Re: Reserves / Youth Thread

[Mario]

Wellington
Alcoyano 3-3 Cordoba
Friday, May 4
Wellington played the whole of Alcoyano's 3-3 draw with Cordoba on Friday, opening the scoring for his relegation-threatened side in the 20th minute. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTSK2LHt8lM

Damian Martinez
Port Vale 2-0 Oxford
Saturday, May 5
Damian Martinez endured a difficult debut for Oxford as his new side lost 3-0 to Port Vale and saw their slender hopes of the play-offs end.

Nicklas Bendtner
Fulham 2-1 Sunderland
Sunday, May 6
Nicklas Bendtner played half an hour as a second-half substitute in Sunderland's 2-1 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday.

Pedro Botelho
Mallorca 1-0 Levante
Saturday, May 5
Pedro Botelho played the whole of Levante's 1-0 defeat at Mallorca on Saturday. Victory in their final game of the season would secure a first-round spot in next season's Europa League.

Carlos Vela
Osasuna 1-0 Real Sociedad
Saturday, May 5
Carlos Vela played the full 90 minutes of Real Sociedad's 1-0 defeat to Europa League-hunting Osasuna on Saturday.


Andrey Arshavin
Zenit 2-3 Spartak Moscow
Sunday, May 6
Andrey Arshavin played 61 minutes of Zenit St. Petersburg's 3-2 defeat to Spartak Moscow on Sunday before being replaced in the second half.

Joel Campbell
Lorient v Dijon
Monday, May 7
Joel Campbell's Lorient face Dijon in their penultimate Ligue 1 match of the season on Monday evening.

Henri Lansbury
West Ham v Cardiff
Monday, May 7
Henri Lansbury's West Ham face Cardiff in their play-off semi-final second leg at Upton Park on Monday.

Ryo
Bolton 2-2 West Brom
Sunday, May 6
Ryo was an unused substitute in Bolton's 2-2 draw against West Brom at the Reebok Stadium on Sunday.

Denilson
Ponte Preta 1-0 Sao Paulo
Thursday, April 3
Denilson played the full 90 minutes of Sao Paulo's disappointing 1-0 Copa do Brasil defeat at the hands of Ponte Preta on Thursday.

Kyle Bartley
Rangers 0-0 Motherwell
Saturday, May 5
Kyle Bartley played the full 90 minutes of Rangers' goalless draw against Motherwell at Ibrox on Saturday.

Craig Eastmond
Sheff Weds 2-0 Wycombe
Saturday, May 5
Craig Eastmond played the whole of Wycombe's 2-0 defeat at the hands of promoted Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on Saturday.

Chuks Aneke
Bournemouth 1-0 Preston
Saturday, May 5
Chuks Aneke did not feature in Preston's 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Dean Court on Saturday.

Sanchez Watt
Accrington 0-1 Crawley
Saturday, May 5
Sanchez Watt was an unused substitute as Crawley sealed promotion to League One with a 1-0 win over Accrington Stanley on Saturday.

Sead Hajrovic
Burton Albion 1-2 Barnet
Saturday, May 5
Sead Hajrovic did not feature in Barnet's vital 2-1 win over Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium on Saturday. Victory saw the Bees avoid relegation to the Conference.

Samuel Galindo
Recreativo Huelva 2-2 Gimnastic Tarragona
Sunday, May 6
Samuel Galindo did not feature in Gimnastic de Tarragona's 2-2 draw against Recreativo Huelva on Sunday.

Rhys Murphy
Bournemouth 1-0 Preston
Saturday, May 5
Rhys Murphy did not feature in Preston's 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Dean Court on Saturday.

[kdunn]

Any one who says they want lansbury over ramsey is an idiot. Also am I the only one who is starting to get just a little excited about wellington silva?

[Jonathan Prendergast]

Joel Campbell played 83 minutes in the 0-0 draw with Dijon FC.

2 games to go, 4 points clear of relegation, but poor goal difference. Hopefully they stay up so Campbell can continue his development there.

[Zaid Derweesh]

I truly have no idea about Wellington. There was a lot of hype - but it's quietened. Can he get a permit?

[Mike York]

Return Of The Loanees – Kyle Bartley

In May 2009, Arsenal won the FA Youth Cup beating Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield (6-2 on aggregate). The success of the Under-18s that season and the manner of their victories en route to lifting the cup signalled the emergence of a crop of young players with huge potential. The future was bright.

