Calling All Arsenal Fans & Young Guns Readers!

As 2009 slowly falls off into the horizon and 2010 begins to take shape, the annual SoccerLens award ceremony comes to fruition. Readers of their favourite sites can choose to reward the hard work put in by writers by helping them claim one or more of the gongs on offer, and Young Guns is asking our loyal readership to help our campaign.

One of the market leaders in football blogging, SoccerLens have been rewarding the progress of many promising and dedicated football websites in their annual awards since 2007. These prestigious prizes are handed out after a rigorous selection progress and then voting process, all decided by the most important people of all – the readers. As we approach our second anniversary, we’d love to celebrate it by joining the growing list of top websites who have claimed this excellent recognition.

The main award we’d love to win is for ‘best team site’. This is a site which leads the way in its given subject and has set a prime example for all others to follow. We believe Young Guns is the number one source for all things Arsenal youth and our honest and informative approach is a fine example for all blogs to follow. This is the main award we want as a way of recognition to the fantastic community comprising regular commenters and readers of the site.

The second is less significant but it would again be a fantastic achievement if we could win it. This award is the ‘best team writer’ prize and would go to the Young Guns team. This includes Gianni Sonvinco, who updates about international games, and Blogger Idol winner Nick Love. SoccerLens are yet to give this to a team of writers so this would be a significant achievement if we could win this.

All you have to do to nominate us is – copy and paste the text below – and send it off in a e-mail to awards@soccerlens.com. You have until the 18th of January to send it off.

“Best Team Site: Young Guns – http://youngguns.wordpress.com”
“Best Team Writer: The Young Guns Team – Young Guns – http://youngguns.wordpress.com”

After all the nominations have been collected, a vote off will take place with the actual awards being handed out on the 1st of February.

We’d like to offer a massive thank you in advance for anybody who decides to nominate us, and wish you all a blessed 2010. We look forward to your continued readership and comments on all topics related to Arsenal youth.

Article By – J.Sanderson

70 thoughts on “Calling All Arsenal Fans & Young Guns Readers!

  • January 15, 2010 at 1:32 pm
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    Under-18s: Charlton v Arsenal – POSTPONED

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  • January 15, 2010 at 1:32 pm
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    Mark Randall has joined League One side Milton Keynes Dons Football Club on loan until the end of the season.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 1:52 pm
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    Mark Randall joins MK Dons onloan = Mark Randall’s Arsenal career is over

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  • January 15, 2010 at 1:58 pm
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    Mail sent! Yes, Randalls career at Arsenal FC is over. With a little more talent and strength he could have been a superstar at Gunners. Unfortently he didnt reach the A-squad on regular basis but this kid will probably be thankful for the education he got.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 2:00 pm
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    Done and dusted!! Email send. I call all my fellow Gooners to take 2 minutes and deliver what Young Guns deserve: Award Gongs and Recognition.

    Keep up the good work. I always feel like coming home when I arrive at this blog. I never get (or got) a call to visit a read that was not worth it.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 2:00 pm
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    Hey dnt say dat Randall is 1 off our best mids I dnt gt y u ppl dnt like him. So is dis y he waz taken off at half time in da res Match?

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  • January 15, 2010 at 2:01 pm
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    Randall could still carve out a decent career. Maybe in the Championship? Playing footy for a living must be nice at whatever level. Look at Sidwell and Upson.

    Whish him all the best.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 2:18 pm
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    J can we have an article like top 10 prospects to look out for in 2010. I would like to know about some promising u16’s coming through?

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  • January 15, 2010 at 2:22 pm
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    Yeah I would be delighted to

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  • January 15, 2010 at 2:23 pm
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    Mail sent….I am suprised the he is going to a league 1 team. To me he his good enough to make it in the prem at some point and is championship level now. Kind of a poor mans Aaron Ramsey.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 2:26 pm
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    Email Sent – Keep up the good work!

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  • January 15, 2010 at 2:41 pm
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    mail sent..not one but 5..way better then the self proclaimed “untoldshit” and likes!!
    keep up the good work J..best of luck!

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  • January 15, 2010 at 3:47 pm
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    This site is awesome, and hopefully J. and the team get these awards. I check this site as much as the official Arsenal website!! And for youth team coverage, I think this site is the best by far!!

