I am delighted to bring you an extensive interview with the number one source of Arsenal Youth news, Young Guns Blog. Many of the questions were supplied by people who follow me on
Twitter. Thank you for that. Please take the time, after reading of course, to check out
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1. Who was your stand-out young player of the 2010/11 season and why?
“There are a handful of candidates, all for different reasons, but looking over a 12 month period, I’d say Ryo Miyaichi. He was a 17-year-old who had only played high school football when he came on trial last summer, and turned in two mixed performances during pre-season matches. A year later, he’s going straight into the first-team squad for training and is one of the most exciting prospects at the club. It’s been a stunning final few months of the campaign for him, and his positivity and style has earned him a lot of richly deserved plaudits.”
2. Who was the biggest disappointment from the 2010/11 season and why?
“It’s a little unfair to pick out one player in what has been a difficult season all round, but Wellington Silva sticks in my head. For me, he’s got more raw ability than Miyaichi, but his attitude to everything off the pitch is a massive issue. He only played twice for Levante, when he promised to do so much better. It’s always real shame when something like attitude gets in the way, especially when you can clearly see the talent he has.”
3. Which players are ready to step up to the first team for the 11/12 season?
“The Reserves and Under 18′s are in the middle of a transitional period at the moment, and most of the players within both squads are at least a year away from looking to kick on to that level. The main candidates are those who went on loan last year, including Kyle Bartley, Francis Coquelin and the aforementioned Miyaichi. The latter probably needs another spell somewhere, but Bartley and Coquelin have played on a regular basis and proved consistently they can cope with the demands of top level football. They both deserve a chance to prove themselves.”
4. Which players will need a season out on loan to be ready for the 12/13 season?
“That will be the majority of the Reserves. Players like James Shea, Ignasi Miquel, Conor Henderson and Oğuzhan Özyakup. They’ve all shown they’re comfortable at Reserve team level now, but are not able to force their way into the first team squad. A loan spell will help sharpen some of their blunter abilities (mostly physical ones) and give them the experience and confidence needed for a first team push.”
5. Which players do you feel aren’t going to cut it at Arsenal?
“It’s really too early to judge, because a lot of them are still very young. We’ll get a better idea next season, when the current Reserve team go on loan and we learn more about how they can cope with the added pressure and demands on them.”
6. Miquel or Bartley, which one will be the better player?
“Bartley, for me. He has all the ingredients Arsenal have lacked in a centre half, and while Miquel is better technically and more of a ‘genuine footballer’, he is more suited to the Spanish game. Bartley is tall, strong, a good passer of the ball and now has a good amount of experience under his belt. He’s ready to make the first team push, whereas Miquel still needs to add more of the raw aspects of the game. That said, he’s made massive strides in the last year.”
7. What role do you see Coquelin and Frimpong playing in the side next season?
“Coquelin will miss pre-season because of the Under 20 World Cup, and that’s a big blow for him. Lorient are very keen to extend his loan spell, and I’d accept that offer, because they’re a fantastic club for developing players. His situation will be better next year, because the first team players will be back late from the European Championships, and he’ll be more ready to make his mark then.”
“I think Frimpong can be a good fringe player, but he’s missed a lot of football, and when you’re his age, it’s very difficult to catch up. Coquelin has had a year in Ligue One while Emmanuel has done nothing. That said, he’s worked hard on his fitness over the summer and now he’s in great shape to come back, but making the break through for both of them will depend on what happens in the transfer market.”
8. What’s your honest opinion on Jay Emmanuel-Thomas?
“He’s an extremely gifted talent, but his attitude and lack of consistency ruins him. He has shown lots of glimpses of his quality, but then goes off the boil and doesn’t look interested. It’s normal for all young players to have spells of inconsistency, but they’re never as erratic as this. Unfortunately, despite receiving a lot of advice from the coaching staff, it doesn’t seem to be going in, and a future away from the club is all but certain.”
9. What’s your honest opinion on BenikAfobe?
“I’ve followed Benik since he was 14 (not literally!) and I’ve always been impressed. He has all the talent, heart and desire to reach the top, and with some work on some key aspects such as holding the ball up better and learning when to shoot and when to pass, he can be excellent. Benik is a fine example of how a positive attitude and a will to learn and work hard can get you places, even if you’re not a complete player yet.”
