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Unai Emery’s developing a new “British Core” at The Arsenal

December 2012, London was floating in a post-Olympic boom. Arsenal announced new contracts for 5 young British players.

Carl Jenkinson, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as signed a new contract on the same day (in front of the cameras at least). The message was clear.

After years of Arsenal being the foreign legion of English football; the future was English (and Welsh, like the cricket team). Theo Walcott made it a Dirty Dozen of talented players under 25-years-old.

The success for Arsenal based on the British core; and success for England would surely be built around 5 of the 6 players.

Roll forward to 2019 and, with Aaron Ramsey set to leave on a free transfer, only one man remains. Carl Jenkinson. I wonder what odds you would have got back in 2012 that the former Charlton trainee would outlast his more talented colleagues.

In the cup competitions this season, the League Cup, Europa League and last weekend in the FA Cup, Unai Emery has given a whole host of young players a chance.

It may still be early, but Emery is developing his own British Core.

Emery inherited two first team British players in Rob Holding and Alex Iwobi.

Prior to his injury, Holding was Arsenal’s most improved player this season. He has been sorely missed since his injury, testament to his development. He has put himself into contention to be long term first choice centre back. The talk amongst many is that we now need to buy Holding a partner. We no longer need to buy two starting central defenders.

Whilst he now plays for Nigeria, the country of his birth, Iwobi is certainly British.

Born in Lagos, he moves to London at the age of 4. Now 22, he has spent 18 years in the capital. His London twang and swagger. He is as much a Londoner as he is a Nigerian. He has paved the way for the flood of further Londoners coming through.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles has now been in and around the first team for a couple of seasons. In recent weeks he has shown his quality and utility. Playing left back, right back, central midfield and on the wing. Still just 21, he has a future for Arsenal and England as a James Milner-type utility man.

A whole host of other youngsters have also got game time in the cup competitions.

Eddie Nketiah was unlucky not to get a hat trick against Blackpool in the FA Cup. Anyone that has watched him at youth level would have been surprised by his misses. He is a clinical finisher.

With Danny Welbeck set to leave at the end of this season, expect Nketiah to lead the line in the cup competitions next season.

Whilst Nketiah missed his chances yesterday, Joe Willock scored two.

The youngster stalled last season, and struggled in his senior games. This season he has gone from strength to strength, and now has 3 goals in his 3 senior games.

He is developing into a box to box midfielder, becoming a very smart player able to get forward and back at speed. His ability to find space in the box reminds you of Aaron Ramsey. Should Arsenal replace the Welshman from within?

Currently returning from injury is Emile Smith Rowe. He has been the standout youngster of this season. A classy attacking player who can play in all 3 positions behind the front 3, he has a big future at Arsenal.

Dropping down an age group now is two very talented kids.

Bukayo Saka could be the best of the lot. Just 17-years-old, he has pace, power and technique.

Arsenal should consider sending him down a similar route as Reiss Nelson. A year in Germany getting plenty of game time, he would come back a different player. This lad is going to be quality.

Finally we have Zech Medley.

I have been frustrated that during Arsenal’s defensive injury crisis, Emery has gone for Granit Xhaka and Stephan Lichsteiner in defence rather than give a chance to 18-year-old Medley.

Medley, like Nketiah, was on the books of Chelsea before joining Arsenal at 16-years-old. He looks to have it all.

A towering centre back, he showed bravery and strength in the air with one challenge against Blackpool. He pairs his height and power with fabulous ball playing ability. Alongside speed across the ground, he has it all to become a modern ball playing central defender.

To top it all off, he is left footed. A left sided central defender seems like the holy grail in the modern game.

He probably will not start challenging for the first team on a regular basis for another 2 and a half seasons – 2021/22. This might seem a long time away, but Medley would be barely 21-years-old.

Certainly one to leave in the box, playing youth team level and keep an eye on for the future.

Some of these lads might make it at Arsenal, some might not. One thing is for certain, however; they have all lived the dream playing for The Arsenal.

The highlight of 2018/19 so far has been watching so many local boys getting their chance.

