As the line up for Arsenal’s clash against West Brom was read out last Tuesday night, Kerrea Gilbert’s name was announced for the first time in over 3 and a half years.
After Thierry Henry scored in the League Cup semi final against Wigan back in 2006 the Frenchman ran immediately to the 18-year-old rookie right back who had supplied the cross. Despite Arsenal eventually being knocked out, Gilbert put in a notable performance and was the new, young name on the Arsenal fans lips.
Gilbert went on to participate in every competition, including the Champions League and clocked up 9 first team appearances before an injury against West Ham forced him out, losing his place.
Since then Gilbert has experienced some topsy turvy loan moves to Cardiff, Southend and Leicester. This raised huge question marks over Gilbert’s future at Arsenal and it seemed inevitable that he would be heading for the exit door. But since returning from Leicester City he has been a main stay in the Arsenal reserves impressive start to the season and his performances were rewarded with a Carling Cup start.
Gilbert put in a steady display and was rarely troubled, except for the one occasion when Thomas was able to turn his marker and put in a dangerous cross. This lack of concentration at times is something Gilbert must eradicate from his game if he is to progress at Arsenal.
Now at 22 it really is make or break for Gilbert. If he is able to rekindle the kind of form that propelled him in to the Arsenal first team back in 2006 and play regularly in this season’s Carling Cup campaign then there is a real possibility that Wenger may wish to offer Gilbert a new contract.
Article By – Nick Love
I have sympathies for Gilbert and for that matter any English prospect. If he works hard, he can do ‘Gibbs’ next season.
I liked Gilbert when he amde his first team debut. I hope he has put the past behind him and Wenger looks at him as a possible understudy for the right-back slot.
It would be great to have him and Gibbs as our full-backs. I hope he is not dicarded too early as we do with too many of our young players. We need to keep players like Gilbert jsut as United have retained O’Shea and Fletcher
hope he doesnt make it…..who does he fink he is throwin hes shirt at pat rice
i think gilbert was selected for carling cup match only because there was no other player available.i think he will leave.there is no future for him at arsenal
He didn’t throw his shirt at Pat Rice that was Bothroyd.
He is a very good player.
Arsenal the great- why sympathy for any English prospect? If anything, the English youngsters are getting better priviledges than their foreign counterparts (Gibbs v. Traore, Watt v. Barazite, Wilshere v. Merida).
yea he threw hes at pat rice….and so did bothroyd. And hes attitude stinks
To me it obvious he is keeping Gilbert as cover for when Eboue goes to ACN.
I don’t think the english youngsters are getting better priviledges than their foreign counterparts. Merida is very talented, but Wilshere is better than him right now (Merida takes more time to develop). Gibbs is more reliable than Traore. Wenger didnt use Sanchez Watt as a winger so it’s difficult to say that he picked Watt over Barazite
there’s no way Gilbert can do a gibbs… he struggled in the CC..
about Wilshere and Merida, let’s not forget that they also play in different positions
How did he struggle in the CC? What is holding Gilbert back? Attitude gets mentioned but I don’t quite buy that. Also, lapses in concentration gets mentioned, but does his concentration lapse more than Eboue, Sagna, or Clichy? How much more in a single game? Over the course of a season?
What else? Pace? Technical ability?
Samuel – Gibbs have been so damn good for us and you still think he got the place becouse he is english? come on man. Gibbs is so damn more relible and he have shown that already. As long as he performe he is ahead of Traore.
Watt is better than barazite and they are not playing in the same position anyway.
Wilshere was man of the match in Emirates cup and Merida played both of them. They are also two different type of players. Wilshere have the trick and vision to go past players and can also set up attacks. While Merida is more of a CM playmaker like fabregas. Wilshere is also playing much more mature than merida.
I thought everyone would learn by now that skin colour or background doesn’t matter if you gonna make it at Arsenal. You have to performe.
Yeah it’s a good point about cover when Eboue is at the ACN.
Didnt Gavin Hoyte play RB in the carling cup last year – he’s at the u-20 WO isnt he? Maybe that’s why Gilbert got a game.
Nick, I think you have forgotten that Jerome Thomas and Gilbert would have played against each other as kids in the youth and reserve teams for years so he would know how to get around Gilbert and to only threaten once isn’t bad as Thomas was highly rated when he played for our double winning FA youth cup teams. Plus it was an obvious step up in class from the reserve team but I think with more games and confidence Gilbert is still young enough and the first team squad small enough especially when you consider that Eboue & Song are probably going to go to the African cup of Nations for potentially 6 weeks, that he can come back and challenge for a position in the squad.
UMMM Yeh. But no.