Three years on, it is interesting to take stock of how those youngsters have developed.

Many have been unable to maintain progression up the ranks – Thomas Cruise, Luke Ayling, Cedric Evina and Charlie Mann have all been released and are no longer at the club, while Gilles Sunu was sold to Lorient last summer. Perhaps the most high-profile exit was that of Jay-Emmanuel Thomas or JET as he’s commonly known, a player many Arsenal fans including yours truly, had high hopes for.

Then there are those who have stepped up. Jack Wilshere is the most prominent and Francis Coquelin is quickly establishing himself as a regular this season. But for that cruciate ligament injury in the summer of 2010, Emmanuel Frimpong would surely have featured more prominently – although I am recently beginning to question the young Ghanian’s attitude following his un-Dench antics on Twitter.

Oghuzan Ozyakup is another on the periphery of the first team, a player highly rated by no less than Robin van Persie. Conor Henderson has just returned from long-term injury and is now playing in the reserves.

And then there are the youngsters who’ve been loaned out to get regular football and prove their worth. Based on performances for their loan sides this season, you have to think that players like Craig Eastmond, Rhys Murphy, Sanchez Watt and even James Shea are unlikely to have a future at Arsenal. Last week we looked at Henri Lansbury, another player from that Youth Cup team whose Arsenal future hangs in the balance.

Alongside Lansbury, Kyle Bartley is probably the most prominent loanee from that U-18 team. After serving a spell at Glasgow Rangers in the 2010/11 season, the central defender returned to the Scottish champions for another loan spell last summer – but not before appearing as a sub against the New York Red Bulls in the Emirates Cup and scoring an unfortunate own goal to hand the cup to Thierry Henry’s American side.

At the time, Bartley spoke of his desire to play regular football. At Arsenal he would have been behind Vermaelen, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Djourou and Squillaci. Arsene Wenger agreed to let the Englishman go back to Rangers, but not before tying him down to a 3-year extension.

His season with the financially troubled Scottish side has been hampered by injuries. A hernia operation saw him miss out until November. Just as he was becoming a regular starter for Ally McCoist’s side, a groin injury in February sidelined him for yet another month. Since the end of March though, he has featured in every game for the Gers.

The 6’3″ defender prefers to play as a centre-back but is versatile enough to slot in at right-back or even as a defensive midfielder. He is strong and powerfully built and does not get shrugged off the ball easily. By all accounts, he has impressed with his assured performances for Rangers. Of course, he’s not the finished product yet but he’s quite close and has certainly proved capable of playing at the highest level in Scotland.

Will that be good enough in the Premier League? And what about his opportunities to break into Arsenal’s first team?

In an article I did on Jan Vertonghen a month ago, I had analysed our defensive requirements for next season. It’s obvious Sebastian Squillaci will not play a part for us in 2012/13 so one defender has to be drafted in. I felt Vertonghen is ideal because of his versatility, a quality Arsene Wenger admires in players.

Kyle Bartley is also capable of providing flexibility at the back. If Vertonghen were to join, and it’s not a done deal I know, it would provide back up in the left back position with Vermaelen and Vertonghen able to play there in case of injuries to Gibbs and Santos. If we keep John Djourou, we will have similar back up on the right-side with the Frenchman and Bartley able to cover for Sagna and Jenkinson.

Our central defense would then consist of a pool of 6 players – Vermaelen, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Vertonghen, Djourou and Bartley, with Ignasi Miquel most likely to be farmed out on loan. Of course, it would mean Kyle Bartley would be 5th or 6th choice – a prospect he was not keen on last summer.

On the other hand, Vertonghen may not arrive and Bartley could be brought in as cover while Miquel may continue to play for the Reserves and provide back up. There is also the possibility that Johan Djourou could be sold, although the Swiss defender has not done nothing wrong in the limited opportunities he’s had recently.

Whatever the scenario, I feel Kyle Bartley should be involved in the Arsenal team next season. The main obstacle to that will be the player’s own desire for regular game time. But if Arsene Wenger can promise the youngster a primary role in cup competitions, his inclusion in the squad would provide us the depth and solidity we need in defense in order to be serious contenders next season.

http://arsenaldepot.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/return-of-the-loanees-kyle-bartley/

[Mike York]

Thomas Eisfeld says German compatriot Per Mertesacker has been crucial in helping him to settle in England.

