Whilst Arsène Wenger was calling for greater protection for young players from referees during the past month, Arsenal’s second string damaged his calls by kicking lumps out of Aston Villa as the Reserves went down 4-1 to the South League Champions.
The defeat was thoroughly deserved with Banfield’s experimental Under 18 team being tormented and frustrated as Villa romped to a comfortable victory. The goals were all avoidable and the absence of Havard Nordtveit is clearly showing, in terms of leadership and defensive abilities.
But defeats are an important part of development, and with young players comes frequent levels of inconstancy, something Banfield will no doubt know. However, last night the reputation of the Club was damaged as the youngsters turned into the type of players Wenger spoke about, by going into tackles with the intention to harm the opponent, in front of thousands in the watching media.
Mark Randall, Jack Wilshere and Kyle Bartley all made dangerous tackles, and all three could have been sent off on another night. The evening was completed when Henri Lansbury made a horrible lunge at Bary Banan and was shown an immediate red card.
Now before readers come out and say the usual – ‘they are only kids, they make mistakes’ – these are players who are paid by the Club, they have been awarded for among many things, maturity. Three of the four culprits are on professional contacts and all have featured for the first team, yet they lost their heads and made an already difficult evening even worse.
On many occasions teams have been on the opposing end of an Arsenal drubbing – and although physical – a lot of teams are on the whole fair. The young Gunners let themselves down yesterday evening, almost writing off the previous achievements in the Carling Cup.
Young Guns welcomes your opinions on this subject…
Article By – J.Sanderson
It doesn’t matter so much at this level. Learning to cope with adversity is part of a learning process. They have to be able to make mistakes now and get a bollocking, then take advice on board. There’s really no need for much soul-searching here. And let’s not put the guys under too much scrutiny either.
Second sentence should be: Coping with adversity in matches is part of a learning process.
Lose Their Heads*
Otherwise I agree with the article. I’m extremely disappointed this week.
I was disappointed to see us fall apart and lose our heads completely. the boys expect to compete much better than that but a lot of quality has been stripped out of the side and so the taem will lose games. they have to cope with that and still improve as players. Tom Cruise was given a torrid time at left back and the defence was not solid throughout the game.
top article! dont think bartley or wilshire were the main culprits. Randall has potential to turn into a thug! every game he has at least 1 rash challenge
Aston Villa were better in all respects and deserved to win by a few more than they did. However this defeat may well be one of the best things that happens to these kids if they learn from it as they should then they will be much better for it. Of course considering what was happening to them they should feel a bit upset but they need to use their emotion to make them run a bit faster, or pass a bit quicker, etc. There were some rash tackles but I think the only really poor one was lansbury and deservidly he was sent off. In terms of wilshere and randall i think it is just their style and I don’t particularly have anything against it as long as they are sensible and don’t go diving in every 5 seconds.
This game is not important what is is the next one. That famous term bounce-back-ability never really applied more (for both reserve and first teams)
JS, good journalism as usual, glad you can see both sides of the coin. All too often Wenger is accussed of being a hypcrite undeservedly, but the boys have done him no favours here. Very hard on one hand to berate Kevin Davies for his challenge on Clichy then have the reserves carry on like this.
Bad week to be a gooner!!
Hopefully they will get a stern talking to and some form of punishment for those that made rash tackles which have no place in the game. This is definatly a game that will bring them back to earth and cool their egos.
I know the main focus of the Reserves is development, but I’ve found their performances regularly disappointing when I’ve had the chance to watch them. Is Neil Banfield really the right man for the job? I have a personal problem with fat coaches, but besides that fact, he doesn’t seem to get results.
It was good for them to lose this match. It brought them down to earth and they will realize winning is much about fighting spirit. They had the same problem as the first team, being too confident so they became complacent. And I’d rather they lost a meanless game like this than lose the Carling Cup due to over-confidence.
The problem is quite obvious. The team were far too ‘English’! You could almost smell the attitude. Shall we call it ‘David Bentley Syndrome’? It’s a good job some of these boys aren’t made out of chocolate, otherwise they’d have eaten themselves by now. Can anyone explain to me what exactly Lansbury DOES? Wenger had it spot on when he brought in waves of foreign lads. I can’t think why he’s backtracked. Media pressure? Who gives a monkeys what Platini thinks. He’s quite clearly a moron.
“The problem is quite obvious. The team were far too ‘English’!”
