Arsenal Academy

[GoonerMuzz]

Guys i've never been a big one for following the youth team and academy players but it seems to me we've had a real lack of players coming through to the first team for a long time now.

Did someone sell the academy to pay for more wigs for Stanley?

Seriously though do we have an issue with our academy as i genuinely can't remember the last player to come out of it who became a real success in the last 10 years or so?

[Red Snapper]

I think it's the same at most academies apart from Southampton but in the last ten years there's been Wilshere, Gibbs and Chesney off the top of my head. Chavs have about 30 players out on loan and won't promote their own kids.

[StuartL]

We seem to have made more effort to poach others clubs better young players - Cowley from Villa, Reine - Adelaide and Beileik paying not insignificant fees for etc.

We do have shit loads out on loan, like Zelalem at Rangers and Niles- Maitland at Ipswich but I have no idea how they are progressing.

[Nos89]

It seems that the main target of the academy is to prepare a young player for a career in professional football, not necessarily for a career at Arsenal. There are a number of players who have come through the academy who have subsequently gone on to have good careers in the lower leagues, in which case this makes the academy successful. It is not what Arsenal supporters want to hear as we want the next Adams, Keown, Rocastle and Cole to come through the academy. Wilshere is our most successful player to come through the academy but his injuries have thwarted his career, and despite being one of our own, he polarises the Arsenal supporters. Personally, I think he's a fantastic player, would love to see him fit and become captain of the side.

[Sean]

Only Cole and Wilshere in 20 years. That's a disgrace. Mainly tons of poached kids from other teams and other nations and only a handful of those made it. They all end up playing for Yeovil or Colchester or some pub league in the dregs of Europe. And to think we've given several of them a run out in the Be All and End All!

I know it's sacrilege to criticise Liam Brady (who was a legend as a player, which goes without saying), but what the fuck did he actually do when he was running things? Is this new bloke Andries Jonker any good?

All this bullshit about TOF being great with youth - Project Youth was a miserable fucking failure. It is an utter fallacy that anyone at Arsenal has a fucking clue about youth development. It doesn't help that TOF is still obsessed with not 'killing' some pubber from the youth team to the total detriment of the first team. This obsession with youth and 'internal solutions' along with excessive frugality have ruined him

I'd LOVE to have several local lads come through the youth team and get into the first team - as in the 80s and early 90s, but there is no chance of that happening with the cluelessness at every level of the club. Even our British Core are largely on the bench, off form or on loan

[Nos89]

Looking at our direct rivals in the Premier League, Chelski, Manure, city and Liverpool none of there academies have produced any good English youngsters in the last 10 years, which is scandalous. We've had Gibbs and Wilshere make it to the first team squad on a regular basis but I cant think of any of the above mentions clubs with 1 player that has made it though regularly in last 5 years.

[JMascis666]

I was looking through some of my old programmes the other day and noticed I had seen loads of our old youth players play in the Ryman Premier League (and below) in recent years!

Off the top of my head:
Nigel Nieta - Metropolitan Police
George Brislan Hall - Enfield Town
Jordan Fowler - Wingate & Finchley and Harlow Town
Wayne O'Sullivan - Wingate & Finchley
Jamie Edge - Weston Super Mare
Noel Imber - Enfield Town
Ashley Probets - VCD Athletic
Carlin Itonga - Kettering Town
Jame Shea - Harrow Borough
Joe O'Cearull - Haringey Borough
Craig Holloway - Margate
Jernade Meade - Hadley
Dean McDonald - Dulwich Hamlet
Danny Spaul - Ware
Paul Rodgers - Billericay Town
Rene Steer - St Neots