He’s regarded among Gooners worldwide as a respected commenter and his forays into the Arsenal blogging scene have been highly successful. Now, former journalist and avid fan Mike Urbanski has joined the Young Guns team to offer his analytical inside into all things Arsenal Reserves and Youth. Known among many as SKA Gooner, his Sunday column – SKA Sunday – continues today.
Greetings to the Young Guns faithful. My apologies for the absence of an article last week. I ran into a buzz saw of a late season flu and it completely knocked me off my feet for close to a week. Back now, and ready for first team action.
Without straying too far afield from what Young Guns does in providing news and analysis of the youth/reserve players, I’m often of a mind to watch what Arsene is doing with the senior players to get a feel for where the opportunities will be for the players coming up. This will hopefully be an ongoing series for SKA Sundays and this week we’ll start with goalkeeper and defense. I hope you’ll all join in the debate.
Right. So, we’re closing in on the end of the season. It’s all to play for in the Premiership and the Champions League for the senior side and the reserves and loan players are continuing their development process as the 2009/10 season comes to a close.
While Young Guns is duly focused on the youth and reserves, I’m often casing an eye towards the first team and trying to envision where all our young talent will be fitting into the first XI when their time comes. As I mentioned in my first article on Craig Eastmond, and as you’re all acutely aware, we have some top quality young players who’ll definitely be pushing Arsene Wenger for minutes at the Ems in the next couple seasons.
But therein lies the dilemma – is Arsene Wenger’s youth policy a double edged sword of sorts? At some positions the age/development stagger is a bit out of kilter I think, and some very difficult decisions will have to be made.
If we start at the back, it’s evident that something has to be done between the sticks. Manuel Almunia, while a super nice guy, is just not the ‘keeper to head into the future. Lukasz Fabianski deputises, with Vito Mannone sitting 3rd (but not a distant 3rd in my mind). However, the REAL gem of Arsenal’s stable of young goal keepers appears to be Wojciech Szczesny. His loan spell is going brilliantly and the reviews by all and sundry are that he’s going to be world class. But that’s the current dilemma – Wojciech is only 19 and the first team needs a goal keeper sharpish. With the summer transfer window coming, numerous names are being bandied about in the likes of Hugo Lloris, Robert Green, etc. The concern is that another regular ‘keeper will be placed in front of the young talent at Arsenal and delay their entry to first team football for an extra couple years.
Goal keeper is a truly unique position where a player does not really come into their prime, unless they’re Iker Casillas, until they reach mid-to-late 20’s. In Fabianski, Mannone and Szczeny, Arsenal have a trio of talented young keepers who could all develop into good, if not great shot stoppers. But none of the 3 is yet ready to take the full mantle of being “the man” at the back. We’ve a bit of a glut at this position in age bracket (with Fabianski leading the way at a still youthful 24) and development that will not fully benefit the first team for a couple years. While I am loathe to bring in a new ‘keeper and potentially put a damper on any of our 3 younger netminders, I believe Arsene will have to move in this direction this summer. If this occurs, with the expectation that Almunia will be shipped out, Fabianski will be given 1 more year to play Carling/FA Cup and deputise for the first team. Mannone and Szczesny will continue their development on loan. Ultimately though, I feel Mannone and Szczesny will battle for the fist team spot in the long term.
The defense is no less a conundrum. To be honest, it might even be worse. Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Thomas Vermaelen and William Gallas. That’s not a bad back four for any team. From the Arsenal youth perspective though, aside from the 32 year old Gallas, it could point to a lack of opportunity with the remaining three 26 or younger. Defenders have lengthy careers. Good/great defenders are worth their weight in gold. In Clichy, Sagna and Vermaelen though, we have 3 of the best young-ish defenders in the Premiership. Now, we’ve seen Kieran Gibbs (before his injury) step up wonderfully when called upon to fill in for Clichy. Armand Traore has done a serviceable job as well. Vermaelen has been an absolute iron man, having played over 40 matches for the first team this season so far, and at the tender age of 23, is likely to be a rock in Arsenal’s defense for years to come. And lets not forget that Emmanuel Eboue has blossomed this season to give serious challenge to Sagna and Johann Djourou is waiting in the wings coming off injury. So where does that leave the likes of Havard Nordveit, Luke Ayling, Kyle Bartley, Francis Coquelin and others? And, as with the ‘keeper situation, the sumer transfer window could well see additions in the likes of Mamadou Sakho, Brede Hangelaand, Neven Subotic and others. Have we put ourselves in a position where, with potential transfers, the age/development gap between the youth/reserve players and the current first teamers is out of adjustment?
When I wrote about Craig Eastmond we had a rollicking debate about where he actually belongs in the side. Is he a defender or a defensive mid? Arsene Wenger prizes the flexibility to play more than one position. Eastmond will benefit from that and other defenders will as well. Arsenal’s first team defense does have needs, and they’re always going to need cover for injuries and the sheer number of matches played at that level. Opportunities will present themselves. But, as with goal keeper, I think this summer will see some purchases at the back end. Sakho is almost surely to come in. Arsene Wenger is jonesing to get him into an Arsenal kit. But Sakho, at 20 and already a first team player, is basically the same age as those current youth/reserve defenders waiting in line for their chance. What this can only mean for some in that line is another season in the reserves or on loan spells. Defender is a position, like ‘keeper, where the player has to be patient for their chance and can look forward to a fairly lengthy career. But as most of us know, patience is not long on supply for talented 19 or 20 year old footballers. I can only hope that there are cool heads talking to the lads in the likes of Liam Brady and others to let them know that their chance will indeed come at Arsenal.
Let me end this piece by stating categorically that I support 100% Arsenal’s youth policy. I would not want us to build our squads any other way. Arsene Wenger and those in management at The Arsenal have created a model for real long term success and stability. But with the summer transfer window coming up and knowing that there are some immediate needs that will not be filled by current youth/reserve players, it’s my hope that we do not put too much of a restraint on those lads who truly have a shot at wearing the Arsenal kit on Saturdays in years to come. Some difficult decisions await on releasing some of the current crop or sending them out on loan. But there is a tremendous talent pool waiting in line to make us all proud.
