Emmanuel-Thomas Set To Join Doncaster On Loan

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas is set for his second loan spell of the campaign after agreeing a switch to Championship side Doncaster Rovers, Young Guns has learnt.

The current January Player of the Month has made significant inroads to the Arsenal first-team since returning from a short spell with Blackpool earlier in the season, including making his debut in the FA Cup at Stoke.  Yet two superb run outs for the Reserves, which included a hat-trick against West Ham, proved Jay is ready to make the step up.

The 19-year-old joins Doncaster – who are currently 13th in the Championship table and appear set for a comfortable mid table finish. Manager Sean O’Driscoll has moved to sign the versatile utility man following a nasty injury sustained to star man Brian Stock.

Emmanuel-Thomas arrived in Yorkshire this morning to agree terms and have a medical at the Keepmoat Stadium. He is expected to sign on until the end of the season, although this is yet to be confirmed. Further details are expected in the morning.

50 thoughts on “Emmanuel-Thomas Set To Join Doncaster On Loan

  • February 25, 2010 at 2:09 pm
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    J – can you see a future for JET at Arsenal? I cant pinpoint it but he seems be lacking in something. would like to know your thoughts

    Reply
    • February 25, 2010 at 2:14 pm
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      I’ve said for a long time he won’t make it here, because his attitude is poor. He doesn’t seems to have any work rate about him, he tends to turn on the style when he wants. He is brilliant, but we don’t see it often enough. The lower Leagues are full of great players like Jay, but they just don’t play well enough on a regular basis. I fear the same could be true of Jay.

  • February 25, 2010 at 2:17 pm
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    I think he definitely has a future at Arsenal. He is tall, powerful, has an eye for goal, has great ball control. Might need to up his work rate but I can see him playing behind a striker, basically not much different to Kanu. I am confident he will do well at doncaster and hopefully he can come back to arsenal for next season and start to play an increasing part in the first team.

    Reply
    • February 25, 2010 at 3:40 pm
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      I’m not gonna pretend like some sort of expert as i’ve never really seen JET play, but judging by what i read about him (mostly in the comment section on this blog and articles) i get the impression that people WANT him succeed because he is tall and strong, rather than him actually having what it takes to be Arsenal quality…

  • February 25, 2010 at 2:38 pm
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    Are we talking his workrate on the pitch or his workrate in general, attitude wise? If you understand what I mean. I think he seems very serious and goal-oriented from what ive seen in interviews. What to you guys think about Chucks Aneke by the way?

    Reply
  • February 25, 2010 at 2:39 pm
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    Thanks J – sounds like a make or break loan spell for him.

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    • February 25, 2010 at 4:17 pm
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      Not really, it’s more of stepping stone for him to build on what he’s learnt. I’d say Mark Randall and Gavin Hoyte’s loans are more make or break.

    • February 26, 2010 at 5:24 am
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      ye agreed its not make or break at all, his proven his quality, its just that he’d benefit more from playing competitive footy rarther than pointless reserve games. this players awesome, his young, strong, tall, great finish, great tech just dont know what position would suit him best…diaby Attacking midfielder role maybe?

  • February 25, 2010 at 4:11 pm
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    There is nothing wrong with JET’s workrate or attitude and I am surprised that Jay Sanderson is spouting off as if he were any sort of authority on the matter. He is guilty of being a young up and coming player, as Lansbury before him and Henri has sorted all his early issues and cockiness.

    Reply
    • February 25, 2010 at 4:16 pm
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      Oh dear.

      Spouting off? he asked for my thoughts. Spouting off would be making a silly comment about something, like you’ve just done, my friend.

      Not the authority, but it is my website.

      Cheers for your comment, though.

    • February 25, 2010 at 4:20 pm
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      Yeah im really stoked on JET. He looked very Drogbaish, if you know what I mean, against Chelsea the other day. I fancy him in the forward possition.

      Does anyone know of John Gudetti at Man City? Hes kind of hyped here in Sweden.

  • February 25, 2010 at 4:12 pm
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    Make or break my arse…

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  • February 25, 2010 at 4:38 pm
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    Think he lacks the pace and lethalness to play upfront. Maybe a Diaby-role woud suit him better, perhaps a winger who searches for the box when the opportuity comes. Hope he makes it, would prove a lot about our youth system.

