Benik Afobe’s rapid rate of development is simply phenomenal. The free scoring striker eclipsed Jack Wilshere’s Reserves debut record yesterday, when he entered the field aged 16 years and 4 days.Although he only featured for the closing 10 minutes, his inclusion in the squad capped off what has already been an explosive season so far.
The Dagenham born England Youth international has had a hell of a week. After being one of the youngest players selected for the Three Lions Under 17 side, Afobe then shone when given a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to train with the Brazilian National team at Emirates Stadium. He got stuck in, as the photo shows, and even bagged a brace against Inter Milan stopper Julio Cesar in a training game.
Benik’s big break came after 40 goals in 33 appearances for the Under 16’s last season, resulting in Liam Brady making him full time in the summer. Since then England recognition has followed, and his pedigree of 4 goals in 3 games suggests Arsenal have a goal scoring machine on their hands.
His Under 18 debut brought a vital equaliser against Fulham, and to really show his quality, Afobe added the icing to the Gunners cake when he scored on his Youth Cup debut at Sunderland.
Yet despite his rapid rise, little is said or reported on arguably the best young striker in the country. However, that seems to suit the 16-year-old, who will no doubt become an exciting player in his own right.
Jack Wilshere’s significant dip in form has taken much of the focus off the Youth side, but in Afobe, Arsenal have another starlet worth all the attention.
Article By – J.Sanderson
WILL WILSHERE recover from this `dip` in form?
What dip in form?
And afobe even got an article from the Sun:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1981536.ece
wilshire has more than enough talent and it is not his fault he gets man marked and in Ansah, Wilshire, Frimpong, Afobe we have 4 future stars
Dip in form? Please. This is a good blog, but that’s a bit much JS. I haven’t noticed anything resembling a dip in form. The lad is still in the first team squad and ran the game, scoring a blinder against Stoke no more than three weeks ago.
Good report j. After seeing him on a threw occasions u were right when comparing him to eto.
There styles r very similar, from the way they both accelerate to how they scores there goals. He really does come alive in the bx
‘Jack Wilshere’s significant dip in form’ – just how significant is it?
any chance he could be included in the carling cup squad next year? or do you reckon a full season in the reserves next year?
What is the basis for this so called ‘significant dip in form’? Did he not score 2 goals against Stoke for the reserve team less than a month ago (January 21st), one of the strikes being of quite awesome quality? I may be completely ignorant here, but what has happened since?
Afobe might have been younger on his reserves debut, but by this time last year, Wilshere was scoring for fun for the U-18 while Afobe has only scored 3 (according to your stats). I’m just pointing this out. You could argue though that the competition in the youth teams was extremely harsh this year. Very few players left between seasons while all these U-16 starlets were promoted. Now, however, so many players have been loaned out so space is opening up and that is one of the reasons Afobe got called up for the reserves.
Regarding Wilshere, I wouldn’t call it a dip in form. He scored two for the reserves not too long ago. He just has been thrown further back with Arshavin and now Bischoff coming in.
99.9% of young football players have a dip in form it is just part of there development, some have it early in there career some never get it and some get it and never go to the next level.
Hopefully he can remain below the radar. Surely fame too soon could cock up his career.
Wilsheres dip in form? Bitty harsh. He’s 17. Good to see we’ve got a good set of prospects coming through…
Wilshere has had a dip in form, leading up to where he was subbed off during the Youth Cup win against Sunderland.
Bould explained it briefly in his after match interview, but Jack was quite poor that evening, and even went home early rather than waiting with the squad.
What is the consensus on Barazite, Simpson and Traoré’s respective chances in the first team squad next season? I’m guessing Simpson is too far down the pecking order to be considered (Ade, Bendtner, Arshavin, RVP, Eddie, Vela, Walcott) and Barazite looks a technical player but arguably not an archetypal small but quick Wenger player. Traore, by contrast, I rate highly, and could add to our left-wing options next season. I recall him playing rather well there when given a left wing berth at the back end of last season. Any thoughts?
what dip in form?
J, he can’t have been that bad as Arsene still put him on the bench last night and he is not sentimental and would surely have chosen someone else if that was the case? Having a poor game at Sunderland is not the same as ‘a significant drop in form’. Even top players have off-games, and I would certainly expect it from a young player. Look at Ramsey’s poor game at Ninian Park. It didn’t stop Arsene picking him to come on as a sub last night though.
Mate this is a great blog but one bad game doesn’t make a dip in form it makes one bad game. This Afobe sounds good but he hasn’t stared in a team against a decent prem side yet nor made real madrid defenders look silly.
Of course wilshere had a dip in form it happens to all young players. Has rui fonte returned to arsenal apparently his one month loan deal has finished. Also JS any news on mate toth or mate kiss his teammate whos is a very good winger
wilsheres dip in form…. Thats pretty harsh. Has he even played for us since his double for the reserves his second was world class to
So, he basically had a bit of a poor game for him? Hardly a dip in form.
You trying out for the tabloids or sumfin J?