Keenos

Follow @KeenosAFC

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— 🎗 ///SHE WORE/// 🎗 (@SheWore) January 4, 2019

Match Report: Blackpool 0 – 3 Arsenal

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Blackpool (0) 0 Arsenal (2) 3
FA Cup Third Round
Bloomfield Road, Seasiders Way, Blackpool FY1 6JJ
Saturday, 5th January 2019. Kick-off time: 5.30pm

(4-2-3-1) Čech; Jenkinson, Lichtsteiner, Sokratis, Kolašinac; Ramsey, Elneny; Willock, Maitland-Niles; Iwobi; Nketiah.
Substitutes: Lacazette, Torreira, Martínez, Guendouzi, Medley, Smith-Rowe, Saka.
Scorers: Willock (2), Iwobi
Yellow Cards: Kolašinac
Referee: Mike Dean
Attendance: 8,895

Back to where we were, then. Another meeting with The Seasiders, on this, the second occasion that we have met in nine weeks; of course today we are meeting at Bloomfield Road, the first time that we have played there since our 3-0 victory in the Premier League on 11th April 2011, when goals from Abou Diaby, Emmanuel Eboue and Robin van Persie ensured our win. Let’s hope for a similar result on this freezing cold Lancastrian evening. We fulfilled our ticket allocation of 5,200 supporters for this game, but sadly due to an ongoing dispute between Blackpool fans and the owner, Bloomfield Road was only just over half full for the match tonight.

Still, in the opening stages, the home side were unlucky not to score when an error by Stephan Lichtsteiner almost led to us being punished, and had it not been for Petr Čech, it could have been disastrous. After ten minutes, a superb free-kick by Aaron Ramsey (can this man really be leaving the club?) saw Joe Willock score his second goal of the season when he headed the ball into the net from the rebound that struck the upright, which appeared to calm the nerves somewhat. A few minutes later, Carl Jenkinson was desperately unlucky not to score with a header from a chip by Alex Iwobi after some penetrating moves by our midfielders. The match now started to pep up with Blackpool finding their way through our defence on several occasions. However, just seven minutes before half-time, Carl Jenkinson pushed a long ball to Alex Iwobi, who passed it back to him on the overlap; Carl Jenkinson crossed the ball to Eddie Nketiah who flicked it on across the face of the goal for young Joe Willock to score his second (and Arsenal’s) of the day. And so we went into the break two clear goals ahead.

New half, new challenges. Blackpool started to test Arsenal’s defence and on several occasions were unlucky not to score. Arsenal started to look sluggish until Alexandre Lacazette replaced Eddie Nketiah after 65 minutes, and it almost seemed as if he single-handedly changed the approach and the attitude of the team as soon as he stepped onto the pitch. With one of our two top strikers on the field, we now started to look confident and assertive, something that we hadn’t done a few minutes earlier. Despite all this, Blackpool too had their chances, and should have taken them better under the circumstances. On one of our breakouts (of which there were many) we managed to get behind their defence and score. Ten minutes before the final whistle, Aaron Ramsey’s shot was parried by the Blackpool goalkeeper, only for the ball to fall into the path of Alex Iwobi, who coolly tapped it into the net. Mr. Emery made two more substitutions (Zech Medley and Bukayo Saka for Sead Kolašinac and Alex Iwobi) within minutes of each other, just to rescue tired legs; as soon as they started to get used to the pace of the match, Mike Dean blew the whistle after four minutes of injury time, and we were now in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Thank God that’s over.

Despite our obvious superiority in all areas, we still had the ability (somehow) to look vulnerable, particularly in the defensive area. No disrespect intended to Blackpool, but there were times when we had to count ourselves very lucky that the home side missed their chances, as if we played a top Premiership side, we may not have been so lucky. All the reserves (and our youth players too) played their part well, and everyone looked good. But we still need defenders, desperately. Twenty-six days and counting until the end of the transfer window. Remember everyone, keep the faith, get behind the team and the manager, as these early days are going to be crucial for our future success in all competitions. Stick with the winners. Victoria Concordia Crescit.

Steve

Too Dearly Loved To Be Forgotten: Arsenal v Racing Club de Paris 1930-1962 by Steve Ingless (Rangemore Publications, ISBN 978-1-5272-0135-4) is now available on Amazon.

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