Arsenal’s Glowing Academy Reputation: Coaches or Scout’s?

Over the last eight or so years Arsenal F.C. has gained a massive reputation with regards to their ‘top quality academy’ producing player after player of technically gifted, mature beyond their years players with a winning mentality that Arsene Wenger will not have to do much with but teach them his preferences and tactics.

However I disagree in that and believe it is actually the top quality scouts who must put in a lot of time and effort in unearthing the youngsters the club signs, the scouts getting moderate praise whilst the academy coaches get many column inches about the Arsenal way and philosophy.

I believe that you cannot actually call a player an academy graduate unless he has spent at least three or four years before making first team appearances.

Many of Arsenal’s young signed players such as, Cesc Fabregas, Carlos Vela, Gael Clichy, Nicolas Bendtner, Theo Walcott, Denilson and Johan Djourou were only in the academy for a short time before actually getting the big call up.

Some of these players were bought for large fees based on their age experience.

Many of the names above are foreign in which Wenger favours for their better attitudes and application to the sport and yet only one of these players mentioned previously (Cesc Fabregas) has become a superstar, despite during all their breakthroughs, the players were lorded as virtually guaranteed world-class players be cause of a couple of good league cups performances against amongst others Sheffield United.

So like an opportunistic boxer stealing the final round of a fight and claiming to be a superstar, the academy takes the credit from the people and various academies responsible for giving these players their football basics, technical ability and style of play.

Finally the player makes the newspaper headlines as making it professionally because of the Arsenal F.C. youth structure and set up.

ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.

To have a peak at the top SEVEN available FREE TRANSFERS this summer, click here.