Arsenal Do Nothing For Eng-er-lund?

[dvbrisgooner1]

The Arsenal bashers keep telling us that we do nothing for the England team or English football.

Take a look through team line-ups throughout the Premier League and lower divisions and see how many ex-Arsenal youth players are there.

In terms of England, here is a great fact to fuck over all those tossers from Manure and Spuds:

Players in the current England squad from Tottenham Youth Academy: 0
Players in the current England squad from Man Utd Youth Academy: 0
Players in the current England squad from Arsenal Youth Academy: 2
(Ashley Cole and David Bentley - I know Cole is out injured but you see where I'm coming from).

The fact is that Arsenal's productive youth system is benefitting English football clubs throughout the league structure, and is currently contributing more to the England team than those who would choose to criticise us.

[TheOne2Smooth]

you also forgot where England train! at our London cloney complex the pikeys

[T.S]

Who are the pikeys?

[TheOne2Smooth]

England for not having there own training ground, what happened to Bishops Abbey anyway?

[T.S]

No idea mate.

[JakeN13]

Gary Lewin

[T.S]

http://www.onlinegooner.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=2206

[delgooner]

Excellent piece, TS

You should send your article to the Mail and dare them to print it, then they can shove it down *word censored* gerrard's gob. He should be thankful for foreigners - his owners (2 yanks) his manager (Spanish) and most of his team - wonder what they think of him mouthing off about Johnny Foreigner? They probably cant understand a word the scouse squeaky *word censored* says

[Its Up 4 Grabs Now]

Take Steve Sidwell as a case in point (being that Bentley aside, he’s about as close as any English player released by Wenger has ever come to proving him even remotely close to being wrong for doing so).

When Sidwell was released by Wenger it wasn’t due to a lack of belief on his part that Sidwell would make it, but we had Cesc coming through and so his opportunities to play were limited. By all accounts Arsene even said to Sidwell that he wouldn’t be surprised if in a few years time he was buying him back for Arsenal.

Let’s not forget we released Sidwell on a free, when other managers/clubs would have either tried to recoup the money invested in his development or just hoarded him to avoid any other club benefitting from his abilities.

Off Sidwell went to Reading, got the first team football he needed and developed into a decent player, one of the main reasons Reading achieved what they did last year. By the end of last season he was out of contract and Chelsea spot an opportunity to get a decent player for free as a backup squad player - specifically for the 4-6 weeks in January when they will lose 2 of their first choice (foreign) midfielders to the ANC. Now I don’t blame Chavski for this because a) they did nothing wrong to be honest and b) Sidwell himself ultimately made the choice to go there ahead of other teams where he would have played week in week out.*

(* Which is another point… a foreign player who opted to join a team paying a higher wage where he would in all likelihood get less games rather than the lower paying club who offered first team football would be called a mercenary by the press).

But can these “journalistsâ€

[26may1989]

Correct me if I'm wrong dvbrisgooner1, but I reckon the current England squad did their youth time as follows:

Carson - Leeds
Robinson - Leeds
James - Watford

Bridge - Southampton
Campbell - Spurs
Lescott - Wolves
Richards - Oldham
Brown - Man U
A Cole - Arsenal
Neville - Man U
Shorey - Orient

Barry - Brighton/Villa
Bentley - Arsenal
Downing - Middlesbrough
Hargreaves - Bayern Munich
Wright-Phillips - Forest/Man City
Beckham - Man U
J Cole - West Ham
Gerrard - Liverpool
Lampard - West Ham
Young - Watford

Crouch - Spurs
Owen - Liverpool
Defoe - West Ham/Charlton
Smith - Leeds

Meaning Man U (like Leeds and West Ham) have three players who were in their youth ranks and Spurs (like us, Watford and Liverpool) have two.

But NONE from Chelsea.

[Galasso]

Although Campbell spent much of his younger development years at Lilleshall, so we will mark sp**s down to 1!

[26may1989]

Although Campbell spent much of his younger development years at Lilleshall, so we will mark sp**s down to 1!

I think Defoe did too.

[REB]

ledly king

[Justin-the-Gooner]

We are making some great English talent and just because they are not in the first team does not mean they did not learn their trade with Arsenal. Gibbs and Randell are great prospects. Theo Walcott, we do have English talent.

Take David Bentley, Steve Sidwell and James Harper. Arsenal, Arsenal and Arsenal. Just because they did not make the first team does not mean that we are not making huge steps in helping English football.

People also say Chelski are helping English football. What they are doing believe it or not people is making it worse. All they though is sign the best English talent and plank there asses on a bench. Take SwP, Scott Parker, Glen Johnson and Wayne Bridge. All great English talent. But what are they doing? Playing in the reserves besides Parker and Johnson who have found a route out and SwP is getting in the team but you can see what I am saying.

At least we be honest if they are not going to play we be honest and tell them find another club.


Fact Arsenal:
Main Squad: Ashley Cole, David Bentley
Under 21s: Theo Walcott*, Fabrice Muamba
Under 19s: Kieran Gibbs
Under 18s: Rhys Murphy, Jay Thomas, Gavin Hoyte
Under 17s: Kyle Bartley, Thomas Cruise, Jack Wilshere
Under 16s: Chuks Aneke, Oliver Nicholas, Emmanuel Frimpong
Total: 14



Chelsea:
Main Squad: John Terry,
Under 21s: NONE
Under 19s: Ryan Bertrand, Sam Hutchinson, Scott Sinclair, Lee Sawyer, Jack Cork
Under 18s: Seth Nana Ofori-Twumasi, Michael Woods
Under 17s: Ben Gordon
Under 16s: Billy Knott
Total: 10

[26may1989]

Matthew Connolly has also just been called up to the England U-21s, so that makes 15.