That is a poor statement. A lot of the team was young, all teams have off days and cannot win every game they play. The Aston Villa first team have a large English contingent and look at how well they are performing.
This is the problem with Lansbury that so many people try and overlook and ignore. Jamie spoke about it in the past and so have others but there comments just get attacked. Lansbury’s attitude!!Big problem!!! I grew up in Enfield, and my nephew went to his primary school, and I remember kids and parents saying things like he dosen’t talk to there sons because he thinks that he is better than them, and I think this is what Banfield was getting it. Someone like Theo Walcott has a much more to earth attitude where as Lansbury and others think they are all “Big time” and think they will definetely make it at Arsenal, so they go out clubbing and trying to live the footballer lifestyle.
i dont think they are just kids and because of that you can bahave in whatever way you like. hey man they are already men… most of the players have 18 and most of them could play better fooball than lots of old men at English divisions as they already show their skills at carling. so they must be treated as they deserve. if LANSBURY had a red card he must be punished also by the club cause they are representing ARSENAL. if they continue doing stupid things like that showing no respect or loyalty how we can call them our future ?? I mean they coauld be the best promosing english players ever but… do they understand what be an arsenal player means ??
When you are getting bitch slapped players loose there head’s it happens all the time at senior level while it is no excuse for these young players to act that way it just happens sometimes, and i am sure that Neil Banfield gave them the hair drier treatment this morning and reminded them that this cannot happen again IMO
To be honest, there is nothing worse than playing badly and getting battered for your troubles, I understand the players’ frustration and although I don’t condone Lansbury’s actions, I can understand it but he has to find a way to turn that temper into something else, I know it was late but it was always coming, as you added with the Bartley and Wilshere tackles.
A very disappointing night for all involved, and Banfield was right to have a real pop at the players, Wilshere being one of them.
http://www.arsene-al.co.uk
My boy Frimpong made his starting debut for Arsenal in last night’s reserve game against Villa, and was their best player by far. He’s pushed on this season and looks like he’s making the necessary progress to become a top player. But he must not become complacent.
Talking of complacency an Arsenal side largely made up of the CC “wonderkids” the media raved about last week were fucking pathetic, poncing about as if they had made it already. The teenage Villa side wiped the floor with them, and the 4-1 score line didn’t do them justice. The overrated jumped up no-mark Lansbury ended up being sent off when he petuantely tried to kick a hole in the leg of a Villa lad.
Needless to say the Arsenal coach was incandescent with rage after the game saying they are nowhere near as good as they think they are.
Wenger will be feeling even sicker and let down after this, and Wigan will be rubbing their hands at the prospect of the next CC round.
I doubt it, Song, Ramsey, Meirda, Djourou, Fabianski, Vela and Bendtner will be involved from the start against Wigan, it won’t contain the averageness of Fonte, Simpson, Cruise, Thomas, Bartley and Mannone (harsh on Mannone to be fair, but Fabianski is much better).
http://www.arsene-al.co.uk
the absence of Havard Nordtveit is clearly showing, in terms of leadership and defensive abilities.
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I have to disagree on that point with you J, apart from his ability on the ball from the back with his paasing range and may be tackling, his is definately no better defensively and he is very physically weak compare to Hoyte, Bartley and Rodgers.
As far as yesterday’s behaviour, it will put their egos in the right place, Even watching Steve Bould aweek ago saying U18s are not competing enough off-the-ball when they have the ball in air or on the deck, it alright having technical qualities but if you dont match that with hard work and battle hard, you will never get anywhere and certainly will be losing more games than we win. Even looking back @ the 6-0 result, Randall set the tone for match by competing well in 50-50 tackles and the rest of the guys followed suit. I think its an inherent problem throughout our club, sometimes we just expect the RED CARPET, it is totally wrong.
Lets remember this is only ONE game any team can under preform in a match from time to time regardless of how talented they are and is even more of a possibility when its a team full of teenagers.grow up people and stop being so hard on the kids it was a bad performance but thats where its stops.How can you learn if your never wrong???Rserves football is an education.
ken, are r u blind or ignorant? i follow the 1st team vividly as much the youths in the reserves/U18s if i can. This is not the 1st time such event has happened, but its the 1st time it has been really highlighted becauase the 1st team did like-wise in the same week following terrible performance off-the-ball for the U18s against Wolves and Reading as admitted by Steve Bould.