    Reply
  • February 25, 2010 at 4:54 pm
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    it’s a bit weird to have two separate loans in a season, no?
    maybe it’s a sign that wenger is f*cked off with him for his lack of discipline off the pitch, and has given up on him.
    bothroyd, pennant, JET ???

    Reply
    • February 25, 2010 at 8:28 pm
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      I don’t think it’s weird. He’s too good for the reserves, but not good enough for the first team. The loan is the best move for him. He did quite well in some games for Blackpool. Hope he’s more consistent this time round.

  • February 25, 2010 at 5:50 pm
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    gunnersince…. j sanderson runs this whole site on the arsenal reserves and youth and he knows a LOT more about our kids than 99% of other people would. i think his opinion should be considered seriously even if you don’t agree with him, the odds are that his opinion has been formed on the back of a lot of games and not just a couple of games. i’m not saying you can’t say the same about your own opinion, but i think if j. sanderson isn’t qualified to have an opinion on our young players then then i dunno wtf we are all doing on his site!

    Reply
  • February 25, 2010 at 5:55 pm
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    i’ve barely seen jet play, but the big thing i noticed was a seeming lack of pace for an arsenal player. maybe he has the footballing brains to compensate? i think he doesn’t need much pace if he has enough footballing intelligence, but i dunno how much that applies to him. some players only really get that with age but others like cesc are born with it and it would be nice if he has a mind that can keep ahead

    Reply
    • February 25, 2010 at 7:11 pm
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      You are correct. He doesn’t have great pace, but he’s no slouch either. He has a very good footballing brain. At the moment, he’s a marmite type player (some people can’t stand him and others see the quality he possesses and like him as a player). I personally like JET. I think he has great potential if he channels it correctly. I truly, truly believe he’s best as a striker and i think the Arsenal set-up have now realised this, hence how he has recently been deployed. He’s not the sort that will trouble defences with his pace but more with his intelligence and power. Add that to his eye for goal, great aerial ability and ability to hold the ball up and bring others into play, and we have a talent on our hands here.

      I also hear Doncaster (moreover, Sean O’Driscoll) play good football, and although i haven’t seen too much of them, i think this could be a great loan spell for Jay.

  • February 25, 2010 at 5:57 pm
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    Guys am I missing somthing here I keep reading things on this Blobg like “discipline off the pitch” – “because his attitude is poor”, what poor discipline are you referring too?
    I have seen this “BOY” (he has only just turned 18 you know) several times in the flesh & he has managed to impress me every time, if you all remember in the FA cup match he played in WE only fell apart when he was taken off the field by AW, & that was all but a reserve team that day!!!
    !!!

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  • February 25, 2010 at 7:14 pm
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    There’s nothing wrong with JET
    He has pace, dribbling, finishing and most importantly immense strength
    JET biggest problem is that he’s build for the midfield but he has a work rate of a striker like Drogba
    And that’s where the problem lies
    if he does somehow improve his work rate and really does play for 90 minutes then this kid has everything you need to succeed in the midfield
    The other thing is that I don’t think anyone in the coaching staff agrees on one perfect position for him they have tried to play him in the midfield and as a striker but none of them can find the perfect position, it will be interesting to see where Doncaster plays him and how much he succeeds in that position.

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  • February 25, 2010 at 8:46 pm
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    I was truly amazed by Jay’s size at the Stoke game. A 19 year old as huge as Sol Campbell! But I feel that he isn’t an out and out striker. He was more effective moving forward from the midfield. So maybe he should play behind the striker. But with his size he would be best as a midfielder, maybe in the role of an attacking Patrick Vieira. As for comparisons to Didier Drogba I can’t completely rule that out. Like him Drogba had problems before settling in the strikers position. If Jay is a Drogba-isque player I hope he doesn’t take him as long as it did the Ivorian to break through. Drogba was 25 when he reached the big time. Luckily for Jay, unlike the young Drogba, he is at one of the best football academies in the world.

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  • February 25, 2010 at 8:51 pm
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    J.,

    I am surprised to see that you are a proponent of what has to be nonsense surrounding Thomas’ attitude. and work rate. In all the matches I’ve seen of him this season I’ve seen nothing to criticize in either department. There seems to be a groundswell of this type of criticism of the boy but it’s based in nothing if you watch his performances this season.

