Craig Eastmond’s impressive start to the season has been rewarded with his first taste of Carling Cup action against Liverpool in which the Wandsworth born midfielder put in an eye catching display. Yet one young guns gain means another’s loss and despite Francis Coquelin’s frustration at being left out of the side, the young French maestro will have further opportunities, but for Mark Randall it could be the end of the road.
Mark is one of Wenger’s longest serving young guns featuring in both the Premier and Champions League, but in truth has been unable to make a real impact in the first team. The beginning of last season seemed as though Mark was finally going to make his break through after returning from Burnley, where he spent time on loan. Making his Champions League debut and featuring regularly in Arsenal’s Carling Cup side, he was given an opportunity to impress the watching eye of Mr Wenger. However, Mark failed to shine and his form began to spiral after Christmas, rarely showing signs of true first team ability in the reserves. This wasn’t aided by the ever impressive U18s side sweeping the board with constant impressive performances from Coquelin, Frimpong and Lansbury.
Mark has put in a few good performances for the reserves this season, but at times has clearly looked disheartened with his lack of progress over the past three years and at 20 years old should really be looking to push on. Despite an impressive cameo performance against West Brom in the Carling Cup, including a sublime chip to set up Carlos Vela, it is obvious that Wenger has turned his attentions to Coquelin and Eastmond in the middle of the park. With fellow youngsters Merida and Vela both being offered new long term contracts the signs seem pretty ominous for Mark who may have to look elsewhere for first team opportunities.
Championship teams will be more than willing to take a punt on the young midfielder who come January may well be taking a similar route to either Steve Sidwell or Paolo Vernazza. Either way there is a good chance Randall’s Arsenal journey could well be coming to an end and may have to search for pastures new in the next transfer window.
Article By – Nick Love
hes got the ability but hes just not took his chance when hes had the chance i think hel move on barnsley or somewhere hed place regular and get more confident there are better players coming from the accademy and hes bin left behind time to move on
Do you think he will play at Man City in the carling cup?
He might not be as good as lansbury, wilshere, merida and others, but I think if he keeps working hard he can be an international at some time in the future, like upson for example. He does have talent.
I think he should move to another team that can guarantee him play for their first team. We have so many excellent midfield that will coming through for their chance playing in arsenal first team. We have lansbury, JET, Coquelin, Frimpong, Eastmond, and don’t forget Ramsey is still 18 now as well as merida 19 years old..
He is not an Arsenal player
i think he has missed his opportunity he was given loads of chances and he failed to take them and i think he was pretty much the reason we got beat by Burnley…we were trying to get back into the game at 1-0 down and he fell asleep and jus let that Macdonald guy go past him for the 2nd as you can tell that was a bitter moment for me hahaha
but truthfully i think he has missed his opportunity and to me he jus seems like he thinks his better than he really is so i think he needs to get da stepping
He should be loan out to a championship side. Watford maybe. We have already too many DM in Frimpong, eastmond and coq. Seems like Ozyacup from U18 is one to watch too. A loan is the best for him I think and I hope he pick a team where he can play every week. Maybe a leauge 1 team if needed. Anywhere he can play every week would be good, who cares how good they are in the table, it’s about his own development.
Come on Randall! I like him man.
Casicky how do you work out he made us lose to burnley i seem to remember bendtner missing several clear chances and also admited himself he was awful that night.
Does anybody else know about the Joseph Akpala link? My friend works in Belgium and watches a few games, he told me that the club knows Arsenal scouts have been monitoring him since he moved. I have asked him for a reference, will forward.
J, i’ve been looking at the players who won’t be ebeligible for u18’s next year and also been looking at the players from u18’s that should be looking for reserve football and it seems we have enoguh players to field two reserve teams. If we can’t find loan clubs for a fair few players do you think it will hinder peoples progress.
Eastmond has not much affect on Randall because Randall was never going to be a first teamer at Def. Mid. Lansbury is more of the guy that will push him away. Mark Randall looks like he could be the new Steve Sidwell. Go to the Championship for a few year and improve then you never know.
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Let’s not be too harsh on the guy. He doesnt suck – just not consistent. Frankly, I dont see Randall as being all that different in ability to Michael Carrick, who got sold for 16MM and is starting for Man U.
Where exactly was Carrick THAT much better at age 20? And yet look at where he is. Its just about being in the right place at the right time, that’s all. He should move on and will be a premiership player if he picks the right place to build his career from here.
Arsene once mentioned him as late developer then we should give him this one, two more chances and sent him on loan to the championship in january. After World Cup he should get a few matches in the first team because of those who will back from it late and after that period offer him a deal or help find a new club.
Funny how Wenger seems to have an eye for swiss youngsters and now switzerland win the u17 world cup. Wenger is a psycic.