He was the worst arsenal player on the pitch by a country mile against WBA. I think his appearance in the CC was based on 2 things:
1. It is a good shop window for young talent that needs to be sold to lower league clubs
and 2. G.Hoyte is at the U20 World Cup.
He will be sold. He’s done.
To Topgunpires: Who is ACN? And to aaa: what are you talking about? Get your facts right before accusing an innocent young man of the charges you’ve laid squarely at his feet as I do not remember him throwing his shirt at anyone u muppet!
I think that Gilbert has matured after all the years he spent in lower league. I was really impressed by him when he made his debut 3 years ago. When Gavin comeback from Egypt he’s going to have a hardtime getting ahead of him, particularly in the CC squad. Cuz I think he’s that good.
He looked really solid when he had that run in the team. Its a shame he dropped off so much after the injury. It would be impressive if he were to make a comeback to the 1st team.. it just seems unlikely..Good seeing you on here Nickyboy.
Can anyone tell me why as current premier league youth champions and youth FA cup winners we only have 1 representative at the U20 world cup? there are 5 or 6 from manchester arab who we dispatched quite easily in last years cup, who is the tw@t that runs the England U20’s?
he will never, ever make it. gavin hoyte is better and considering that Sagna and Eboue are four years older and him being miles and miles from them in term of ability. I don’t think Gavin will ever make it here but he is a star compared to Gilbert who was the obvious weak link against WBA. It’s a shame considering the bright start of his career but he is clearly not good enough, despite having the most experience of the reserves.
And Gooner – ACN = African Cup of Nations
Jom (or is it Jam? I can’t tell with these small letters and the white on black): I didn’t mean to imply the English got there because of their nationality! I was disputing the point that their nationality hindered them. Wilshere, Gibbs and Watt have overtaken their youth team rivals because of ability and endeavour, not nationality. So the point was supposed to be- don’t sympathise with them as if their nationality is a problem, because talent and workrate is all that matters when battling to get into the side. Sorry if I wasn’t clear. If you’ve come across my regular comments on Arsenal blogs you would know I am against ageism and xenophobia relating to Arsenal.
J – is there any truth in the KEKO to Arsenal rumour? We tried to get him earlier but he is well looked after by Athleti,so it didnt work out.
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The shirt throwing was done by bothroyd and it was aimed at Don Howe, not Pat Rice.
I got the feeling that Kerrea Gilbert was really conscious of the importance of his opportunity against West Brom and this perhaps inhibited his natural game. Given the fact he’s been out of the squad for so long and everyone had written him off, he’s probably surprised himself to still be here. I think overall he did well and until he gets given a decent run of games we won’t know how good he is or isn’t.
The facts are he did well at Leicester (who wanted to keep him) and Cardiff. And lets be honest how many on this board thought Mannone would end up as 1st team regular, man of the match etc,. etc. before Almunia got ill?
22 years and yet to break threw! Sad particularly as he is English. Arsenal needs more English players.
i agree with the earlier poster,give him a run of games and see how he plays.
OK… what does anyone here make of Myles Palmer and his warmongering rumours? He says the Arsenal staff (except Wenger) and the England staff all think Wilshere is ready for regular first-team football and the World Cup, but Wenger will not push him that soon, (and then that gobshite blames Wenger’s England hatred) Do the staff really feel that way? Or, more to the point, the England staff? Cause if he really got to go to SA that would be the ultimate sign we have the best Academy, if Walcott, Wilshere and perhaps Gibbs get to go…
(also says on ANR that Vieira had a medical blah blah but that I will leave for another time)
haho,
I had the unfortunate experience of clicking onto that article today because I wasn’t looking carefully when it appeared on arsenal-world.co.uk ‘s newsfeed.
As always, a small portion of his rant is plausible, but the rest of it leaves me with the impression of someone not quite sane, which is one of the reasons why I’ve stopped reading his articles anymore.
Does anyone actually believe Wenger wouldn’t give an English player a chance? Look at the chances Walcott had over the last few years. I think no one would have actually complained if Wenger bought someone to put in front of Walcott in the first team.
Don’t see his point about Cole, really. What has the number of caps got to do with anything? He listed Dixon, Winterburn, Adams etc. and talked about selling Cole and saying something like Wenger will move out English players. What about Dixon, Winterburn, and Adams that he has already listed? What about Campbell that we bought?
And saying Wenger has given France a lot. Well, France has given us Henry, Pires, Vieira, Petit, et al. Not like Wenger saw an English Henry and dumped him for the French Henry. Or sold off the English Vieira for the French Vieira.
Utter rubbish really. He thinks Wilshere is ready, Arsene doesn’t. I know who I’d trust – and it’s not the man who said Henry will never be a striker.