    Though I’ve always said that Aneke seems to be an even better version of the skillful big man, JET does have a future with the club, IMO. I hope he proves those wrong who are attempt to find fault with his attitude and work rate when there is no grounds for it at all this season. He’s was Bould’s selection to captain the team that won it all last year. Bould wouldn’t choose a kid with a poor attitude and work-rate to lead his team, it’s laughable really. All seems part of weird desire to dismis the kid’s immense potential at the club.

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    • February 25, 2010 at 11:21 pm
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      KC you’re right JET is by no means a bad player but there’s is something about him that makes you thing that he’s missing something and there are people who don’t look like they’re doing a lot but are actually very good players e.g Drogba, Berbatov
      The main problem I have with JET is that yes he’s a versatile player and can play in a lot of position but he doesn’t have one position that he can call his own and I don’t think our coaching staff knows exactly which position he should play in and that’s a worry
      If he’s going to be a striker than he has power, he has a good control of the ball but he doesn’t make those runs that a striker is suppose to make and his finishing is really not up to the mark ( good but not really good enough)
      As a midfield again good physical presence, good passing and dribbling ability but again doesn’t have the work rate so he should really think about either improving his tackling and then he will have a real chance of becoming the new song but I can’t seeing playing in the wings or as an Attacking midfielder
      It will be nice to see where he plays for Doncaster

  • February 25, 2010 at 10:13 pm
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    he is not french enough

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  • February 25, 2010 at 11:57 pm
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    jay you need to give us a lowdown on this Zak Ansah facebook thing that have been going one for awhile now. Because i think people want to know if it was really him that said all those silly things about arsenal.

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  • February 26, 2010 at 12:34 am
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    People you have to understand that there is one side of the equation that none of us can judge because we simple do not work with players on a day to day basis. We can recognize a players talents and judge if they are good enough but we cant judge if they have the mentality to make it.

    Reply
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  • February 26, 2010 at 1:58 am
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    To clear up some points.

    By attitude, I mean on the pitch. Sometimes he wants to turn it on, sometimes he doesn’t. His overall play is very inconsistant, he mixes it between amazing and shocking.

    Another point I don’t take, yes he has just turned 19, but that’s no excuse to get up to no good. He is a professional for Arsenal. He should realise what is expected of him. When you sign a contract with a club like Arsenal for thousands of pounds a week, you should not act the way some of our players have done off the pitch. The age thing is a complete cop out.

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  • February 26, 2010 at 2:33 am
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    Blackpool fan here

    JET has talent but at the moment seems to lack that hunger. Had some good games for us, but also drifts out of the game.

    He also needs to find his best position:- At the mo:-
    – Too soft to be a target man
    – Too languid to play out wide
    – Too young to play central midfield.

    Of all the above, I suspect his best place is in central midfield but he needs to get a bit more aggressive or have a grafter alongside him to do the dirty work

    We’d probably have him back at the seaside, but he wouldn.t be guaranteed a start by any means, and I suppose that sums up where he is in his development. Could be a good solid player at a decent level, or drift off to the lower leagues and be ‘steady’

    You should send more of your young guns up to Blackpool :) Hope you finish above the Debtchester Scum :)

    Reply
    • February 26, 2010 at 3:19 am
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      I have to agree that the most important thing is for him and our coaching staff to realize what his best position is ?
      I have watched a lot of our reserves and youth games (that included him) today and I have to say he is an arsenal player through and through and I think his best position is as a CM someone like Diaby.
      HE will be the perfect replacement for Diaby he can make those run towards the defense and is strong enough to shrug people off the ball. All he needs to do right now is improve him tackling and a bit off his work rate other than that I really think he’s got it all.

  • February 26, 2010 at 3:18 am
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    rushane wilson

    what silly things about arsenal???

    havent heard about this

    Reply
  • February 26, 2010 at 4:07 am
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    I cnt bliv Mark Randall isnt playing 4 Mk dons. I dey hav no creative player in dere mid field the 1game he started he dd well he even scored a goal. I hop dis guy gts a new deal if his contract rily is up at da end of the season. Infact wat do u ppl tink abt him being converted 2 a rb. He cn tackle, hes got good positional sense and he cn pick a pass.

    Reply
  • February 26, 2010 at 4:25 am
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    WOW! Great news for me. I live in donny. This will be a good reason for me to start going to matches lol.

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  • February 26, 2010 at 4:25 am
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    I think Randall will become a good championship player but wont become an arsenal player because first of all our midfield is too congested to get in and if he’s not getting games at Don than I doubt he will get games or a new contract at Arsenal

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  • February 26, 2010 at 4:36 am
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    I have high hopes on him, good luck Jay….