The teenage midfielder made a January transfer deadline day move from Borussia Dortmund, and has made three appearances for the Reserves, scoring once.

Eisfeld is pleased with the way he has adapted to English football, but admits that he is indebted to Mertesacker for his help during his first few months at the Club.

"I have settled down very easily because everyone here has been very nice," Eisfeld told Arsenal.com. "It was difficult at the start because I got an injury in my first game [at Swansea], but now everything is good.

"The football in England is quicker and more physical than in Germany. I have spoken to Per Mertesacker a lot, he has given me a lot of advice.

"He is a good guy. He has told me about life in London, and how to be on the pitch, he has been a big help."

Another German international, Lukas Podolski, has agreed to join the Club this summer and Eisfeld admits he can't wait for the 26-year-old's arrival.

"He is a very good player, so it is exciting," he said. "He is world class. I grew up watching him play in big tournaments, and he is great to watch."

http://www.arsenal.com/news/reserves-news/eisfeld-mertesacker-has-helped-me-settle?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+arsenal-news+%28News+Feed%29

[Mike York]

Kyle Bartley says he is determined to break into Arsene Wenger’s first team squad next season when he returns to the club following a second spell on loan with Rangers in Scotland.

Overcoming injury to make 19 appearances for the SPL side, Bartley stressed that he is returning to London a much stronger player despite the threat of Rangers going into liquidation leaving his loan spell in jeopardy for much of the last two months

Speaking to the Evening Times, the 20-year-old paid homage to the efforts of Ally McCoist and the Glasgow side’s coaching staff during a turbulent period.

“It has been a really difficult time for everyone and I think the manager has done a remarkable job to make sure that everyone stayed upbeat and kept their minds on the job.

“Ally is a remarkable character. He’s always up and always keeping everyone on their toes and you can’t really begin to imagine the pressure that he has been under since the club went into administration.

“He has taught me so much and given me the chance to play. If he gets the chance next season to think only of the football then I think we’ll all see the best of him.

“There are not many young players who will go through what we have all been through as players this season at the club and I think I’ll be able to deal with anything in my career now.”

Eyeing participation in Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Nigeria and the Far-East, confirmed that he had not given up hope of featuring at the Emirates despite being a long way down the pecking order.

“I have loved my time here at Rangers. The fans have been brilliant with me and the club itself is massive.

“I want to go back and join pre-season now with Arsenal in July and fight for my place, but Rangers has definitely made me a far better player than the one who arrived here.

“I have learned so much from being able to play regular first-team football.

“I’ve made a lot of friends from my time at the club. I don’t know what will come next for a lot of them but I can only say that I have loved my time at Rangers.”

While Seb Squillaci’s departure seems inevitable, the chances of Bartley forcing his way into Arsene Wenger’s plans still seem slight. Indeed with Johan Djourou signing a new deal recently and the likes of Thomas Vermaelen, Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny all tied down to long term contracts and looking settled, it appears the best the England youth international can hope for is Carling Cup minutes alongside Ignasi Miquel. Perhaps another loan spell, this time in the Premier League, could be a more suitable option.

http://news.arseblog.com/2012/05/bartley-ready-to-fight-for-arsenal-chance/?utm_source=feedburner.com%2Farseblognews&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+arseblognews+%28Arseblog+News+-+the+one+stop+Arsenal+news+site%29

[Mario]

Skysports.com understands Arsenal are leading the chase for Birmingham City starlet Foday Nabay and hope to conclude a deal next week.

The teenager is regarded as one of the hottest prospects in the country having been called up by England Under-16s last summer as a 12-year-old.

Nabay, who is being labelled as the next Yaya Toure, is believed to have activated a clause in his contract that allows him to leave St Andrews with prospective clubs only needing to pay Blues for training compensation.
Competition

The Sierra Leone-born youngster has spent six seasons with the Midlands club, but could now be on the verge of a move to one of England's elite with fierce competition for his signature.

Arsenal are the favourites to land Nabay and it is obvious why the teenager would be interested in a move to the Gunners, who have helped the likes of Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to develop to win places in England's 23-man squad for this summer's European Championship.

The north Londoners are understood to have seen a bid rejected by Birmingham last month, however, Arsenal are set to make a fresh move next week with a view to thrashing out terms.


http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11670/7765769/Gunners-lead-starlet-chase

[Zaid Derweesh]

That's it then, we have RVP's replacement right here. A 13 year old who is the next Yaya Toure.

