In football, the line between success and failure is littered with ‘ifs, ‘buts’ and ‘maybes’. However, what is now crystal clear is that Arsenal‘s youth set up has definitely failed.
We assume every season that Arsene Wenger will let loose another batch of the next best things onto the League Cup, and every season we throw the usual clichés around about the next Pélé. The fact is that every season it is another eleven players from all corners of the globe we are talking about and suddenly we forget about the previous season’s Carling Cup entertainers. The false pretence in the media among fans and the world of football that Arsenal are only second to Barcelona when it comes to the best youth set-ups is, quite frankly, laughable- especially when you compare it to arch rivals Manchester United.
Sir Alex Ferguson, on a yearly basis, jettisons a boat full of young players that are deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford. These players then surface to do the job for other top football clubs.
Phillip Bardsley, Fraizer Campbell, Kieran Richardson and John O’Shea all ply their trade with some distinction at Sunderland. Guiseppe Rossi is one of the most sought after strikers in this transfer window after years of consistently dominating the scoring charts for Villareal; another former United youngster excelling in La Liga is Gerard Pique, three times winner of the Champions League at only 24 years of age. Consider this host of names, then think about the ones I have not yet mentioned, having barely scratched the surface of United academy graduates enjoying fruitful careers around the globe. The likes of Jonathan Greening, Danny Higginbotham, Robbie Savage, Sylvain Ebanks-Blake and Ryan Shawcross, and that’s just counting the players who failed to make the grade at United. What about our beloved David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes; the list seems never ending.
With Arsenal, the standout names are David Bentley, Ashley Cole and Steve Sidwell; I suppose you can also consider Fabrice Muamba and Jermaine Pennant, who is finally starting to show his worth. Nonetheless, could not Spurs, West Ham, Chelsea and even Fulham boast half a dozen decent youth players? The lavish praise that the Gooner’s youth set-up receives is not warranted when one considers the number of players who have excelled in life after the Emirates. Yet outside that iconic picture of Butt, Scholes, Beckham, Giggs and Neville as trainees, the Old Trafford youth system doesn’t earn as much credit as it quite deserves.
United’s loan deals speak volumes, with Danny Welbeck a huge success at Sunderland and Federico Macheda deemed accomplished enough for a loan move to Serie A outfit Sampdoria. While in North London, Arsenal loaned out Henri Lansbury and Aaron Ramsey to Championship sides Norwich City and Nottingham Forest respectively, and Kyle Bartley to Rangers.
It would be foolish to continue without a mention of Jack Wilshere, one shining example of a player who has thrived under the Wenger way and come out the other side triumphant. Wilshere began his training as a nine year old and is now on the verge of something special, but one shining star doesn’t allow you to forget the Sanchez Watt’s, the Quincy Owusu-Abeyie’s and the Justin (or even Gavin) Hoyte’s of the footballing world; the success of players after their respective spells at Arsenal and Manchester United speaks for itself.
You credit Fergie for Pique who was at UTD for two years tops, and play down Cesc’s development citing the Barca academy as the true source.
Pique and Cesc played in the same team at Barca and Cesc has been at Arsenal eight years. Cesc was made at Arsenal and Pique at Barca not Utd.
The next generation of Utd kids is Wellbeck and Gibson alone, Arsenal develope their players well enough to want to keep them.
This is just one example of pathetic biased view point you wrote this article from.
spot. on.
With the amount of money invest in players yet can almost generate net profit from trade market and maintain strong (even not no 1), who can tell Arsenal’s youth project is failed. If not because the success of youth project, with the amount of money invested in player, the team may be already down to lower bottom.
If Arsenal only polished the rough 16 year old diamond Fabregas how did Fergerson not simply do the same to Pique and Rossi or is there something that i am missing here.
You are quite clearly a Man U fan, state it at the start of the article so we can all read it with some perspective.
spot. on..
What a stupid article. So you mention frazier campbell and johnathon greening and a few others yet try and disgard fabrice muamba and bentley……how are they better? Well thats the last time i visit this website!
spot. on…
oh sorry not to mention pennant. spose you forgot seb larsson who is also at your forementioned sunderland, upson. I feel stupid for reacting to such an arguement twice! My bad
absloute manc garbage. regardless of some players, arsenal have just produced a player in jack wilshere who will become better than anything produced in this country for years. he is that good
niw this is REALLY spot. on.
“….However, what is now crystal clear is that Arsenal‘s youth set up has definitely failed.”
Would you care to list another academy, that has nurtured more talent in England in the last 5 years that can match this list in terms of player values (Talent value, not inflated prices we all know Henderson is not worth more than 3mil or Carroll 6mil) :
Wilshere
Ramsey
Gibbs
Eastmond
Szcz?sny
Lansbury
Frimpong
The list goes on….
What??? keep your day job homie, you are truly rubbish that’s if you are not a former NOTW reporter!!
Ok to be honest i am a arsenal fan but i was hoping to read this article to find someone who truly understands how wenger relies too much on the youths who lack in experience and end up bottling it in the clutches of glory. HOWEVER a biased stupid man u fan is what i get. Laughable that arsenal is second to barca? We did beat them in england, did man u do that? And arsenal has the best passing game in the premier league – that is not a biased fact, because of it we are considered weak (which is true to an extent). Our youths have been brilliant and they got us a chance to 4 trophies. Their fault was experience you dope.