Arsenal B Team

[Bunting14]

Just read the proposals to introduce 10 B teams into the pyramid. I assume we would be offered a place due to our 'exceptional' youth development over the past 10 years. Perhaps Wenger might fancy the job when he retires.

[SPUDMASHER]

Who would then play in our first team? Half of our performances this year have been like a reserve team anyway!

[clockender1]

wenger is not fit to coach a B team.

[greengooner]

wenger is not fit to coach a B team.

Now ours is a coach that desperately needs parking!

[MK Gould]

Stupid idea and so unfair on the other teams in the pyramid. Maybe this works in some countries, but not here when even Conference sides get gates between 2000-8000...

[Gooner_Sam]

Mark Randall and Jay Simpson would get a run out.

[Henry Norris 1913]

frimpong can clean the boots

[QuartzGooner]

Good idea, which is done abroad anyway.
Gets more of our teenagers more competitive football, some of them are on loan to lower division clubs anyway.
Might mean a few of our fans go to lower league games too, increases interest in lower leagues.
Plus the lower league clubs will be getting more cash from players that they do loan from us.

[skizz_b]

Don't agree this is a good idea.

Martin Samuel made a good point that there are wage restrictions in place in Leagues 1 and 2 regarding how much of their income can be spent on wages, and within a couple of years they could be facing off against premier league-standard players in B teams with no such restrictions. It would be ridiculously uncompetitive and would do nothing to develop the players of the PL clubs and the lower league sides.

If they want player development they need to have directives to the top flight clubs and tighten up on work permit restrictions for youngsters. the DFB for example in 2000 told all the bundesliga teams to build 5-star training facilities for youth development as an order - the youth dev programme came from up top and look at how they are flourishing now.

IMO B teams have done little to support development of domestic players in spain they are used to stockpile players who aren't good enough for the first team which somewhat defeats the purpose. sides like city would buy tons of players, send them to the B team then all of a sudden you'd have joleon lescotts and john guidettis playing against the likes of barnet and macclesfield week in week out. who does that help?

[northbank123]

Generally agree with Skizz - clubs already stockpile players here and that would just encourage it. Chelsea currently have 28 players on loan, the vast majority of whom have a completely negligible chance of ever breaking into the first team. The vast majority of these players aren't English - who benefits from having them caning lower league sides?

The very first thing the FA should be looking at with any form of league structural organisation should be the loan system imo. Its a joke.

[TeeCee]

A....B....C....... you'd find it hard to tell the difference between the Arsenal teams to be honest!

[mcdowell42]

I havent read the report on this plan for b teams,ive just read a few bits here and there on the internet,but my impression is tht this plan is basically to try and improve english talent and players for the england international team,which the PL have no interest in.i also reckon not alot of guys on here and other football forums give a fuck about the english team,bar mainly supporters of lower league teams.

As an irish man following arsenal i know i dont give a fuck about the english national team or international football for tht matter(albeit i will watch the world cup but only so that arsenal might be linked with players at the WC and wenger will spend big )

[Bradywasking]

Would be against the idea completely. Think it is an insult to the lower tier clubs, that idea of parachuting teams into their leagues is nonsense. When reserve football was abandoned the under 21 league was introduced to develop talent, big success that was. . Maybe a reserve division for Premier league clubs is the way forward.
Imagine if Arsenal "B" team were going into a final day in League Two with a big chance of winning the title and Arsenal "A" had already secured the VT . Could first team players drop down to play for the B team. ?
I am totally against the loan system in its present format, I do not think Premier League clubs should be able to borrow players from another Premier League club. I think it distorts the league, Everton are in a false position in my opinion, not because of what they have done on the pitch but because of the fact they have players on loan. It is the opposite of a breach of FFP rules. Of course the system only exists because the bigger clubs have overloaded their squads.

[GranadaJoe]

I think the idea has some good points, but overall I don't think it's the best solution for England.

The EU freedom of movement rules mean that there is nothing to stop teams playing 11 Italians, but the PL should at least put a limit on non-EU players. At the moment the only test is 'quality'. If we had enough money we could buy the Brazilian World Cup squad. I think teams should only be allowed to have 2 non-EU players in the match day squad and 3 in the full 25 man squad. City, the probable champions, have about a dozen.

For me it's partly about the national team, but mainly about the character of our teams. I don't want to ignite a racism debate, but as a Londoner and a Gooner, I'd like to feel some affinity to 'my' team and to see young British and Irish players coming through the youth team who are loyal to the club.

The 'Robinho' players who don't even seem to know who've they've signed for are an embarrassment to our game.

[Theoperator]

Theres me thinking that Auxerre was our B team already isnt it