Myles Palmer has an admirable CV but he talks of out of his arse. Time after time he lies about transfers. I used to read his site but now I realise he just does what many journalists do. They say contoversial things to get a reaction from people and therefore more hits. The man knows nothing and if he did he wouldn’t tell us anyway.
Myles is an idiot, a good pen indeed but a total wanker. His point about Wilshere might be somewhat true. I think he could be starting games and coming on at 60. He is as old as Fabregas was when he became a regular, and yes he is even better than Cesc was at that time. He is probably trying to protect Jack from overexposure but it’s really frustrating to see Eboue on the bench instead of this awesome talent.
What he says about English players is jack shit. What about the CC? He played Watt, didn’t he? He has great faith in Watt as well as Gibbs, Bartley, Lansbury and of course Wilshere the wonderkid. Don’t listen to Myles, the few things he might get right is usually stuff you could have guessed yourself
Myles Palmer’s journalism and what seems like dislike/frustration for Wenger means he loses any reason and sparse vestiges of his IQ.
Jack Wilshere is technically and creatively fantastic and the only thing stopping him making the team and what didn’t stop Fabregas is decision making. Fab was slightly petulant but he wasn’t brought up a superstar, came here by himslef and worked hard to get to this stage very quickly. With France’s system, it’s a filter and ensures the better ones come through and in England it’s more hope.
If Myles Palmer was right about Wenger not trusting English players, why did he splash out £12 million on a 16 year-old unproven Englishman by the name of Theo Walcott?
Please don’t listen to the man – he’s not intelligent enough even to lie to people.
You are right. It is time for him produce.
Hahaha. I make this about the 6th or 7th Arsenal blog to criticise Miles Palmer (that i’ve witnessed myself)…..and rightly so. He does exactly what JS said and spout off controversial bullshit in order to receive hits.
at other top leagues, like serie A and la liga, it is normal for a player to make a break through after the age of 24. only at england you are forced to mature too quickly and some of the youngsters getting impatient when at 20 years old they don’t get to play regularly. gilbert and simpson, they both should know that ahead of them are some amazing players like sagna and eboue for gilbert, van persie and eduardo for simpson, so they must be patient and wait for their chances. although its no guarantee they will make it, but im sure just training with top players everyday can make u a better player.
Goon3r – good point about playings being forced through too early, not sure about the quoted 24 from other leagues but i do think we try to force thru and then expect way too much of young players. Lok how they get villified when they dont play well (song, diaby etc..). PLayers need support just like the rest of us if someone told you everyday you were shit at whatever you do it would hardly fill you with confidence. Lastly, look at Pennant – recently came out and said he was too inpatient and unappreciative of wenger he wanted everything too ealry, young people are inpatient natually and the media only feed the impatience by overhyping them. i hope jack is wise and bides his time he can achieve everyhting he wants under wenger.
http://blog.ecairn.com/2009/09/18/arsenal-wins-the-social-media-league/ is worth a look J, you get a mention :)
Gilbert was talented, but he lost his ways. More important his attitude was so bad that he got chuck out of 2 clubs. People may say thathe is a reformed character, but during summer he just got banned for drink driving. To me that sums up most of the English players. Overhyped, too impatient, arrogant, not humble enough and not bright enough to realise that the hard work start now, as the goal is not to reach the first team but to stay there. You want the lifestyle of a millionaire, then put the work of a real professional footballer.
It is only now that Pennantt has realised that he was given a lot of chances by Arsenal and Arsene Wenger. The same thing with Upson who admitted a couple of years ago that at Arsenal he gave up and therefore was never ready when his chance came: unfit mentally and physically.
Gilbert big chance could be in January when Eboue is at athe ACN. If Sagna is injured or rotated he may get some game.
The problem with Miles PAlmer is that he keep claiming being things that are not true. He also tend to pretend to be in the know when most of the time it is just gossip stories that journos tellhis each others.
One thing he may not even realise is that most of his rant instead of exposing Wenger flaws just expose his own prejudice and bad judgement.
He keep using African as some kind of insult. According to him, whenever Arsenal has a bad result it is because Arsenal has too many French and African and not enough clean cut white English players.
Talking about bad judgement, re-reading all his call about past players is like reading a who’s who of bad call.
Petit/Viera not good enough, Henry not a striker, Song not a central midfield player, Lehman not a good goalkeeper.
When proved wrong by the fact he just glossed over or turn his tune to the event. I like to read his comment before game. Arsenal is gonna lose that game because that guy is bad. The player then has a blinder and the next post is I have said all along that he is a good player but only under those circumstances.
WReal Arsenal’s supporter better ignore the arrogant, pedantic borderline xenophobic idiot.
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