[Sami Rockfeller]

That's it then, we have RVP's replacement right here. A 13 year old who is the next Yaya Toure.

That's preposterous. He's obviously the replacement for Song since he's going to RM. Besides, we've already signed some 16 year old RVP's place.

[Mike York]

Joel Campbell admits his season-long loan spell at Lorient has been an eye-opening experience.

The young striker has featured 25 times for Christian Gourcuff’s side this season, scoring four goals along the way in his debut campaign in Ligue 1.

Campbell is set to join Arsenal for pre-season training in July and believes his time in France has been a hugely positive learning experience.

“It was tough for me because I wanted to play for Arsenal this season,” the 19-year-old striker told Arsenal Player. “But it’s a new experience for me and it’s a question of doing well, learning from European football and then coming back to Arsenal.

"Coming to Lorient has been really good for me. It’s a new experience for me to come and get a taste of French football, which is very competitive. I’ve learnt a lot here.

“I came here just before the fourth round of games in Ligue 1 and they gave me the best possible welcome. They helped me and got me settled down quickly in the team so I could help them and the side. Lorient play a very similar game to Arsenal and that’s helped me for what lies ahead.

“Football in France is very tactical, very tough and very physical. It’s been great for me, though. I’ve learnt a lot from the football here and I hope it helps me for my career.

"I’ve learnt a lot of things from being in a relegation battle: mental strength and the unity we need to have to avoid relegation. These are tough times and for a player like me who’s just starting out it’s a great experience.”

Campbell has already created ripples of excitement on the international stage too, first impressing for Costa Rica in their successful CONCACAF Under-20 Championship campaign last year before breaking into the senior side soon afterwards.

He has had to be patient for regular first-team opportunities this season with Lorient but the striker insists his loan spell will stand him in good stead for whatever lies ahead at Arsenal.

“I’m young and I’ve already played a lot of games here at Lorient,” he said. “I’ve scored goals, I’ve become the first Costa Rican to play in the French first division and the first Costa Rican to score in the French league.

“The philosophy here at Lorient is the same as Arsenal’s. The way they train, the way they play is all very similar to Arsenal. That makes it easier for Arsenal to send players to Lorient because they’re going to learn the same things that they learn there.

“Gilles Sunu told me that when you come on loan it’s difficult because you know you’re not going to play the whole season or the following season, which makes it very difficult to keep your place. We have to show everything we can to play the maximum number of games.”

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/-it-s-been-tactical-tough-and-physical-?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+arsenal-news+%28News+Feed%29

[Sami Rockfeller]

Another loan for him. Maybe to a PL team this time. Too bad Bolton got relegated.

[Jenks1981]

Only 4 goals all season? Hmmm...

[Mario]

Only 4 goals all season? Hmmm...

He only played 90 minutes on four occasions, though. And I think looking at the minutes he may have just made 12 starts. Can see the numbers here of the games he played: http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/players/player=250039158/profile/index.html

[Mario]

Players released -

Manuel Almunia
Gavin Hoyte
George Brislen-Hall
Sean McDermott
Rhys Murphy
Jeff Monakana
James Campbell.

[Mohamed Samir]

Players released -

Manuel Almunia
Gavin Hoyte
George Brislen-Hall
Sean McDermott
Rhys Murphy
Jeff Monakana
James Campbell.

[ralph avedikian]

Finally Almunia is off.

[Mike York]

Henri Lansbury: ‘He started superbly. We thought he was the answer to our prayers’ – The view from Upton Park

In the latest of my occasional series taking a look at the many players plying their trade on loan last season today I’ll be focussing on Henri Lansbury.

Lansbury’s an interesting one for me. On the few occasions where he’s been brought into the first team set up I’ve been impressed. He hasn’t set the world alight but you can see he has great touch, seems strong in the tackle and has that rare quality, a whole heap of fight and will to win.

He also seems to have a nose for goal. In the Carling Cup victory over Spurs a couple of years ago it was him who bust a gut making a run from midfield to get into their box and on the end of Jack Wilshere’s cross, one of my favourite Arsenal goals of recent years. After that game Arsene Wenger was raving about him:

Henri Lansbury is a type of player who I rate because of his qualities, but as well his mental strength, the timing of his runs. He gives you qualities that are very difficult to find in the modern game. He goes always behind [the defence] and he has the timing to get in the box and scores goals from midfield. He is showing that again the other night when you see the cross coming in, who is on the move? It’s Henri. I like his attitude, his spirit, his mental strength and of course his qualities. I rate him and I like him.
So it’s been a touch surprising that he’s been so reluctant to play him.