Switzerland won the U17 World Championship today. I guess Wenger saw that coming…
on the ropes as you say, hope that means he can fight back and develop till the final decision is made. Senderos, Randall, Traore etc. are players that definitely can make it, just a question of making world-class or good premiership level. Who thought Gibsy and Simpson would come this far to the brink two and a half years ago? Though 20 is a level you are expected to delive
…deliver at Arsenal. Wenger once said on Arsenal.com that up to the age of 18 (just about) it is about talent, after that age it is more how much you desire and work for it
Casicky’s comment isnt even worth a response bcuz it is very ignorant, what about his performance against Sheff Utd & Wigan in the previous round plus good cameo against Porto.
If you havent played 100 games @ arsenal then you havent made it, so to say others have taken their chances is merely a hype job. Only the future will tell us who makes it and also Wenger is giving everyone their turn as oppose to players being dropped.
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I like him alot, but I think a club like gillingham would suite him better
Gillingham? He clearly has talent to make it in the championship.
I’m guessing he’ll be plying his trade in the Championship come January. It’s sad really, but he has to move on for his own sake. Just a quick look at the kids coming up through the system should give us all an idea of how stocked this team is at the midfield position.
Wenger once said that Randall along with Wilshere, Gibbs and Lansbury were Arsenal’s future. Wilshere and Gibbs have already made it to the first team. The jury’s out on Lansbury and Randall. Lansbury developing well. Randall? Maybe the gaffer got it wrong!
Sometimes we are afraid to speak the truth. Randall lost it last season. And now with Wilshere, Merida, Ramsey, Diaby, Rosicky, Nasri ahead of him. Not to mention Lansbury, sorry he’s surplus. He will make it in a mid table team
He said that just throwing out young English kids names with potential. Of course not everyone of the players will make it. I watched the QPR vs Leicster City and Jay Simpson didnt look like he will make it at Arsenal. He went a whole game a barely did anything.
JS any truth in the rumours with Adam Matthews? I think arsenal should go and get him hes a superb right back for a 17. I really do think he will come as a good as ramsey.
He kind of reminds me of maicon a bit.
You think wenger was just “throwing out” English kids’ names?
Shane, with Simpson I think there might be comparisons to Ian Wright though even more active in play. Ian Wright would lie and lurk the whole game, barely touching the ball and just when you thought “cant they take him off the field” then he was active in decisive moments. The amount of goals Simpson has scored is a proof of consistency coming. My opinion, and I believe we all share the same hope.
English kids I personally have not much focus on, seem to me there has been more loyalty among foreigners. Englishmen at Arsenal often have high expectations from outside and also expect too much given too early. Gibbs and Simpson has shown great desire and attitude which might make the difference, no complaints about Walcott either. What I care about is to get players who respect teamwork, tradition, history and future plans…no matter the nationality. And to have fighters with desire like Bendtner.
…oh yeah and a perspective on Bendnters ambitions on being among the best strikers in the world…what would really be the ambitions of a player at Arsenal if he does not aim to be among the best in the world? that is the level expected and to suggest playing for Arsenal and not aiming such would not be respectful to the talent coming through…sorry for long comment, quiet moment at work
I like the way he plays, i’m sure he will play in the premier league some days……but he will never make it at arsenal , we got too many players who are better than him in the same position don’t forget randall is a central midfielder like fabregas, lansbury,coquelin,eastmond,diaby,emmanuel-thomas,ozyakup etc….all these guys are better than him right now and some are even younger..once wenger said randall will develop all his potential late and knowing mr arsene i’m sure he knows exactly what kind of player mark randall will be in 5 years…but the problem is should arsenal wait him for 5 years?
good luck randall
I really like seeing Randall break into Arsenal first team. He certainly has talent but seems that he lacks determination and, let’s say, a bit ambition. I haven’t had many occasions to watch him playing and every time I did, unfortunately, he didn’t play very well. But I still strongly believe in him, that he can one day become a star for Gunners. Someone has talked about Carrick, I also want to add Lampard and Gerrard, they both were nearly unknown at that age. Of course, they were in a very different situation but let’s look at them, they have been given opportunities, and they succeeded, let’s be patient with Randall, and who knows, he won’t let us down.
Knowing Wenger he will sell the lad with a clause in the contract that say’s Arsenal get 50% of the sell on fee, similar to the sale of Bentley.
That way we will make a huge profit on him!
I was the one who spoke about Carick – and I dont agree with you actually. Carrick and Lampard were “great young hopes” at West ham when they were 20. At that age Carrick had already been linked with a move to Arsenal, whuch fell through when real Madrid tried to sucker punch Vieira on salary and he changed his mind on going there.
They were hyped but not really worth it at the time and only really came good years later and after relatively expensive transfers. But they had all the time in the world to come good.
Randall can make it here,but he might need to be willing to suffer the pain of seeing his juniors in the first team before him.
But again, Carrick has nothing better in his toolkit than what Randall has – in fact randall has had a better footballing edication to this age – so no reason randall shouldnt be able to make it in time.