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  • January 15, 2010 at 3:59 pm
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    Email sent. Since the text is in white, you might want to change the color to black after pasting in email.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 4:31 pm
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    Done and done.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 4:47 pm
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    I thought randall had a brilliant eye for the game and a sweet left foot.. course he dosent stand out like jay emmanuel thomas, or whilsere or ramsey or coquelin and the speed of sanchez watt!! but he looked decent and a bit old now 20.. and hasent really shined..being 20 and all.. alot of players have standed out at that age.. so i understand i couldnt see it!! but hey good luck to him!

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  • January 15, 2010 at 4:48 pm
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    a sweet right foot sorry lol!!

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  • January 15, 2010 at 5:37 pm
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    Randall is on loan not sold .so why should be his career at arsenal over is not understood by me.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 5:42 pm
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    Randall’s only gone on loan, I dont think that necessarily ends his time at arsenal just yet.
    I actually think hel easily make it in the premier league at some point in his career. He may even become a full international. He has so much more than most english players technically.
    Unfortunately for him, the competition at arsenal is just too fierce. We have better options imo. Good luck to him though, he could prove me wrong and make it here as well.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 5:50 pm
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    randall will be good i think vey1 keeps on rulin him out

    but wat about jay simpson , senderos,and traore

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  • January 15, 2010 at 5:52 pm
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    randall will be good i think every1 keeps ruling him out

    but wat about jay simpson , senderos and traore

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  • January 15, 2010 at 6:07 pm
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    I love the work ethic of Jay simpson and i belive Arsene wenger should be even more patient with JAy simpson than with Mark Randel. A finished Mark Randal would be excellent, but there is no time to unearth the tallent, especially when we have a Denilson in a similar age. But becasue of his nationality, i think he is worth the wait. Arsenal has alot of money in reserve to pay these kids.Their salary cant be that high. Keep him till he can be a Xabi alonso i guess.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 6:28 pm
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    I dont think Jay Simpson will make it at arsenal but the thing is he was loaned to a CHAMPIONSHIP club. Troare was loaned to a premier league club and is playing for the first team right now. You have to read it for what it is. Arsenal would not loan a 20 year old player to a league 1 team if the thought he had a future at the club. He isnt a teenager learning how to have a proffesional mentality. Sorry but lets face it, he will be moving on.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 6:55 pm
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    Well, gilbert is still here, well barely. You might be right that hes out, the others in the reserves are more promising and the new signings probably seal it, but Id still bank on mark to make it in the PL later on.

    I dont think simpson has it unfortunately. He seems to 1-on-1 take chances well, but doesnt get enough of them, which tells u his movement isnt as good as it could be. Again, a good player, (alto I think randall is better), but not up to the standard of the competition in the arsenal reserves. Barazite for example has much more to his game.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 6:57 pm
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    Btw shane, wasnt gibbs only loaned to a championship side before he got into the 1st team? and he didnt even play all that much if i remember correctly.
    Merida is as close as anyone to the 1st team from the youngsters and he only went to a spanish 2nd division team.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 7:22 pm
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    Sometimes its just a matter of game time for the players that are loaned out, the quality of the league is´nt always the biggest factor. But yeah, Randall to MD Dons can get him a row of regular football but still, he was´nt that close in the League Cup first team. He will go and is another english footballer that did´nt make it.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 7:35 pm
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    Davi- Did you not read the comments. Getting loaned out to a chmpionship club isnt a bad thing. Its a good league for your players to grow. I dont get your point on the gibbs and Merida things. The fact that a 20 year old was loaned to a 3rd division club is a sign that he isnt cut out for Arsenal and Wenger doesnt think he is. League 1 is not a place for a 20 year old to grow. Lets not act blind of the obvious signs.

    Johan- 18 year olds are often sent out to league 1 teams for their 1st loan spells, to learn how to be a proffesional both mentally and to get first team action verse pro players. Jay Simpson won the league 1 player of the year but that was when he was a teenager. Henri Lansbury was loaned to Scunthorpe but as a teenager. 20 year old players are suppose to be in there final stages of youth growth while pushing towards the first team. League 1 is not the place for a player at his stage to sharpen up the final bit of his game to become a premiership level player. Lets face it Henri Lansbury is playing every game for a championship level club and he is younger than Randall. Good luck to Mark Randall and he gets my support but once again lets not act blind.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 8:44 pm
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    Shane, that sounds a touch misinformed from where I’m sitting.

    I don’t think anyone should need reminding that players peak at different ages. And there are so many hidden factors when it comes to development (physical growth, psychological stuff, competition), while supporters’ info is often sketchy at best. AW clearly feels that Randall has the potential to make it at Arsenal.

