested.
Theo Walcott would be in any of the top sides starting 11s or should be. The boy is class and improving all the time.
Alex Song is a vastly improved player than this time last year. And I would certainly play him ahead of Carrick.
“Wenger better not open his gob again about lack of funds” STFU I have never seen any quotes from Wenger saying he has been denied funds for transfers. How can you talk in such a disrespectful way about the greatest manager this club has ever had. You are not fit to lick the sweat from his balls, Fk off back to your tottenham or whoever it is you genuinely support. You aint no Gunner.
Also, considering we’ve gone majorly off point: most young goalkeepers are shit. No matter who they are trained by. Find one with anything resembling talent and they are like gold dust. Considering our current #1, how much this kid was wanted by the two 2 investors in youngsters in the country (us and Utd) and this guys ambition – I say great, invest.
You’re not getting it. In the context of the financial situation at the club and of the dire need for quality reinforcement at the 1st team level, it is imperative that Wenger strengthen appropriately and using all funds at his disposal. I’m all for young players getting their chance and learn from existing senior players, just not all at once. I would argue that Ashley Cole would never have developed into the player he is today (regardless of our personal opinions of him) had he not played and trained alongside guys like Campbell and Keown.
I just find it hard to accept that buying one of the most expensive season tickets in world football doesn’t at least entitle you to expect investment in the areas the require it. Had we stayed at Highbury and limited our ambitions and been told “look, we’re happy to play for a top six spot and give the manager a limited budget” then my outlook might be different. But why stop short? Why build a world class stadium and state of the art training complex if you’re not putting a competitive side in it?
As for Maxi Rodriguez, seasoned football watcher would surely be aware that he is 1) extremely adaptable 2) offers a goal threat and 3) has played in the middle for both Atletico Madrid and Argentina, especially in a middle 3, which Wenger likes to use these days.
Again: investment in youth is great, but not when it affects the quality of players you can bring into your first team and your overall competitiveness, especially when we’re told funds are tight. That is my opinion, I’m not looking to get anyone to agree with it, but that doesn’t mean I can’t express it.
eddie your a idiot if you don’t think eboue has justified what we paid for him, he is class and was amazing the year we got the champions league final and was very good this year even though he got on credit also arsenal only paid 1 mil for song and 1.5 for diaby not the 4 million or whatever you said earlier.
Randall – I haven’t said anything to the criticism I’ve received, so far, but you calling me an idiot for not rating Eboue is too much. You’re a c*nt, and no mistake. What gives you the right to criticize me for not liking a player? You f*cking cretin.
eddie: but youth development is not encroaching on our first team spending! like i said: last season was the first season arsenal ever spent over £10 on two players. we are starting to really see the benefits, financially, of the stadium. however, if the manager who had the foresight to start cesc from 17 (etc. there could have been many different examples i could have used here) thinks Song or Denilson is going to become world class (and remember, it’s only been their first full season at DM as opposed to the limited chances before) thinks they are going to make it, maybe it’s because they will?
You’re emphasing the point I made Eddie: you’re acting as though you have an entitlement. You don’t: it’s a consumer market – take your money elsewhere if you’re not happy. Chelski would love your dough. You would even have been boasting about your trophy now with Chelski, but then you’d be wondering why half the country hates you. Simple, you’re just paying big bucks for name brand players – where is the invention, where’s the work in building up your team, where’s the decency? And above all, why don’t they play attractive football like Wenger’s teams?
(To add to the point of Song/Deni’s first season- we give signings 6months to a year to settle, why don’t we hold youngsters to similar standards?)
Erichero: As far as I’m concerned the stat above all in comparing Arsenal and Chelsea is not how much they cost or the style of football but the ages. Chelsea ended the season 9 points above us, had their first team knocked out the Carling Cup by the same team that knocked out of youths, same round in the Champions League, 1 further in the Fa Cup. Their average age? 28. Ours? 23. Both teams have to learn from their mistakes but at least we have time to do so! And we are only a couple years (to make sure we’ve got enough in reserve for loan payments and to sort out our property developments) to compete on a similar level in the transfer market.
