Arsenal’s 2010/11 squad – the new rules, the transfers, the list « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News. Supporting the Lord Wenger in all he does

Welcome to the Untold Intrepretation

By Tony Attwood

As the transfer guessing game starts (according to my diary tomorrow’s July 1), here’s where we are starting from – the squad for the new season.

This season for the first time the “25” year rule applies.  We’ve been through this in detail a number of times (see “The Players” section of Untold for all the details,) and this piece pulls together this, that, the other, and some more, into a remarkable coherent whole.

I do appreciate that there are different interpretations of the “25” rule – but we settled on our view earlier in the summer, and so this is now the Untold Interpretation…  A copy of it is provided at the end of this piece.

It is because there are so many stories and interpretations of the new rules floating around that I have thought it helpful to draw up our list of players reflecting the new rules – which makes it easier to see who we have got, and where we have got spaces under the “25″ rule.

First, the mainstream squad, over 21 years old as of 1 January 2010.  The maximum number of players allowed under the new rules is 25, of whom eight must be home grown (for a definition of home grown, see part six at the end of the article, but in general terms it means that the fertilizer used was bought at Asda).

1 Almunia 2 Fabianski 3 Mannone  (Home Grown Player No 1) 4 Sagna 5 Eboue 6 Vermaelen 7 Djourou  (Home Grown Player No 2) 8 Clichy  (Home Grown Player No 3) 9 Song  (Home Grown Player No 4) 10 Denilson  (Home Grown Player No 5) 11 Diaby 12 Fabregas  (Home Grown Player No 6) 13 Rosicky 14 Arshavin 15 Nasri 16 van Persie 17 Eduardo 18 Bendtner  (Home Grown Player No 7)

19  Chamakh

20. Laurent Koscielny (not officially signed, but any moment now)

Places 21-25 currently vacant for players over 21.  If all four places are filled one of these will have to be a home grown player.  If Campbell were to resign he would count as Home Grown.

Second, the under 21 year olds as of 1 January 2010. No limit on numbers who can be on this list.

1  Szczcesny 19 Home Grown 2  Gibbs 20 Home Grown 3  Traore 20 Home Grown 4  Eastmond 19 Home Grown 5  Ramsey 19 Home Grown 6  Wilshere 18 Home Grown 7  Walcott 20 Home Grown

8  Vela 20

Big point here is that in the coming years with these guys coming through, we are not going to have any of the problems other teams will, in keeping the home grown number at eight.

Third, the up and coming players who might just enter the fray this year…  Obviously, no limit on numbers as they are all under 21.

• Central defence: Nordtveit, Bartley
• Defensive midfield: Emmanuel Thomas (or virtually anywhere else),
• Attacking midfield: Lansbury, Barazite
• Attack: Wellington Silva, Afobe

Fourth, The new youngsters already signed this summer

I am not saying that they will be in the squad, but this is just for the record.

• Dutch Under 17 international Kyle Ebecilio.
• Norwich City striker Philip Roberts.
• Argentinian goalkeeper Emilio Damián Martínez

Which brings us on to the full working squad…

• Goal: Szczensy, Almunia, Fabianski, Manone
• Central defence: Vermaelen, Djourou, Nordtveit, Bartley, Koscielny
• Wide defence: Sagna, Eboue, Clichy, Gibbs, Traore
• Defensive midfield: Song, Denilson, Emmanuel Thomas,  Eastmond, Ramsey
• Attacking midfield: Nasri, Lansbury, Barazite, Diaby, Fabregas, Rosicky, Wilshire, Merida, Walcott
• Attack: Arshavin, Van Persie, Wellington Silva, Afobe, Eduardo, Chamakh, Vela, Bendtner

———————

To conclude, here’s the Untold Interpretation of the rules for the “25”

Squad registration list must be submitted at the end of the transfer window:  31 August 2010, and then again on 31 January 2011.

Squad size limit – Maximum 25 players over 21 years. No limit for under-21 players.

Age definition – 1 January of the season’s starting year. 1 January 2010 for the 2010/11 season.

Home-grown quota – 8 of the 25 squad places can only be filled with home-grown players.  Thus, only 17 foreign-grown players (over 21 years) are allowed.  For the purposes of all this stuff, Wales counts as England, but Scotland and N Ireland don’t.

Home-grown (1) age – All club registrations before the age of 21 (at the end of the season).

Home-grown (2) home – All clubs registered with the English or Welsh FA.

Home-grown (3) length – Minimum period of 3 seasons or 36 months (continuous or not).

Untold Arsenal, the home of beauty, truth, and Billy the Dog

Making the Arsenal – the second edition has arrived and is at the publisher’s warehouse.  It’s not really that different from the first edition, but if you haven’t been bought a first edition, you really should try the second.  It’s jolly good.