Yes criticism must be in moderation but they must also know that to be an arsenal player, you have to be perform with or without the ball and dont expect easy game no matter who you are playing against because if sports is won on paper all bookmakers would be bankrupt by now but it isnt.
“his is definately no better defensively and he is very physically weak compare to Hoyte, Bartley and Rodgers.”
Very physically weak compared to H, B and R? Nordtveit is no Danny Shittu, same goes to Hoyte, Bartley and Rodgers. Saying he’s very physically weak compared to those is a stupid statement, have you seen anything from Nordtveit at all lately?
Yes, the last time i saw him play was against Barnet and i still stand by my statement. All 3 will get games in the Championship with the exception of may be Bartley and championship side definately will not play Nordveit at the back at the moment.
Firstly, defending is more than sheer strength.
Nordtveit is a leader, and the way he plays often rubbs off on the other players. he is the calm Centreback, likes to keep the ball, draws oppoment against him before he puts a pass over the field for the strikers to run at. A very effective weapon when we are one up, and the other team is pushing for the equalizer..
Secondly, he is not as weak as people here think. HE was abit thin and little muscle when he came ehre, but he has been working alot in the gym, when he was injured all he did was to train his body, make him physically stronger.
and he has been playing in a rough league, the norwegian first division is a pretty physical league, where there is no place for technieque. He knows how to play against big strong defenders.
He has all the ingrediens to be a perfect defender, and i am confident that Wenger knows how to bring it out.
Remember, it was him and not Hoyte who was shipped out ;)
I never said strengths is the only ingredient to good defending but what i am saying look at the premier league and championship strikers who are so physical that they give our experienced defenders tough time nevermind a lightweight defender.
It doesn’t matter so much at this level. Learning to cope with adversity is part of a learning process. They have to be able to make mistakes now and get a bollocking, then take advice on board. There’s really no need for much soul-searching here. And let’s not put the guys under too much scrutiny either.
Big Al said this on September 30, 2008 at 10:07 am
If it was the other way round and Villa were putting in career threatening tackles to our beloved Wilshere, we would be up in arms. Arsenal should not play this way, at any level. How can we watch Eduardo get mauled and then think we can get away with horrible lunges in any game, at any level? It’s understandable that youngsters aren’t as composed and are more prone to mistakes, but if they are to learn the Arsenal way, this isn’t it.
Henri may be flash with his Range, always out clubbing and got a massive ego but at the end of the day he’s a great young talent and we should try and nurture him and learn him there’s a difference between confidence and cocky. Every now and again he puts in a performance which is far and above that of other players his age.. he could end up going one of two ways…
If he can control his cockiness he could be great and be a leading figure on the pitch..
Or he could end up like David Bentley!!
Just read this from the ‘This is Nottingham’ website:
NOTTINGHAM Forest are hoping to sign three players straight off Arsenal’s production line of young talent.
The trio are set to play the first of two matches on trial for the reserves at Shrewsbury today.
They are defensive midfielder James Dunne, 19, Abu Ogogo an 18-year-old right back and central defender Paul Rodgers, who turns 19 next week.
Forest boss Colin Calderwood confirmed that the club are hoping to sign the players on a permanent basis, with Arsenal willing to allow them to move on.
“They are young players who they are trying to move on and get careers at another club, because they believe they are good enough for that,” he said
Where’s Gibbs?
“It doesn’t matter so much at this level. Learning to cope with adversity is part of a learning process. ”
WRONG! It ALWAYS matters. I can understand a 12 year old losing his head but it is not acceptable even then. Granted they are boys trapped in the bodies of men but they should always conduct themselves with some dignity and no excuses should ever be made for such behavior. While they may not always get it right, they should have their ears slapped back every time this sort of petulance rears its ugly head.
JS. It’s nice to see even the biggest fan taking the boys to task when they get out of line. Well done!
Landsbury, Bartley and Randall have always had an edge too them. I can remember Randall, as for Wilshire he cant tackle for shit and gets frustrated easy, reminds me of Paul Scholes in that way.
Ive seen all put in dangerious tackles before and its defintly something that needs working on. They need to be taught how to cope with frustration, and in Wilshire and Randall’s case, plain and simply how to tackle aswell, because ive seen both put in some shockers before even though it was obvious they were trying to win the ball fairly and it had just gone wrong.
i can remember Randall taking out a few barnet players in that summer friendly and some discussion on here about whether he would have seen red had it been a professional match***
forgot to finish my sentance… :D