Youth team development: Page 106 - The Arsenal discussion community: One More in the Tolly

Youth team development

JazzG

What on earth happened!

flobaba

Probably that jersey

Qwiss

Didn't we put something like 11 past them a couple of months ago?

Big Willie

Qwiss Didn't we put something like 11 past them a couple of months ago?

What? That's mad if true. I dont think we've usually won against them over the years tbh. Neither the u18 (who only play against them in the youth cup) or the u21s.

Oh wait, did you mean that game for the u15s or u16s where someone posted a video of a 13 year old kid scoring like 6 goals or something like that?

Clrnc

7-1 in the FA Youth cup?

WIlshere out

Qwiss

Big Willie that could've been it alright.

Claudius

Wouldn’t worry too much. Didn’t have our first choice fullbacks. And Liverpool overwhelmed us with fast attack. And this was a team with both Nwaneri and Obi Martin, probably our two best post Saka players.

Clrnc

Don't know why but our youth teams has been losing for years now in many competitions. We looked out of our depth in the Uefa u19 league as well

Claudius

Clrnc general consensus is that we have gone into another quality dip post Saka. Problems with sourcing players locally but importantly for us also sourcing players post brexit. We’ve always done well getting young Europeans and now that door is closed.

Meatwad

honestly we could be the shittiest team for results and i wouldn't care as long as we're getting at least one first teamer of true arsenal quality. that's the whole point of the academy.

Claudius

Meatwad problem is we aren’t generating those players en masse right now. We are in what’s considered a lost generation.

DiabyKungFu

Claudius problem is we aren’t generating those players en masse right now. We are in what’s considered a lost generation.

We have Saka, Nketiah, Smith-Rowe and Nelson in the first team right now and Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly in the academy. What are you talking about?

Claudius

DiabyKungFu I know. I rate all those players and have said so previously. But what’s in between?
We had a period where we cranked out AMN, Nelson, Willock, Nketiah, ESR, and Saka in quick succession. We aren’t generating players of that standard now if you look at our players between 17 and 21. That’s the lost generation I’m referring to.
And no it’s not because Arteta refuses to play them. Arteta integrated all the players above so he has proven he will play good kids. Consensus from academy watchers is we just blew the pipeline. And it’s too late to fix it for that group.

Big Willie

Claudius And no it’s not because Arteta refuses to play them. Arteta integrated all the players above so he has proven he will play good kids.

Well bith yes and no. AMN was already integrated by both Arsene and Emery before Arteta came in. Same with Saka and Martinelli who were both given their first chances and regular game time by Emery. And Willock was being his first regular minutes in the season Emery was being sacked after getting into the team most weeks either off the bench or as a starter.

To be fair to Arteta he was the first one to start playing Nketiah regularly that season he was pushing to leave on a free. Also (somewhat surprisingly given recent seasons) ESR was first regularly being played by Arteta in 20/21 but it Emery who gave him first chances in 19/20 until Arteta took over. He went on loan at Huddersfield where he shone around the same time Arteta took over.

Nelson was someone who no manager trusted enough to give even regular off the bench minutes to.

Claudius

Big Willie yes, your timeline is correct. Just noting that we had a team filled with veterans like Ozil and Kola, and it would’ve been easy to come minute to invest in that lot versus giving our most talented kids significant and meaningful minutes.

Clrnc

Claudius you are putting that praise of Emery.

Claudius

Clrnc I’m praising them both. Emery for integrating the boys. And Arteta for making them core pieces and further developing them. You’ll recall that Arteta was playing Willock in about 35 games at the height of his use. He made Saka a core piece. He very quickly established the youth as critical.

For two straight seasons we had one of the 15 youngest squads in all of Europe. Most of the teams above us were mid table and smaller continental teams. Nobody in England. If that isn’t commitment to youth, I don’t know what is.

daredevil

Academy products can be great, but just as equally problematic. I don't think Nelson nor Nketiah would still be here, if they weren't academy players.

Claudius

daredevil sure we can sell them. But you deal with two issues.
First, you still need to go scout and buy an equivalent player. For both of those guys, you’re going to spend north of £20m, probably north of £30m to get someone useful.
Second, they satisfy homegrown rules. So you need to replace with English. Add more.

It’s not as straightforward as it seems to just dump some of our players.

HomeSteak

Is he good?

Clrnc

HomeSteak Definitely an Emery buy

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