    FYI, Jay Simpson won the League 1 player of the season on a public vote. He did well, but I think that more than a few gooners had their say on the decision.

    I can just about tolerate know-it-alls laying into our first team players from the comfort of their couches, but there’s something deeply unpleasant about 200-word rationales on why a 20 year-old has no future at the club. Of course, I can’t stop – and would never try to stop – you or anyone else posting comments like yours, but you’ve got to remember that these are kids we’re talking about here.

    In one way I’m glad that reserves games are unavailable now; if it shields our youngsters from premature judgement then it’s a small price to pay.

    Just my opinion.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 9:35 pm
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    A 20 year old is not a kid anymore but ok, I will save my comment and then see if it is right in a couple years. So when would you consider it not to be premature judgement? Once he has official left? When he is 25 years old? Because someone states an opinion, he is a “Know it all”? You stated you opinion, does that make you a “know it all”? Arsene Wenger always states his opinion, is he a know it all? Is it to premature to say that Kerrea Gilbert is not going to be Arsenals right back in the future? Maybe your right Wenger rates Randall so high that he thought league 1 was the best place for him to develope. I dont know that sounds logical to me. I will just hold my opinion to myself and we can all just say boring old cliches and never have any discussions.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 9:38 pm
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    By the way, J should not give players match ratings or do those loan reports according to you because he would come off as a “know it all”.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 9:53 pm
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    No one is a know it all. I don’t think hahaha. As long as you don’t make grand generalizations, like this player sucks, or that player sucks, then to me it is ok. As long as you have reasons and such for saying what you want to say, then it really is only your opinion. I don’t know if this makes sense, so in short, as long as you back up what you have to say, with reasonable facts or information, then it’s cool. This happens a lot so I guess you just gotta remember that it’s your opinion, and other people’s opinions and that nobody is entirely right or wrong. You might even go back and read someone else’s post whom, at first you didn’t agree with, and surmise that some of what they said was correct or makes sense now. It’s happened to me a lot. From what i am hearing and from the little I have seen, Mark Randall should end up in the Premier League at some point, but, barring a steep increase in his results and improvement, it likely won’t be with Arsenal. Who knows?? Wenger said he had considered bringing Upson back, so if we get rid of him and he turns out to be a star, then we might get him back in the right circumstances anyway?? It could happen.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 10:58 pm
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    I don’t think player ratings really work (how can you keep track of every single player on and off the ball for 90 minutes?), but you have to say that JS is pretty cautious when it comes to analysing young players.

    Like Milo says, I think it helps to back up what you say a bit better. Sharing your opinion is grand, but I think dressing opinion up as fact can grate a little, especially when the reasoning appears a little flimsy; for instance, you don’t have to be acting “blind” to suggest that Mark Randall might still have a future at the club. That he’s only 20 – and an Arsenal player – makes panning him worse somehow.

    As AW said today, a player’s fortunes can change in days; one moment he’s first choice, the next he’s out of the squad. And vice versa.

    Pedro Rodriguez is a nice example – 21 years-old and he was still at Barca B last season. This term he’s managed 29 first team appearances already.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 11:14 pm
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    Hahaha I guess that answers what position Wenger wants Galindo to play!…At least for now. I’m not sure who said he played on the wing. It might have been J. but for now I think it’s the right position for him and the one he’s most naturally suited to.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 11:50 pm
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    Couple facts about your Pedro point. Pep Guardiola was the coach of Barcelona B team so when he became Barcelona coach he brought a few player up that he liked. Sergio Busquets,Pedro, etc. Plus Barcelona B team plays is a proffesional team but still under the coaching of Barcelona. Spanish system is completely different then Englands. Plus Pedro played in the first team last year too. Comparing Mark Randall situation to Pedro’s makes no sense to me but then again, I can be wrong.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 11:53 pm
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    By the way, after watching Galindo play, I was 1 of the people on here that said he was clearly not a winger but a centermid, but hey what do I know sitting here on my couch.

