Arsenal's youth development

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

You hear them praised regularly for focusing on youth development but how many players in Wenger's era have gone on to be first team regulars?

 

It's not just them, the whole of the premiership is shocking at bringing through their own players.

[Super_Ally 0]

You hear them praised regularly for focusing on youth development but how many players in Wenger's era have gone on to be first team regulars?

 

It's not just them, the whole of the premiership is shocking at bringing through their own players.

 

It's no Murray Park that's for sure.

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

fishing much

[Gribz 743]

Fabregas and Ashley Cole would be the top 2 for starters. I know Fabregas came from Barca originally but he was still an Arsenal youth around 15 or 16 so it was Wenger who brought him on.

 

Gibbs is now first choice LB and Gnabry is another Wenger gem.

 

England and Arsenal have been lucky at LB. Its a position they have been blessed with over the years since Samson and Pearce and Le Saux. Nigel Winterburn didn't get a sniff for England but should have had 50 caps. Now they have Cole, Baines, Shaw at Southampton and Gibbs.

[andy steel 0]

Young lad at right back as well, saw him yesterday but forget the name. Also Wilshere, Ramsay.

[craig 5,199]

Fabregas and Ashley Cole would be the top 2 for starters. I know Fabregas came from Barca originally but he was still an Arsenal youth around 15 or 16 so it was Wenger who brought him on.

 

Gibbs is now first choice LB and Gnabry is another Wenger gem.

 

England and Arsenal have been lucky at LB. Its a position they have been blessed with over the years since Samson and Pearce and Le Saux. Nigel Winterburn didn't get a sniff for England but should have had 50 caps. Now they have Cole, Baines, Shaw at Southampton and Gibbs.

 

Wilshere.....

[craig 5,199]

Young lad at right back as well, saw him yesterday but forget the name. Also Wilshere, Ramsay.

 

I wouldn't put Ramsay there as he was a first teamer before joining Arsenal.

 

The RB is, presumably, Jenkinson. I don't rate him that highly. Or was it Gnabry ?

[Gribz 743]

I wouldn't put Ramsay there as he was a first teamer before joining Arsenal.

 

The RB is, presumably, Jenkinson. I don't rate him that highly. Or was it Gnabry ?

 

Sagna played RB on Saturday. Gnabry came on so I think its him.

 

I don't rate Jenkinson either, plus he was a Charlton first teamer.

[andy steel 0]

Aye, Jenkinson. Looks like a player to me. he must have played only a handful of games for Charlton, surely?

[calscot 0]

Doesn't it show that this kind of thing is hardly applicable to the quest for winning championships? Arsenal seem to be a good case for NOT developing youth. 60k fans paying through the nose, fourth most valuable club in Europe after Man U and the two Spanish giants, a very stable club who have had the same manager for 17 years, considerable investment in youth development, the pick of Europe's best youngsters who will move to London to play for them, and they are perennial also rans...

 

Eight years since they won anything or finished better than third.

 

I suppose they are top at the moment and usually finish third or fourth against three teams who spend more money on wages - although Arsenal do spend £143m per year.

 

Arsenal have also been highly criticised for signing flops and being unable to get rid of them and overpaid young players leading to a very bloated squad.

 

Holding them to the same scrutiny as Rangers have been on here makes them look incredibly badly run and managed.