Spot on, if you look at where the two teams are headed, Arsenal are in a stronger position. Furthermore, Chelsea’s spending patterns have been reigned in because of Abrahamovic’s financial troubles, and they can now be outbid by Man City.
It’s true that Arsenal continue to promise us the future, but if you sit down and look at the future and look at case studies like the massive improvement of Song, I’d say I’m more than a little bit excited.
Erichero – I can’t take my money elsewhere, I’m an Arsenal fan.
Bottom line: my sense of entitlement is driven by the fact that I’m asked to pay a fortune for a season ticket (which I waited 9 years for, so I’m not about to give it up), that we are constantly told that we have no funds and that the team suffers as a result of the lack of reinforcements. Yet at the same time, we find 4.3m to spend on a 16yr old keeper…it doesn’t add up.
I should’ve figured that complaining about anything to do with the youth team would face nothing but abuse on Young Guns. Hahaha.
And you’re getting abuse for good reason too. You’re in the wrong department, because signing kids has got little to do with whether we need a tall defender right here and now. The money is there and Wenger chose not to spend and that’s his decision. Personally I prefer his decision making over O’Leary, Hughes, Allardyce, O’Neill, Keegan and whoever else you’d like to mention.
Good point, Erichero, “signing kids has got little to do with whether we need a tall defender right here and now” however, it has everything to do with whether we actually buy the tall defender we need, or can afford the best of those available. Are you telling me Wenger will be told he’s maxed out his transfer budget and can’t get his first choice defender because, wait for it…the extra 5m we have is for buying 15 and 16yr olds for the academy? Hahahahaha, yeah, that would go down a treat with shareholders, sponsors, diamond club members, etc: “Sorry gents, we got ripped apart by United and Chelsea and won nothing again because the extra 5m for Alonso was put aside to sign Sean McDermott”. Nice one – HAHAHAHA!
Frankly I have rated McDermott ever since the Atalanta cup. He is better than Vito Manonne. If you have a problem with us trying to find a real replacment for a David Seamen-type goalkeeper, well then maybe you don’t understand the reason for having an Academy set up.
Plus the young guy from Zurich will be pushing for the deputy spot behind Sanga in 1-2 years time. We might as well have a young RB to build up, as we have seen how good Kieran Gibbs is. Youth isn’t a problem, but it can only complement good experience in the first team squad.
7 million is a lot of cheese…
And Blaise Matuidi is decent, but when we sign Mamadou Sahko, we will have a real good CM on the team *fingers crossed*. If you want your team to win every year, follow a front runner. If you support a team built on a tradition of heartache, follow the Arsenal.
eddie did you not read that it was already stated we only paid a initial million or so for the keeper. Not 5 mil and if he makes it as top keeper it great investment.
JS needs to block this [eddie] idiot’s ip address or suspend him.
Meh maybe Supergunner, but you don’t want to go smacking people around for stating their feelings. Somewhere in between the rubbish he raises a handful of good points, hidden amongst his knee-jerk responses. However the worst of his transgressions are when he attempts to understand the transfer policies of Arsenal.
Simply put, we don’t take the time to make audacious bids for players. In fact, we signed Arshavin for cheaper than Chavski just payed for Zhirkov.
Here we make comments and critiques of the youth set up, we don’t trying to put it into the scope of how these players will, “IMMEDIATELY,” alter the first team set up. Only a handful of academy players will make the breakthrough, but by strengthening the overall quality of the facilities, players and coaching staff we can build a better set up then we had in the 90s (or even before then).
I agree with the point made by Samuel earlier. Oh, and Maxi Rodriquez is not quality enough. Remember we passed on Wilson Palacios, another talented player now firmly entrenched in the Premiership, but not good enough to fill OUR needs when we gave him a trial.