10. Any other players you’d like to give an honourable mention to?
“Argentine goalkeeper Emi Martínez has had a fantastic season, and has a Szczęsny-esque vibe about him. He’s got everything you’d look for in a young ‘keeper, and he’s been superb in what was a difficult season for the Under 18′s. He’s spent a lot of time training with the first-team, too, and looks to have a bright future.”
11. Which player, who has left before making a breakthrough in to the Arsenal first team, do you consider to be our biggest loss?
“I’d have to say Arturo Lupoli. He looked a superb striker in the Carling Cup and did well on loan. He got tempted back to Italy on a big contract and many will say he hasn’t done much there so Arsène Wenger was proved right, but I feel he would have developed significantly at Arsenal and may well have been the penalty box poacher many say we need. It’s a big shame he didn’t sign the contract offered.”
12. What is the likelihood of getting work permits for Wellington and Myachi for next season?
“Slim. Neither are eligible for a conventional work permit and aren’t in their national team squads, so it means the only option is the unpredictable and difficult world of talent visas. Both are probably better off on loan anyway.”
13. It has been widely reported that Wellington has issues with his attitude, is this accurate?
“Unfortunately so. He’s had complaints about it at all his clubs, including Arsenal. The issue comes off the pitch, rather than on it. He doesn’t like training very much, he doesn’t try very hard and has a cocky and arrogant attitude towards other players and staff. He is getting help for it, but how much good it’s doing it’s not clear.”
“It’s a problem a lot of young Brazilian players suffer from, after moving from poverty to then big money.”
14. What has gone wrong with Carlos Vela, why has he not progressed as many of us had hoped?
“Carlos is the type of player who thrives when he has the full support and trust of the manager. He hasn’t really had that yet, and his problems adapting to England, something Arsenal admit is their fault for not supporting him enough at Salamanca, has not helped. He’s done well as a substitute and has a decent goals to games ratio, but he doesn’t get rewarded with a run in the team, even when he’s earned it.”
“Overall, it’s a mixture of luck, failure to adapt and the lack of trust from managers, but of course that’s not helped with regular Mexico call ups, which disrupt his training schedule.”
15. Do you believe that continuing to buy youth players from Barca will mean that Arsenal will always have to deal with variations of the ‘Cesc saga’ in years to come?
“Of course, but you can’t begrudge a player from wanting to go home, especially when home is the best team in the world. You’d be disappointed if they didn’t want to be the best and play for the best, but the handling of certain situations in recent season’s hasn’t been good.”
“Ultimately, Arsenal are happy to take the gamble and sign these players, because even if they do want to go home, there is significant profit involved. Arsenal paid a few hundred thousand for Cesc, and pretty much whatever they make on him would be pure profit. Same with other clubs who have signed La Masia talent.”
16. What do you think of the 90 minute rule in regards to recruiting young players?
“In essence its a good idea, but the details of it are sketchy and clubs can and have got around it easily. There is also the argument Arsène makes about young players, which is if your child is good at music, you want them in the best music school. Same with football. This rule can restrict players. It should be a decision down to the parents and player, not the governing body.”
17. In your opinion, should Wilshere have went to the U21 championship?
“Not at all. Theo Walcott was eligible to go, and choosing Jack is just as illogical as selecting Theo. Once you break through that barrier into the senior team and you play at the top level, it only hampers players to drop them down, because they lose confidence in the system. The Under 21′s is about developing and preparing players for the senior team. Jack has already gone through that and shown he can make the step up. His space in the Under 21′s should be given to a player who hasn’t played so much and still has to make that step.”
18. What do you think about those who say Wenger’s youth ‘project’ has failed?
“They don’t understand the project, if they say that. The club make a good amount of money from young players, in terms of loan fees and transfers. The business aspect is very good, and you can see on their day, the team can beat anybody. The issue comes with blending experienced heads with those talents, and unfortunately, Arsène hasn’t done that well enough.”
19. Away from Arsenal, who are the young players from other teams to keep an eye out for next season?
“There are a whole collection of exciting talents around at the moment, but I’d say to watch out for the stars of the Bundesliga winners at Borussia Dortmund, including Neven Subotić, Shinji Kagawa and Mario Götze, plus the Spanish youngsters Pablo Sarabia, Isco, Thiago and Javi Martínez. On top of that, pretty much anybody I feature in my
FourFourTwo Talentspotter column, as a lot of work goes into recommending talents on there.”
20. Anything else you’d like to add?
“Just that the youth system at Arsenal is one of the best in the world, and while we should all be very proud of it, we shouldn’t expect too much. It is there to compliment the first team and transfers, not instead of.”
