Youth

[Baldemort]

PSG is not nowhere, nor is Barcelona. If you want a player from nowhere how about Arbeloa?
How many players have Arsenal they brought through in the time Rafa has been with us?
Why is El Zhar not comparable to Evans or Da Silva (either one).

Why do you keep referring the time Rafa has been with us? It's been years now so we should be able to expect a few decent players. Wenger has produced decent youth as the whole world knows. Even the ones that can't quite make it through to the first team manage to play well enough to get to Cardiff. I seem to remember his kids playing rather well against us at Anfield...

El Zhar doesn't get full games in the Prem. He maybe a decent player, but either he's not good enough yet, or Rafa doesn't like risking him. Either way, it won't attract new young top players.

Nico was bought for £500,000 and was barely getting a kick at PSG. There's no wriggling out of the fact that the purchase of Anelka was a masterstroke. As was Cesc. Bendtner is a debatable one. He seems to get the odd start, but he's never really impressed me. But at least he does get played, which sends out a strong signal to the other top young players out there. They get a chance to play at Arsenal.

Arsenal also brought through a certain Jermaine Pennant who still is technically our player.

Arbeloa was a fantastic buy, but he's 26 now so was hardly a young player when we bought him.

Basically, we have Insua. Who I think is a great little player and will only get better. I just want to see more of these purchases. Maybe a Walcott instead of a Babel.


Some interesting points have been made above with regards to the academies and the fact that Rafa has not had full control over them. Maybe he should have that and we will see a few top youth players coming through or bought from Spain and nurtured over here ala Cesc.

[MrMichael]

I guess N'gog could be counted now. Rafa's certainly prepared to show some faith in him.

Thing is Baldemort, I reckon people like Matt refer to the time Rafa's been here because it really can take quite a while for changes and purchases made at that level to bear real fruit. How long into his scum career was it when fergie's "you'll never win it with kids" generation came through? Almost a decade I reckon. Wenger's a bit of a freak example, and the Anelka thing exaggerates his early record. I found this analysis of Wenger's purchases, the first 5 years make interesting reading..... spot the successful youth purchases apart from Anelka! http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...ger-the-wizard

When Insua's been at the club as long as Clichy has there we'll see how well he's done, and although injuries have set Bruna back a bit, that lad has some serious potential too. Pacheco and Nemeth both have real chances too of breaking through in the next couple of seasons, and others after that. If they do, and Rafa remains at the club, perhaps the right time to judge really will be in another 5 years, not now. A lot of Rafa's early youth acquisitions have not been amazing so far, but still I can see why some people think its too early really to tell if the things he has done with our youth setup and players in recent years will bear fruit.

[Le Chef]

Nemeth got a broken cheekbone in his first appearance

[Baldemort]

Although Ngog hasn't set the world alight, it's good that he's getting a chance under Rafa and sends out the right signals.

We could argue about that link all day as there are plenty of transfers Wenger has made that have been bargains. Vieira, Henry etc, but it's more the young and upcoming players that interest me in this thread. Rafa has bought a lot of young players in. How many have made it apart from Insua?

I'm starting to sound like a closet Arsenal fan here, which i'm not, but I simply want and expect more. I want so much from our club it hurts. And I sometimes feel that although it's great to be supportive, it can be just as important to push for the best.

[MrMichael]

Although Ngog hasn't set the world alight, it's good that he's getting a chance under Rafa and sends out the right signals.

We could argue about that link all day as there are plenty of transfers Wenger has made that have been bargains. Vieira, Henry etc, but it's more the young and upcoming players that interest me in this thread. Rafa has bought a lot of young players in. How many have made it apart from Insua?

I'm starting to sound like a closet Arsenal fan here, which i'm not, but I simply want and expect more. I want so much from our club it hurts. And I sometimes feel that although it's great to be supportive, it can be just as important to push for the best.

Yeah, I know, I posted that link to have a look at the young & upcoming players he signed in that period. With the exception of Anelka and Viera (2 massive exceptions no doubt) the rest are all the likes of Lee Canoville, David Grond, Eric Chukwunyelu Obinna, Niccolo Galli etc. Or players like Upson and Pennant who went on to have good careers but not with Arsenal.

Really, it took Wenger as long as it did Fergie to actually be able to say he's brought through a "generation" of youth players rather than just having made one or two exceptional buys. We haven't really had that one young player with Rafa who has turned into a real star, and that would be great to see, but I do think he's put enough in place to give us a good chance of that happening soon.

[Vermilion]

Whatever the merits of Fergies youth policy, it still took 7yrs, and with a lot less competition for the title than today.

We didn't exactly help ourselves during this period either.

[Baldemort]

Yeah, I know, I posted that link to have a look at the young & upcoming players he signed in that period. With the exception of Anelka and Viera (2 massive exceptions no doubt) the rest are all the likes of Lee Canoville, David Grond, Eric Chukwunyelu Obinna, Niccolo Galli etc. Or players like Upson and Pennant who went on to have good careers but not with Arsenal.

Really, it took Wenger as long as it did Fergie to actually be able to say he's brought through a "generation" of youth players rather than just having made one or two exceptional buys. We haven't really had that one young player with Rafa who has turned into a real star, and that would be great to see, but I do think he's put enough in place to give us a good chance of that happening soon.

We shall see my friend. I hope it happens soon.