Coming to Arsenal next season « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News. Supporting the Lord Wenger; coach of the decade

One of the great things about Arsenal is that every year we have a whole stream of players who graduate through the ranks.  We have the fringe first teamers who step up to be properly part of the main squad, while others come through and move into the Diddly Cup team.

This step up process this year gave us Denilson – now an absolute bedrock of the midfield (or hopelessly lightweight if you read the Independent) – and there are always one or two like that who move up, before we even think of buying someone like Arshavin.

This is the great benefit of the scouting policy – the reserves in so many teams are older players who are not going to get better.  With these players, everything is before them.

So, having got rid of the whole first team yesterday (and what a jolly discussion followed) here’s next year’s arrivals.

VERY MUCH INTO THE FIRST TEAM SQUAD

Simpson – surviving at WBA

Ramsey – he’s in the squad anyway, but clearly will take a bigger role

Wilshere – he must start getting more opportunities – at least coming off the bench

Bischoff – his contract is up this year, but he’s looked really good in the reserves – I really hope he stays

Gibbs – clearly highly rated as he plays the Cup games, and is seemingly a fixture on the bench.

Traore – I don’t know how he has been doing on loan (anyone help here?) and there is the question of how many left backs we need.  Can he or Gibbs play in another position?

Merida – he hasn’t had a chance in the first team, but he is such a player and a half, I really think he could make the move to be an occasional first team player.

Randall – he was there at the end of last season, and is captaining the reserves, so he’s either going to make it, or leave, I’d have thought.

MOVING TOWARDS THE LIMELIGHT

So, if that’s the list of those who are ready to fit straight in (and please do correct me, I always forget people, and miss reserve games which have real clues), this must be those just behind, all ready for a bit of bench warming…

• Coquelin
• Nordveit
• Barazitte
• Landsbury
• Hoyte the Younger

(C) Tony Attwood without a spot of post modern irony in sight. 2009.