J, is it possible to list our previous Youth team winning team sheets and where those players went on to play and interesting to see how many made our first team. I believe Pat Rice played in 1966 side. Keep up good work
Dear Eddie you are a piece of s***, u shudnt even be alowd support arsenal for what your saying. If we dont sign these young players now well then Liverpool, Man U nd Chelsea will, that means in the future we will be f***ed. The right way to buy players is to spend a portion of your money on youths and the rest on first team players. By the way it is actually Liam Brady who decides who is signed and for what price in the youth team not Wenger. Wenger only picks what players he wants for his first team and maybe reccomends a youngster.
Entertaining debate.
“so you reckon Song, Diaby, Denilson, Walcott and Ramsey would get anywhere near the 1st teams of Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Barca, Real, Bayern, Milan, etc, do you? You’re living on a different planet, son.”
Milan are shit, Chelsea will turn into them soon. Win the Champo league once then get nowhere near winnin the league with a load of oldies. I think Theo would get in quite a lot of those first teams tbh and Ramsey is a youngster so he doesn’t even get into our team yet
Now now people, we are all Arsenal fans just having a discussion. Sure you may disagree with his points but he is trying to argue in a reasoned and sensible manner without disrespect. Take for example once he knew why Arsenal blog readers are weary about the ‘Africans and French’ sounding racist elsewhere, he stopped using it.
Though Eddie, you don’t seem to understand our point- spending money on youths is:
a) very little of our budget, and often seperate to what we spend in the first team.
b) money made on sold academy kids goes towards funds for the first team.
c) proportional. so we are not buying mcdermott for £4.3m yet. It will be an initial sum and if he goes on to make certain achievements like international appearances and win trophies, it will go to that figure gradually.
d) Our youth team buys are getting considerably less each year, and only replaces what’s seen as insufficient. So Mann leaves, we get a better keeper at u18 level, yes? Whereas back when the stadium opened, we spent a considerable amount more on youths because Hale End hadn’t yet started producing its first starlets and we couldn’t afford regular Arshavins and Nasris. This can’t change overnight but every year we see the balance change towards first team priorities knowing our future and the dreaded *potential* is safe.
e) We’ve never not bought a player because we spent too much on youths. We have, however, not bought a player because Wenger was stubborn or felt mistreated. Look at Ajax’s treatment of Ibrahamovic’s sale, Marseille’s handling of Ribery, waiting 6 months for Arshavin’s price to drop etc.
Why is everyone getting so hot under the collar about how this affects Wenger’s budget when you don’t know the structure of the deal? For all you know it’s only 50k up front and the rest of the payments are so conditional that 50k is all that offer to be accounted for as yet. You have no idea. So talking about 4.3 million is pointless.
“I just read on another Norwegian site that the £4.3 million was all but confirmed by the agent.”
I’d very much like to read this, could you supply a link?
Like I said earlier, the chairman of IK Våg said that the fee would be “several million kr” if Sean makes the first team. I would read that as a maximum £500 000.
No way we are talking over £4 million, absolutely no way. If that were the case it would be all over the Norwegian press, which it is not. The quote I noted is the only mention of price I have found in the many Norwegian sites I have searched.
Not sure where the figures are from but http://transferleague.co.uk/ has a list of figures as well.
We haven’t spent much on Diaby, Song, and Eboue according to the list. I think if we sold any of them, we’d make a healthy profit.
As to the question why Diaby, Song, and Denilson never won the youth cup, it’s because they joined us after they turned 18. They wouldn’t have been able to be in the squad.
Unless there’s more money to spend, I wouldn’t bash Wenger on buying and playing youth. Sure, if you put the fees of Denilson, Song, Eboue, and Diaby together and topped it off with another 5-10M we could have bought 1 better defender but where would that leave us in squad depth? Let’s face it, the money we have is limited and we can’t afford to compete with other clubs on both the transfer fees and number of expensive squaddies. Buying a few cheap and talented youths with the potential to succeed is the best option that we have for now until either our debts are comfortable enough or we get bought over by a billionaire.
eddie, youv been battered enough so im not gonna join in but you claim we’ve spent 5 million on a 16 year old. ye havent.. we’ve spent significatantly less, we will only have spent the 5 million if he becomes first choice for us, and possible ireland aswell. considering man city bid 60 odd million for bufffon, surely this represents how valued a top class keeper is these days. if mcdermott is the keeper for us, then i say 5 mill well spent
KEP! you want to meet for a drink? You sound like the most reasonable guy ever to post on a blog. Great, reasonable well considered post.