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  • January 15, 2010 at 11:59 pm
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    Na I know, I didn’t see how he could be a winger either. I was just mentioning that someone said he could play on the wing and I thought it might have been in the original article or in one of J’s replies to someone. I thought maybe he knew something we didn’t so I didn’t want to totally discredit something he might have said, cuz I know he is a lot more of an inside source than I ever will be!! lol

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  • January 16, 2010 at 12:02 am
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    Barca b is basically barca reserves as there is no reserve league in Spain. Pedro was on the verge of been sold when Pep joined Barca and now holds the very impressive record of scoring in every competition in a single season.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 12:02 am
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    oh sorry Milo, i was making a point to “oneofus” not saying anything about you.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 12:04 am
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    Pep was the Barcelona B coach. And no it is nothing like the reserve league because it is an actual pro league not just back ups playing for lets face it no real reason. You cant get relegated from reserve league.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 12:06 am
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    I think you misread the comment – I didn’t make a direct comparison between Pedro and Mark’s careers; it was a throwaway remark about how a player can make a leap up in a relatively short space of time. The mechanics of his climb through the ranks isn’t relevant.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 12:12 am
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    By the way Arsenal and alot of other clubs are different based on the fact that we have a coach that has been here for ever and has control over all footballing aspects of the club unlike a team like Barcelona who goes through different coaches quite a bit. So that is how a player like Pedro can go from where he was to where he is now. Different coaches have different opinions on players. Pedro was never not rated highly by Pep.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 12:14 am
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    I didnt misread it…read my last comment.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 12:18 am
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    We could run through the list of late bloomers, and it would take forever.

    But the thrust is this – where’s the harm in giving Arsenal players, especially young ones, the benefit of the doubt? Why the rush to say they’re not good enough – and just who benefits from that kind of attitude towards guys who are just starting out?

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  • January 16, 2010 at 12:28 am
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    I am sorry we can end this debate. I guess I am not their Mom. “Your the best” , “keep it up”….I thought this was a place where we had discussions about players. O well i guess I was wrong. Anyways Mark Randall in my opinion is the new steve sidwell and yes he will eventually be a premier league player. I would even sign him now if I was a championship manager.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 1:07 am
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    Ah, so you think giving our budding talents just a little leeway equates to being their Mum? You don’t think it’s possible to find a middle-ground between ruling out their careers at the club and mollycoddling them? I’d say that most people have no problem debating while being generally supportive.

    Like I said, I’m pretty relieved that guys like you won’t have as much access to Arsenal’s young players in the future.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 2:59 am
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    Ok this discussion is over. Insulting people over the internet isnt cool but owell, I will live. Players are judged all the time. By coaches and fans. Arsene Wenger shouldnt be around players then because he essentially tells them your not good enough for this club when he sells them. What ever dude, I support the club and its players. The original comment was based on facts. Wenger loans a 20 year old to a league 1 team plus has a younger player same position playing for watford every week in the championship, plus has a younger player playing for the first team in his position (Ramsey), plus just signed a 17 year old (Galindo) in his same position. Tho are facts, do what you want with them. I have not said the guy is horrible or anything like that. Arguement over and do not insult me because I have not insulted you.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 6:04 am
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    Diaby(23) Song(22) en Denilson(21) were nt gud enaf 4 u ppl nt 2 long ago.bt nw sum of u r bi*+cing abt da fact dat Song is at da ACN en hw dat cud ruin our title challange. So giv Randall a chance he cud jus shock u.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 7:50 am
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    Look, I regret that you took offence, but those must be some of the tamest “insults” ever recorded on the internet. It seems some people are good at giving it out, acting like they preside over the careers of teenagers (and twenty year-olds), but don’t like it when someone calls them up on it. As Zed-gooner says, Arsenal’s recent history is filled with young players who many fans thought wouldn’t make it. Is Randall a Muamba or Bentdner, a Stokes or a Song?

    Personally, I have no idea how his career will pan out, but I’m happy to wait and see. Every player has his own development schedule.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 8:09 am
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    No one ever said that he wasnt good or anything like that. All that was said was, pretty much do to some “Facts”, and Wenger loaning him to a league 1 club at this stage in his career and signing a new centermid, it looks like Wenger has made a decision on him. No player has ever went on loan in their 20s to a league 1 team and gone on to be a first team player. Once again, for one I never understood how people didnt see the quality in Diaby or Song but anyways…those players were not loaned out to a league 1 aka 3rd division team in there 20s. From previous times Wenger has done that, it has been for the player to show himself to a new club. I am not stating my opinion on Mark Randalls ability. Just some facts and what it looks like.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 8:10 am
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    Once again I HOPE THE GY MAKES IT. Please people read before you comment.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 9:14 am
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    shane, think before you write.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 9:31 am
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    The original comment was based on facts. Wenger loans a 20 year old to a league 1 team plus has a younger player same position playing for watford every week in the championship, plus has a younger player playing for the first team in his position (Ramsey), plus just signed a 17 year old (Galindo) in his same position. Tho are facts, do what you want with them. I have not said the guy is horrible or anything like that. Arguement over and do not insult me because I have not insulted you.

