Caligula wrote:
I don't count Djourou and Sczcsnsnzy (they're still very raw, although I am okay with the latter as a starter for now). There is a case for Song.
The reality is that we still have only 2 players who are universally rated by Arsenal fans in Wilshere and Fabregas.
I do think that at this stage, we should do a better job of monetizing the kids. Guys like Tom Cruise can at least return their cost of development through a sale of 1 or 2 million pounds. Later, as we have momentum, we can continue to sell even better players, and skim off the top to get the next Wilsheres and Fabregases. For now though, 7 or 8 years in, it's slim pickings.
Not sure that's a fair way to rate the youth academy.
For instance, players like Cruise, Randall et all were always going to go for a pittance. On the other hand, the sale of Bendtner, Vela and even Denilson will repay that debt many times over.
As for the talent, most teams in Europe, certainly in England, don't get the same value for their academy as we do - excluding maybe West Ham but the standards are lower there. In addition to Fabregas and Wilshere we've got Djourou, Song, Gibbs, Bendtner who, despite their various weaknesses, have done a decent job at some point or another. The problem really is Wenger is not ruthless enough when they start flattering. If we continue producing a Wilshere or Fabregas with a couple of Szczesnys, Songs and Djourous every few years I'd say we've done well. You can't have a conveyor belt of talent like Barcelona do because a) their project is 20+ years old b) they have first choice on every young player in Catalunya