OMG! Eddie sir, I’m on your side. As a season ticket holder you have a right more than anyone else to raise your point, which I believe to be right btw. If we miss out on a top class player by 1,2,3,4 even 5 million, can we look back and say “Least we got a keeper for the future” ?
So many internet and armchair fans make a point but like me, you put up nearly 1k to watch your team, you want results.
Ben James obviously not noting the difference between thousands and millions there. :)
Also, today the game is not only a first XI game, but a youth game and a squad game too. Fabianski obviously doesn’t cut it as a back-up goalie from what we’ve seen so far; if this kid can keep up with his ambition, we might be investing in a back-up keeper (for now.)
after what happened to liverpool, im surprise some arsenal fan still want wenger to compete in transfer market with man city, real madrid and chelsea. these people must be out of their mind. if arsenal do spend like that, won treble but next year have to sell fabregas clichy arshavin van persie walcott to cover debt, then we back to where we were, a mid table team, would you be happy? would you prefer short term success while sacrifice the future of this club?
Samuel, I’m not sure what your point is is? All i’m saying is that for 1k a year (near enough) I’m feed up with the bullshit of youth etc. If we win something and these guys come through, then great. If we can’t but the players we need to win because our investment in youth then its not good enough. We don’t exist to bring up young players, we are a football club.
g0on3r! Your point is valid but has no place in what the argument is. If 1,2,3,4 million is the difference between a top class player and a youth player, I want the top class player.
Holy shit. Does anyone really think that 3 or 4 million would stall a transfer for Wenger?
I can see it now. . . .
Ivan: I told you Arsene, had you not bought Spotswood I could have gave you 15 million for Alonso but now it only 12.
AW1: Mon cherie. . . but he was le snip at 4.3m in installments, with preconditions, paid over about 6 years, but alas. Give me the 12m and i’ll buy 24 Nicola Anelkas or 80 Kolo Toure’s or 48 Gael Clichy’s. There French and African!!!
Eddie, you cant just come on and critizise Wenger for going into the transfer market. I think most people feel sometimes frustrated by his reluctance to spend big, but don’t put two and two together and get brought back to a room with Ashley Cole. If he wants a player he’ll get him. End of. As a, season ticket holder,cough, you should be grateful you have a youth academy the envy of the world and should only be looking forward to bearing the fruits of it over the next decade or two and not on moaning about Wenger because he’s SPENT money.
I think you are Myles Palmer. Come on here to check why no one reads you no more. Anyone ever notice how ANR is only 2 letters from BNP??? Co-incidence????
Anyone notice how close Claude is to the the word “Prick” coincidence?
I think Eddie your going to find it is not a touch disrespectful at all to pay a million with add on fees for this player I dont care what anyone pays for a ticket.
Its these players and gambles that are keeping us afloat Fabregas as one clear example.
If we cant afford to keep up with manchester uts chelsea real madrid this is clearly our soloution.
If you find that disrespectful go support chealski or someone else that meets your bloody demands
I can guarantee you we will replace your season ticket or fill your seat no problem.
we must make more from developing players like him anyways, through sales, and them the sell on cluases inserted in the contracts at their next club eg bentley so as a season ticket holder surely you should be happy as only truely class keepers make it at arsenal (geerally, not including almunia) so he looks a bargain to me. if not theres still clearly something special in him so we can sell him on for a decent fee probably making a small profit seeing as we wont of paid the full 4.3 mill fee for him in the first place
J, there was this PSG striker you said Arsenal were trying to sign, what happened to him.
#
I just read on another Norwegian site that the £4.3 million was all but confirmed by the agent.