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  • February 26, 2010 at 5:18 am
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    He needs to sort his attitude but he has talent, Diaby for a long time had poor workrate and seemed lazy yet we are getting the best out of him now.

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  • February 26, 2010 at 5:39 am
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    Hi gunners fans im a donny rovers supporter and am looking forward to seeing this JET character down at the keepmoat its long been said that rovers play good flowing passing football like arsenal its a bit of a stretch to compare the two of course but as we lack your undoubted quality but JET will be playing the same style of football with us as he will back at arsenal when he returns Sean will help him progress well he gets the best out of his players which has shown with us punching above our weight for two seasons with players that played for us in league two he’ll be in good hands this younglad of yours rovers till i die jamie

    Reply
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  • February 26, 2010 at 6:24 am
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    james
    if you can keep us updated on what position this kid will play that will be great

    because this kid is quality no doubt about that and also how his work rate is during the game since that is his only weakness and maybe the fact that he doesn’t have a position that complements him perfectly

    Reply
  • February 26, 2010 at 6:25 am
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    This looks good for jay. Will Jay ever be called up to the big club? What are hsi chances of playing with Arsenal?

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  • February 26, 2010 at 9:01 am
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    Andrew and J.,

    Yes, listen…I agree about the positional schizophrenia that has characterized the youngster up to this point. His best spot needs to be discovered soon. I fear that the coached may already know he’s best at central mid, but due to the backlog of talent in that spot and the need for more striders, he’s being converted to a target man. Remember, Henry was converted from a winger to striker when he came to us. He couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn in his 1st 15-20 matches. Then he began to learn how to score and it was all over….and he was 22 or 23 when he came to us.

    Based on his performances this season, his development is coming along fine and these ‘nitpicky’ criticisms about work-rate, pace, attitude and so forth don’t seem relevant to me in the face of his development as a player this season. This player with the bad attitude and poor work-rate and poor pace and “good but not great fininshin” has scored three and made two in his last two reserve appearances and done well in his two first team appearances. This kid id definitely a jewel in the Arsenal youth set-up, behind Ramsey and Wilshere, yes, but not by much. He could be a huge talent for us.

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    • February 26, 2010 at 2:15 pm
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      Don’t use Henry as an example. Henry was special.

  • February 26, 2010 at 10:34 am
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    did blackwell not comment on how this player could be world class. even though he doesn’t have pace, nor does berbatov.

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  • February 26, 2010 at 2:24 pm
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    No sign of him yet, is he coming or not . :-)

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  • February 26, 2010 at 3:46 pm
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    any news in this?
    I was really excited when i heard the news.

    Reply
  • February 26, 2010 at 4:14 pm
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    Anyone see Sanchez Watt play vs. Charlton? I see that he started and got 66 minutes in their 2-1 loss, but I was wondering how he did.

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  • February 26, 2010 at 4:36 pm
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    I really dont think we will sell 5 first team players this season

    from all the players these can be sold

    GoalKeeprs
    Fabianski – Sold maybe
    Almunia – Sold maybe

    Defense
    Silvestre – Released
    Campbell – Released
    Bothelo – Released
    Traore – Sold maybe
    Gibert – Released
    Sendros – Released

    Midfield
    Denilson – I am not sure if he will be sold
    Norvedit – Sold probably if he doesn’t make it into the first team
    Simpson – Sold or swapped for Sterling
    Merida – Released or contract extended
    Mark Randall – Sold or Released

    Attack
    Eduardo – Sold because of injuries
    Rhys Murphy – Sold maybe because of injuries

    but that’s about it and since we send most of our reserve team players on loan we actually save a lot of money on wages

    If we do release these many players then I can see us making about 15 million and saving a huge amount on wages

    VIC what do you think ?

    Reply
  • February 26, 2010 at 5:04 pm
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    anyone see that roarie deacon and sanchez watt were called up to england u 19s? sorry if its already been reported

    Reply
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  • March 1, 2010 at 2:20 am
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    In reply to Andrew JET played in an attacking role rovers play one striker through the middle and have two attacking midfielders up in support its a very fluid system with the attacking men switching side to side dropping into the middle if needed so your man JET played that role for the last 15 early days and not had much time on the training ground so we’ll see how he gets on this month

    Reply

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