Football News
Wilshere, Lansbury, Emmanuel-Thomas: ready or not?
Arsene Wenger has always placed a lot of stock in blooding young talent at Arsenal – especially in the League Cup - so this season could well herald the emergence of some talented next generation Gunners.
Every football fan loves to see home-grown talent coming through the ranks, so join Sport.co.uk in looking at three Arsenal youngsters who could be set to make a big impact at the Emirates this year.
Do you agree with our picks? Which other youngsters do you think Arsenal fans should keep their eyes on? Do you support Arsene Wenger’s ‘youth first’ policy? Have your say in the comments section below…
Jack Wilshere – After England’s dismal failure at this summer’s World Cup, the onus has already fallen upon the 18 year-old midfielder to lead his country into a new era of total football in time for 2014. That this kind of pressure is already being placed on Wilshere’s young shoulders is cause for concern, but his 14-game loan spell at Bolton Wanderers last season was sufficiently successful to suggest that he can make the step up to regular Premier League football sooner rather than later. Wenger seems to think so – he said: “At the moment, I want Jack to gain experience and, if possible, at Arsenal. I will give him a chance to play now. I want to see if he can integrate with the first team. Of course, I will make that decision later. Ideally, it is better that he gains experience with us. I am a bit keen not to create too much hype around the young English players. They need to work hard and we have outstanding English talent.”
Henri Lansbury – Another attacking midfielder with bags of potential, 19 year-old Lansbury spent last season on loan at Watford, scoring 5 goals in 39 appearances for the Championship club. He returned to the Emirates in time to make his first team debut in the 4-0 win over Fulham on the last day of the season, and Wenger has been quoted as saying that he expects Lansbury to be a “big player” for him. As with Wilshere, Lansbury could find a route to the first team opened up by the unfortunate circumstances of Aaron Ramsey’s horrific injury and, with his ability to play on the right as well as in the centre, he would appear to be tailor-made for Arsenal’s flexible system.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas – The 19 year-old winger/striker has only made one appearance in Arsenal’s first team, playing the first 66 minutes of their defeat at Stoke City in last season’s FA Cup, but he also gained Championship experience with both Blackpool and Doncaster Rovers, scoring a combined 7 goals in 26 games over both loan spells. At 6’3, Emmanuel-Thomas offers a physical presence and aerial threat that’s not usually abundant in the Gunners’ starting XIs these days and, if Andrey Arshavin fails to pull his finger out on a regular enough basis, there could be an opening on the left-hand side. Certainly, a front three with Emmanuel-Thomas on the left and Nicklas Bendtner on the right could give Wenger the option of a more direct approach when it’s called for. Whether or not the Frenchman would be amenable to taking that option is another matter.