J.Sanderson said this on June 5, 2009 at 4:37 pm
-Link, please? I’m norwegian.
Samuel “Also, today the game is not only a first XI game, but a youth game and a squad game too. Fabianski obviously doesn’t cut it as a back-up goalie from what we’ve seen so far; ”
Do you not think that is a bit harsh as all he has done wrong is that mistake against Chelsea. He is only young and was thrown into a big stadium in a big situation. In his other performances he has been competent as a back-up, that double save against Wigan springs to mind.
Just to clarify this is only my opinion and you are entitled to yours but jsut wondering what anyone else thinks?
@ ben jones, you have confirmed that u r a fairweather fan, u only want to support team when they are winning. If u gave up ur ST, there will be another person to take the S. Ticket. Go and ask fans who support Arsenal between 1980 and 1987 then you will know what having it bad really mean.
At 1st team level, the manager can decide to sign players or not if he thinks they are not needed however @ youth level, it is continous vision, bringing players in & developing them is a long term vision not short term.
hazards been signed for 7.3 mil wont come till end of next season doesnt know if it will be announced this summer or next.
Supergunner you’re spot on.
@ Ben Jones, “I’m not sure what your point is is? All i’m saying is that for 1k a year (near enough) I’m feed up with the bullshit of youth etc.” Well my hearty, you ever read Fever Pitch? I mean hell, I wasn’t even a fan of footie until 1998 when we won the double with DB10. However look back to the 70s, Charlie George was a youth product, as was Pat Rice and Ray Kennedy. If we give up on BUILDING the team from the ground up, we loose one of the biggest traditions of THIS FOOTBALL CLUB. Get your history right m8, I don’t care how much you pay or how many games you’ve been to if you cannot acknowledge the history of Arsenal FC.
tyku; what?
hes been signed.
We have one of the best academy in the WORLD. We are producing real quality players for teams. We were in FA cup semi, CL semi this year. Last year.. when everybody wrote us off we came 3rd with 4 pints behind United, we should have been in the semi of CL too if not for 3 poor decision on Hleb in the penalty box. We lost 2 regulars, flamini and hleb. I believe hleb was replaced by a better player who call Nasri. Rosicky have been out for the whole season but Arshavin was brought in. Next year both Arshavin and Rosicky will be fit and those are QUALITY. Walcott took a big step forward this season and and will be even better after u21. Bendtner and Song improved towards the end of the season. Denilsson had to adapt to his new role and have plenty of experiance. Fabregas was out for 4 months, Eduardo was out for too long too. Everyone is convince that we need to buy and Wenger knows what needs to be done. He will buy but don’t expect anything until late of the transfer window. If you sit down and really think about it, you will relise how many players who really have improved and the whole team knows how to play togheter. 1 CB, 1 CM and 1 Striker/CM/Winger(Arshavin or RVP type) is what is needed I think.
Spend big is not the answer. But to bring in quality who suits our play. I’m aware of quality isn’t cheap but Wenger is one of the highest rated manager in the world and have been for many years. He is also one of the most well known manager who can bring in cheap quality players. It is Wenger who have made us so spoiled lately. Arsenal is such a joy to watch and even though we haven’t won much for 4 years, people can’t stop watching and following the Arsenal. Even our u18 side is starting to bring in big audiance. I will so buy a membership so I can follow u18 and reserves matches online. You gotta love Arsenal!
Tyku; source?
his brother
@tyku..are u sure or just spreading rumors
and guys any news about that Argentine goalkeeper “martinez” on trial at arsenal
Crocker93 said this on June 6, 2009 at 11:05 am
Fabianski has been at fault of ludicrous running out of position on more than a couple occasions; the 4 conceded versus Liverpool; he was terrible versus Burnley in the Carling Cup. You could always find enough classy looking saves to make a keeper the best YouTube clip you’ve ever seen- but away from the shot stopping he doesn’t seem to have the smarts to take control of games, always be in position, not flapping at things all the time, keep his defence in check and scare oppositions attackers.