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    Why i find your argument about Randall’s development schedule flawed, you have also made incorrect comments. Galindo, Ramsey & Lansbury’s position are mainly for the Diaby box-to-box role and sometime in the playmaker Cesc’s role but they are not competing with Randall bcuz he is DM not a CM or a AM.

    Spot on, OneOfUs

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  • January 16, 2010 at 9:57 am
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    1 mo ting wats da latest on Ryhs Murphy is he injured o wat coz am gting conflicting reports

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  • January 16, 2010 at 10:59 am
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    Gilbert joins Peterborough on loan for the reminder of the Saison.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 1:10 pm
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    Has anyone considered that Randall’s move to MK Dons is geographical? He was born in Milton Keynes and his friends/family live in Milton Keynes.

    There are 20ish more League 1 sides he could have gone too, perhaps 10 Championship sides who could have signed him, but he ends up at his hometown club?!

    However I think if he wants to move on at Arsenal he should have gone to a Championship team toplay at a higher standard (than League 1) He will appear to be one of the best League 1 midfielders IMO, but I think this will be a misleading indicator of his talent and playing level. When he returns to Arsenal the jump up in standard will be vast. At least by then he should have improve physically.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 1:17 pm
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    Wow since when was Mark Randall a projected as a Def Mid? Last year he played the more defensive role in the midfield partnership with Ramsey only because Ramsey is rated higher. First of in a 3 man midfield, there can be several different combinations for the 2 in front of the centermid. Where does Randall play in the reserves? Not DM. Plus that even makes my point..even 19 year old Craig Eastmond has past him up for that “DM” position. I cant believe this is even an arguement. I have pointed out obvious facts but if your only arguement is going to be “” well actually I dont know what to put in those quotes because I have yet to hear a logical response, so can we please move on from this because it will never end. By the way I wasnt the only 1 that suggest that this loan move signalled the end of his Arsenal career.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 1:31 pm
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    different combinations for the 2 in front of the centermid. “Defensive mid” typo

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  • January 16, 2010 at 1:43 pm
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    Good Point Davo… That would be a great story for him to go back to his hometown club a lead them to promotion.

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  • January 16, 2010 at 2:53 pm
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    zezinho isnt coming anymore… didnt really want him here poor mans merida imo

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  • January 16, 2010 at 4:40 pm
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    What about Zeninho

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  • January 16, 2010 at 6:47 pm
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    It’s an Honour J….
    and Hi jacking kids email to send it again…lol

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  • January 16, 2010 at 10:16 pm
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    Wow since when was Mark Randall a projected as a Def Mid? Last year he played the more defensive role in the midfield partnership with Ramsey only because Ramsey is rated higher. First of in a 3 man midfield, there can be several different combinations for the 2 in front of the centermid. Where does Randall play in the reserves? Not DM. Plus that even makes my point..even 19 year old Craig Eastmond has past him up for that “DM” position. I cant believe this is even an arguement. I have pointed out obvious facts but if your only arguement is going to be “” well actually I dont know what to put in those quotes because I have yet to hear a logical response, so can we please move on from this because it will never end. By the way I wasnt the only 1 that suggest that this loan move signalled the end of his Arsenal career.

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    I dont care if you are NOT the only that suggested he is finished at Arsenal, It is foolish to suggest such a thing. As for his position, he has only ever played DM for the ist team and on loan so again you are WRONG. As for playing different position in the reserves is only for DEVELOPMENT purpose, Arsenal try to teach their players different positions as well as different formations.

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  • January 17, 2010 at 12:33 pm
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    http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/8434490.stm

    I found this in BBC website:

    “As a Brighton fan, it was a great result for the mighty Albion on Monday, hopefully the start of things to come under Gus Poyet. He needs to bring in a few new faces in the transfer window to help our climb up the table… but where do you think we will finish this season?
    Jay Sanderson, England.”

    I know this is a ridiculous question, but I can’t stop myself curious, did you wrote this J?

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  • January 17, 2010 at 1:07 pm
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    Is it only me, or is there anyone else who think that Eastmond has a similar playing style with Gilberto Silva especially in his early days with Arsenal (that is breaking the opposition play & keeping everything simple in the middle of the park)..?!

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