Sorry if this turns into a rant

[dww]

fair enough but isn't that what rafa does with the reserves? hobbs for example played one season as a holding midfielder to improve his positional sense, ball control and passing (at least that's what we were told).
if rafa bought flamini and played him pretty much everywhere across the pitch the lot on the forums would be bitching and moaning and don't you think?
i agree with you though , flamini looked best at left back.

I honestly don't know enough about the reserves or below, and to a degree the problem has been that Rafa hasn't been here long enough for us to judge how he integrates young players into the team in general. I hope you are right and it is what the new academy coach (Piet Hamburg maybe or I might be making up names at random) seemed to suggest would be the future in the interview.

[fred_plasticine]

I honestly don't know enough about the reserves or below, and to a degree the problem has been that Rafa hasn't been here long enough for us to judge how he integrates young players into the team in general. I hope you are right and it is what the new academy coach (Piet Hamburg maybe or I might be making up names at random) seemed to suggest would be the future in the interview.

i agree mate, it's too early to judge rafa's impact on the reserves and the academy but the early signs are promising imho.

[red g]

Cant be arsed taking out all the numbers.....but this is Wengers squad 3 years after taking control. Interestingly the man who was responsible Mr Henry himself was signed after wengers 3rd year, i wonder if torres can have the same effect for us........

For all Wengers praise the majority of his players and youngsters have been signed in the last few years and not immediately into his tenure



24. John Lukic Free 11.12.60 144* 0
13. Alex Manninger 500,000 04.06.77 AUT 13 0
01. David Seaman 1,300,000 19.09.63 232 0
31. Stuart Taylor Trainee 28.11.80 0 0

Defenders
06. Tony Adams Apprentice 10.10.66 196 11
29. Ashley Cole Trainee 20.12.80 0 0
02. Lee Dixon 400,000 17.03.64 235 5
18. Gilles Grimandi 2,000,000 11.11.70 FRA 30 1
05. Martin Keown 2,000,000 24.07.66 212# 3
22. Oleg Luzhny 2,500,000 05.08.68 UKR 0 0
16. Silvinho 4,000,000 12.04.74 BRA 0 0
20. Matthew Upson 2,000,000 18.04.79 10 0
07. Nelson Vivas 2,000,000 18.10.69 23 0
03. Nigel Winterburn 407,000 11.12.63 242 4

Midfielders
33. Greg Lincoln Trainee 23.03.80 0 0
08. Fredrik Ljungberg 3,000,000 16.04.77 SWE 16 1
19. Stefan Malz 650,000 15.06.72 GER 0 0
23. Alberto Mendez 200,000 24.10.74 SPA 3 0
15. Ray Parlour Trainee 07.03.73 199 16
17. Emmanuel Petit 3,500,000 22.09.70 FRA 59 6
30. Paolo Vernazza Trainee 01.11.79 1 0
04. Patrick Vieira 3,500,000 23.06.76 FRA 98 7

Forwards
10. Dennis Bergkamp 7,500,000 18.05.69 NETH 119 51
14. Thierry Henry 9,000,000 17.08.77 FRA 0 0
21. Luis Boa Morte 1,750,000 04.08.78 POR 23 0
25. Nwanwko Kanu 3,000,000 01.07.76 NIG 12 6
11. Marc Overmars 4,500,000 29.03.73 NETH 69 18
32. Omer Riza Trainee 08.11.79 0 0
09. Davor Suker 1,300,000 01.01.68 CRO 0 0
12. Christopher Wreh 300,000 14.05.75 LIB 28 3

[red g]

also from that season review......

Jermaine Pennant has been given a chance in some of Arsenal's preseason games and seems destined for big things. He is however still only 16 and is likely to be held back for a while yet, so I'm going for:

[dww]

But a number of them were in the sense that I believe Wenger helped set up the link between Mimosas and Beveren (in Belgium - Arsenal feeder team) and has as such basically been involved in the careers of players like Toure and Eboue since around 2000.

[\side note] I remember when Omer Riza played for Cambridge - top notch lower division striker now playing in Turkey [side note]

[red g]

But a number of them were in the sense that I believe Wenger helped set up the link between Mimosas and Beveren (in Belgium - Arsenal feeder team) and has as such basically been involved in the careers of players like Toure and Eboue since around 2000.

[\side note] I remember when Omer Riza played for Cambridge - top notch lower division striker now playing in Turkey [side note]

fair point

[einar]

but you couldnt have seen vornonin, kuyt or crouch play at 16-19.

No, but I will not assume that they where technically better at 16-19 then they are now.

One can see this in the way the players are on the ball.
The youngsters we have now look very comfortable on the ball and seem to be able to be concentrating on what to do next while the get the ball under control.

It is simular to what we saw in Garcia.

[einar]

Until this season Flamini looked best at left back (and to be honest I would have taken him in that position). He has really come on in his original position this year.

I think though that Arsene's philosophy is that players should be good enough at the basic techniques of passing, controlling etc. at first and then find a position later is a very good one. It would be the model I would like to see us move to for more of our young players.

From comparing the youth team that won the cup last time to what I have been seeing now from our u18 team, our new players are far better "at the basic techniques of passing, controlling etc."

[Parm]

No, but I will not assume that they where technically better at 16-19 then they are now.

One can see this in the way the players are on the ball.
The youngsters we have now look very comfortable on the ball and seem to be able to be concentrating on what to do next while the get the ball under control.

It is simular to what we saw in Garcia.

well I still dont agree with you on how good/bad crouch etc were at 16
but I do agree that it is good to see that our kids are concentrating on developing touch and control, far too much focus is given on results rahter than basic ball control in this country, esp at youth level.

[einar]

well I still dont agree with you on how good/bad crouch etc were at 16
but I do agree that it is good to see that our kids are concentrating on developing touch and control, far too much focus is given on results rahter than basic ball control in this country, esp at youth level.

I would probably agree that Crouch has good enough technique. He just really suffers from being so tall. It makes him very slow in every way.

You should really check out the interview with Piet Hamberg who is the new technical director at the academy. It is on youtube and everyone on here should check it out.

[pezzzer]

because Arsenal know how to bargain and get a good deal.

sorry parm but wiltord for 13 mil? the fox in the box for 9 mil? when wenger spends big he ****s up.