Henri had a decent loan spell at Norwich last season playing 23 times and coming close to picking up the Football League’s Young Player of the Year award so when it was announced that he’d be joining West Ham on a year long loan at the start of last season I was interested to see how he’d get on.

In an injury interrupted season Henri made 22 appearances for the Hammers but probably his most famous contribution came in their match against Blackpool when with Robert Green sent off and no keepers on the bench Henri did a David Platt and had a stint in goal keeping a clean sheet in the process.

I decided to speak to blogger, journalist and massive West Ham fan Iain Dale to find out more:


Overall, how do you feel Henri has done for West Ham this season?

He started off playing superbly. We all thought he was the answer to our prayers. He tackled well and seemed to have a real shot on him. Then he got injured and never seemed to be the same again. It’s not that he didn’t do OK, he just never seemed to rate more than a six out of ten. In the second half of the season he was never a player who was first choice. But he never let us down.


What are his strengths as a player?

He’s a good all rounder but possibly a little too similar to Jack Collison. He is very skilful and has a great shot on him, but too often he goes for the glory shot.


How about his weaknesses?

His weakness is his consistency and his lack of goals. A player like him should be scoring 6-10 goals a season at the very least.


How’s his temperament?

His temperament seems fine. I don’t recall any hotheaded incidents.


He’s been played in various positions across the midfield in his brief appearances for Arsenal. Where was he deployed for West Ham and what do you consider his natural position?

He generally played in a midfield of 5, in the centre alongside Noble and Nolan. He also played wide right on a few occasions. His trouble was that he never seemed to play more than two or three games in a row, either because he was injured or other players returned from injury.


Would you welcome him back to the club again?

Yes, I’d happily have him back. I think he is Premiership quality, but I wouldn’t pay more than £1.5 million to keep him.


Can you see him making it at Arsenal?

I’m not sure. I don’t think he is a player Wenger necessarily would ‘get’.


This summer promises to be a crucial one for Lansbury. At 21 he’s reaching the age where he needs to be playing regular first team games yet he’s become a bit of a forgotten man in terms of Arsenal’s midfield. With Arteta, Wilshere, Ramsey, Diaby (yeah, I know), Song, Rosicky, Coquelin and Frimpong all battling for places and the potential acquisition of the likes of M’Vila on the horizon you do wonder how much football he’d get to play for us. On the other hand he’s been a regular at all levels of the England youth set up and seems to have a genuine talent which Wenger has been vocal about in the past. You could certainly have seen him playing a role towards the end of last season when Arteta was out and the midfield was looking as leaky as an unstanched wench as Shakespeare would probably have had it.

Tough decisions ahead for M. Wenger but that’s why he’s paid the big bucks.

http://themarblehalls.com/2012/05/28/henri-lansbury-he-started-superbly-we-thought-he-was-the-answer-to-our-prayers-the-view-from-upton-park/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=henri-lansbury-he-started-superbly-we-thought-he-was-the-answer-to-our-prayers-the-view-from-upton-park

[Jenks1981]

It's not a tough decision, Lansbury will not make it here I think thats pretty clear now.

[Jonathan Prendergast]

I'd like Lansbury to be given more time with us, before saying he can't make it.

But when you see Frimpong go to Wolves, and become the best player there, maybe Lansbury should be meeting a higher standard by now.

[Zaid Derweesh]

On the one hand, we want Lansbury to be given a chance, on the other, a midfield of Rosicky - Arteta - Song isn't good enough. Where would Lansbury fit in? I wish he was good enough, but if he isn't, there is no time to wait. Sell him on with buy-back clauses and sell-on clauses and profit from him in that way.

[Jenks1981]

Frimpong, Coquelin, Chamberlain, Wilshire, Ramsey...we aren't short of young midfielders with limited experience at the top. No room at the inn im afraid.

[Jonathan Prendergast]

His best hope is to be a bit part player until 26, then become a Ray Parlour type player thereafter.

[Jenks1981]

If he became anything like Ray Parlour I completely retract my previous statements, every time needs a Ray Parlour.

[ahrstic]

Any news on Özyakup? tribalfootball released news day or two ago that hes close to signing with Besiktas.

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