Arsenal Reserve team outcasts James Dunne, Abu Ogogo, Paul Rodgers and Rene Steer have all played their last games in a Gunners shirt and are now fighting to save their futures with lower league outfits Nottingham Forest and Cheltenham Town.
Championship side Nottingham have had Dunne, Ogogo and Rodgers for the next few weeks – and they all played for the Reserves against Shrewsbury this afternoon. Defender Rene Steer joined former former Leicester City full back Darren Kenton on a run out for Cheltenham on Tuesday, he played the total game during a 1-0 defeat to Bristol City.
The foursome all featured during the first teams friendly at Barnet in pre-season, but they are yet to push themselves on into Arsene Wenger’s Carling Cup squad, with the exception to Ogogo who has one unused substitute appearance to his name.
Ogogo played right midfield, Rodgers right back and Dunne in the centre of the midfield as Forest won 2-1 this afternoon, they all followed Steer in playing 90 minutes.
Decisions are yet to made on their futures, yet they will all become first team players should they pen terms with the respective clubs.
Article By – J.Sanderson
I think all of these will go on to have great careers in the game. I am very suprised we are letting ogogo go as we don’t seem to have any other right backs to fill his place.
To be honest, these four players aren’t really gonna make it at Arsenal. They now have clubs coming in for them and I think it’s better for them to start their professional career elsewhere.
Btw, thanks for the memories in the Arsenal reserves. (:
good luck to them.
Nottingham Forest is a good club to start there careers with IMO
I was wondering where they went and why they weren’t playing for our reserves. Does this mean they are released? Our reserves is s**t enough and now we start releasing more regulars. Dunne and Rodgers should still be here.
Good luck to them. Dissapointed Rogers didn’t at least get a go in the first team.
Dunne isn’t good enough technically, Rodgers was good but it’s good to see Wenger letting them go to persue a career elsewhere.
Good luck to them all.
http://www.arsene-al.co.uk
I can understand three of the four going away to championship squads, as I didn’t see chances in the first team for Dunne, Ogogo or Rene Steer. However, I did hold Paul Rogers in high regard personally. The top rated young central defender are Bartley and Nordtviet (on loan), but I had Paul Rogers rated similarly to Jay Emmanuel-Thomas as the deputies to these two in the reserves.
It could be nice to see Riddy tearing teams up over the winter, given the chance to show himself in the back four of a championship squad. Nevertheless, given the defensive frailties on show in our reserve league games against Chelsea & Aston Villa, stretching the number of skilled back line players might not be the best option. Although, I would support seeing Paul Rogers & Mark Randall going on a short term loan, a-la Nacer Barazite @ Darby, in order to give them experience at a first team level.
Things like this ruin our reserve set up. Nobody ever wonder why our world class reserves never win anything? Reserve league is there to be won but mistakes like this stop us doing it.
It’s not a mistake. The reserve league is primarily for player development in a hope that they will become good enough for the first team. So it would be pointless to keep them if the coaches decide that they are not going to be good enough. It’s better for them that they get an oppurtunity elsewhere and it also opens up some oppurtunities to some of our u18s.
Good luck to all of them in their respective careers
How can Ogogo be on the bench for our Carling Cup tie yet 8 days later be playing for Forest’s reserves? What’s going on there? He must be highly regarded, surely?
I dont think you ever watched Ogogo play because he aint that good but good look to all of them.I was shocked about rodgers thou but what i dont understand is does Jay simpson have a contract with arsenal???
How can you say ogogo ain’t that good then say your shocked bout rodgers ogogo is a better player than rodgers hence why he keeps rodgers out the team. I hope abu really impresses to prove his critics wrong
I agree that I thought Rodgers was strong. There are rumours that he mixes with the wrong sort but that may be wrong. However, it could be a small reason for letting him go.
I think this move is because Sam Byles is thought of very highly by the coaching staff and it will give him more room to improve.
i cant undersyand it about rodgers. man he is going to play for a premier league club, and it aiint ours man. wtf. hw can he be released.
James, reserve football isn’t about winning the reserve league its about providing a platform of development for young players. Learning to win is obviously part of development and to win the league would be a bonus but it certainly shouldn’t be regarded as a requirement, especially with our reserve team basically being an u-19 side
James said this on October 1, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Eurgh, what? The reserves league is to help develop our youngsters, and considering in the recent past/coming future, they are playing some of the worlds best (shevchenko, drogba, kanu, the current city squad when they buy a new one or whatever) – the reserves bridge the gap. Winning the league is nowhere near the objective, although it would be nice. Defeats are just, sometimes even more important than winning with kids.