No i have to agree with J. Wilshire has had a dip in form. Think back to his performances for the u18s and reserves last season nd compare it to this season nd he was better last season. He ISNT playing badly, but hes not doing as well this season. Yes hes getting more attention from the opposition, yes hes had to deal with a media spotlight, and yes hes done well when hes played for the first team. But there has been a dip in form.
Is it a problem? I dont think so personally, hes still developing, still impressive, has the odd bad game but as many of you already pointed out in your comments hes only 17. Im sure his form will pick up again and im sure he’ll be just as good a player as we all hope and even now expect.
Afobe will probably have similar dips in form over the next few seasons, but he is a player with similar potential to Wilshire. Different kind of play both positionally, technically and physically, but equil potential. I get a bit nervious when people start talking about putting the spotlight onto young players, anyone who knows the story of one Cherno Samba will know why, once masqueraded by the media as possibly being the biggest prospect ever seen in English football, and now playing for FC Haka in Finland, only making it onto the field 4 times this season and only one of those appearances was a start, and yet to score a goal, this from a young man who scored over a hundred goals in 32 games as a 13 year old. But Afobe diserves a bit of recognition which i think hes getting, and is a player we can be really excited about in terms of his potential and the future of this club.
i think wilshere just lost appetite to play with reserve and under 18s. after all he in the first team squad and every day trained with better players. so maybe the pace a bit different, style might not the same too and wilshere quite struggle to lower his level. but wenger won’t put him in sub bench against cardiff if wilshere really not playing well at the moment.
That was one performance I highlighted. You should know by now I don’t just say things for the sake of it.
Steve Bould highlighted it, and if you saw the England game and the Wolves Youth Cup game you’ll notice his was invisible.
It’s not a bad thing saying he’s had a dip in form, it’s just we’re used to brilliance from him and he’s having a big dip.
I completely agree that Wilshere’s form (at this particular moment in time) isn’t what it was but I think his problem right now is a lack of games because it’s difficult to have a run of form without regular games.
As for Afobe, well I’ve only really seen him in the flesh at Sunderland but he made this old timer sit up and take notice. Their defence had been given a bit of a runaround but he simply tore them apart when he came on. Apart from scoring he forced their keeper into two good saves and his running away from the ball was very good. Yes people could argue it was only a short period to judge on but the most important time from a player is each time they take a step up and he did that fine.
lol Cherno Samba…Championship Manager extraordinaire!
we seem to have alot of talented strikers and CM but we lack classy wingers. Against villa, marc albrington was givin tom cruise nightamres. So was weiman against craig eastond. We need two proper wingers.
anybody have any info on Ashley Young’s younger brother who plays for the Arsenal. I hear he’s only 12 or 13 years old however.
“Cherno Samba…Championship Manager extraordinaire!”
Thats the one :P CM 03-04, my favouret ever edition of the game. Personally i always prefered a Daniel Braathen and Anatoli Todorov front line partnership, but Samba was defintly in the top 5 in terms of strikers in that game.
“we seem to have alot of talented strikers and CM but we lack classy wingers. Against villa, marc albrington was givin tom cruise nightamres. So was weiman against craig eastond. We need two proper wingers.”
Coudelnt agree more, i think alot of the problem is not being able to call a player a winger, duno why it happens, but it does, Agogo was always a right back that could play on the wing, Walcott has always beena striker who can play on the wing, Simpson has always been a striker who can play on the wing, we need to accept players as out and out wingers now and again, and while im not claiming Wallcott, Simpson or Agogo should be seen as an out and out winger, but im sure there are players in our u18s and 16s who are suited to play on the wing.
Wilshere was excellent against Wolves.
Young players like Ramsey and Wishire need to play regularly because they are still in the learning phase of their game. Both players had excellent pre-seasons played well throughout the Carling Cup.
Once their run of games dried up form dipped because they have been sitting on the bench with the first squad and both have contributed their worst game of the season in this period.
Arsene needs to find a way for these lads to play regularly, either by sending them out on loan or having them play with the Reserves on a regular basis. Sitting on the 1st team bench does them no good at this juncture of their careers.
Surely Sanchez Watt was younger when he made his reserve debut as a sub a few seasons ago? And I think it was Ayling who came on that day as well, both must have been 15 still.
I suspect Wilshere’s ‘dip in form’ probably arose as a result of not playing or training much with his teammates for those games. He has been training with the first team all season and a lot of what makes a good footballer great is the interaction between teammates, brought about by playing together regularly. That’s just a theory though
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I totally agree that wilshere’s had a dip in form. Against Sunderland he should have done a lot better, he lost the ball many times when it’s supposed to be one of his strengths. He doesn’t look as fit as he was at the beginning of the season. He is young so there’s nothing to worry about though
Jamie…Was I dreaming or was there a story a couple months ago to the effect that Gilles Sunu had decided to leave Arsenal?
Can anybody tell me the status of that story,rumour?
Thanks…cheers!
Jamie…When you see the question on Sunu I just posted, feel free to respond to my personal e-mail if it’s not a proper subject for this thread on Afobe/Wilshere.
Thanks.
thanks
very good
:)
what is this picture?
it looks like the brazil national team.
and isnt that ronaldinho on the right???
im confused
bojan
Yes it is Ronaldinho on the right in that picture.