Arsenal v Marseille tonight. Football starts to reform as Next Gen launches « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News, supporting the club, the players and the manager
By Tony Attwood
One of the problems we face with our younger players is that for every one who comes through the system and plays for the first team there are a dozen or more who get to the reserves or go out on loan, and then are deemed not good enough.
Because of that we hear about the players who didn’t make it (Lansbury is the latest example, Kyle Bartley just before him) more than the ones who do.
It is an interesting fact which sits in the background as we come to the changes being introduced by the Premier League and the FA.
On the one hand there is the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP), which aims to increase the number of Premier League players qualified to play for England. At the moment it is 39% – the idea is that it should somehow be raised to 50%.
Elsewhere there is the new under 21 league and the NextGen competition for under 19s, both of which Arsenal are participating in.
The Under 21 league has started well with Arsenal winning both games thus far (against Bolton and Blackburn). NextGen starts tonight.
The under 21 league is seen as a partial alternative to loaning players out, especially as we can put out an over-21 goalkeeper and three over-age outfield players.
Just to give a clue as to what the club is doing in the under 21 league, here’s the team we put out last time around
- James Shea
- Martin Angha
- Jernade Meade
- Ignasi Miquel
- Daniel Boateng
- Craig Eastmond
- Conor Henderson
- Thomas Eisfeld
- Chuks Aneke
- Sanchez Watt
- Chuba Akpom
Meanwhile back with NextGen (an under 19s equivalent of the Champions League) kicks off tonight at Barnet’s ground against Marseille.
Arsène Wenger has said he will watch all the under 19 games not just to see the Arsenal players but also to see what players other teams have picked up.
But of course loaning still goes on. At the moment we have Ryo, Benik Afobe, Daniel Boateng, Denilson, Joel Campbell, Wellington and Samuel Gallindon – all out on loan. And the chances are more will follow.