Also, keeping inferior players at the club just to do well in the reserves league? Who are we: Chelsea? If Dunne et al were not going to make the first team and are blocking potentially better players from getting experience, we should be ruffless.
Even though this has been on the cards for a while, I’m sad to see Dunne go. I’ve always been impressed with him whenever I’ve seen him but he doesn’t seem to be held in particularly high regard at Arsenal.
Echoing everyone else, I wish all the lads good luck.
OBSERVER said about these trials a few days ago, and this was mr.sanderson’s reply::
“It’s just speculation, they are still with us. Some of the Under 18 players got a chance this evening, abit of a mix and match.”
haha,lmao
It’s sad to see players released. But it will be a kick in the backside for the remaining players to work hard and ensure that they are part of the future.
Good of Wenger to let them go for= nothing in order for them to further their careers, not letting them stagnate in the reserves.
Always thought Rogers might have had a bit of a future though. Oh well.
awww man I don’t want to see Rodgers go, he was really good
I wish all 4 of them the best of luck. Pity they couldn’t go any further in the glorious red ‘n’ white. They will be an asset to the teams that they have joined.
forest fan here good to see all positive comments about the three players, lets hope they sign and we will start to take off in the championship and we dont mind taking anymur of your youngsters if u got anymur to give us :D:D
I can see Rodgers being the only one to get a contract at Forset
Rodgers and Dunne are easily 2 of our best reserves. Letting them go is pathetic. Who will be 2nd/3rd choice RB behind Sagna?
Hoyte? Rodgers is better than Hoyte in all but speed. Dunne has all the attributes to be a starting DM for us apart from technique.
Sometimes I think Wenger overrates technique and this is why we have problems in defense and DM.
Basically Wenger has decided that some trimming of the squad is necessary.
Rodgers or Ayling
Oggogo or Eastmond
Dunne or Blackwood
Cruise or Steer, we know Cruise has won this one. I believe Ayling, Eastmond and Blackwood have won theirs.
agogo is shockin as he was even on de bench in cc vs sheff utd strange relli
I dont understand why people are so upset about this. Only about a 10% of a clubs youth prospects can make it, unless you have a terribly understrength first team which we dont.
From that generation of reserve players Gibbs, Merida, Hoyte, Mannone, Randall, Landsbury, possibly Simpson and hopefully Barazite have been chosen as players who MIGHT proove to be good enough to stay at the club. Thats much more than usually are given this chance.
Yes Rodgers, Steer, Agogo and Dunne are all talented players who will all atleast play at championship level in the future if not premier league, but you have to feel none really showed that they were better than mid table club prospects at best.
You cant keep everyone, and its vital players are moved on this season so the new batch can get their reserve chance and players like Afobe and the other extremely talented U16 players we have can start making movements in the U18s.
Top gunna what makes you say ogogo is shocking.
Well said JohnnyMaverik, some people round here really have no grasp on reality. Of course these players are talented, they would never of been here to start with otherwise, but just because you might of seen them play well at the reserve team level doesn’t mean they’ll ever be good enough to play for Arsenal at the very highest level. The people who assessed these players do so for a living, know each individual inside out and very, very rarely make mistakes.
@ James, calling the club you support pathetic for releasing 4 players that were never going to make it is amusingly ironic. Almost as amusing as your apparent belief Rodgers was, or should of been, our 3rd choice RB when he wasn’t even playing for the reserves and that he is better than the ever present reserve team captain this term and England u-19 regular Hoyte in every regard except pace.
I think that Jay Simpson will be the next one to be allowed to leave.Players like Luke Ayling will also struggle with the likes of Ignasi Miquel and Oliver Nicholas coming through.
I don’t get why they weren’t released a few weeks after last season.
Then it would have been easier for them impress clubs in pre-season and get into first teams of clubs etc.
Now they will be playing reserve games for clubs and maybe struggle to get into teams as most clubs in the lower leagues like to keep the same 11 bar injuries and stick to a system, not changing much etc.
It just makes it harder for them to gain employment with a club :(
I wish them all the best of luck.
i mean its shockin he gt released because he was on da bench in da cc v sheff utd
ANDD AS FOR THOSE FINKIN JAY SIMPSON WONT MAKE IT DNT 4GT WENGER ORDERD HE BE PROMOTED 2 U-18S WEN HE WAS JUS 13 SO HES RATED HIGHLY BY THE CLUB N HE WILL BE GIVEN CHANCES 2 PROVE HIMSELF FRM DER ON ITS ALL HIM