Tag Archives: England

Where are they now? Arshavin, Watt, Neita, Rees, Shea & Mannone

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In part two of our ‘Where are they now’ series looking at how the players who left in the summer are now getting on, we saw what Arshavin, Watt, Neita, Rees, Shea & Mannone are now doing.

Andrey Arshavin

The Russian playmaker rejoined Zenit Saint Petersberg in June. He scored on his 2nd league appearance for his new (old) club and also scored in the Champions League, showing he still has the ability to produce on a big stage. He has since played 17 games for Zenith, scoring 4 and assisting 7. Producing in his favoured number 10 role, he has found himself on the bench a couple of times. Could a decent season force his way back into the Russian squad, to play his first game since 2012. With Russia almost certain to qualify, could he be on the plane to Brazil?

Sanchez Watt

Joining Craig Eastmond at Colchester, he has failed to make the impact his former Arsenal team mate has done at the Essex club due to injury. Having started the 1st league games of Colcheter’s season, he has torn his hamstring and suffered a thigh strain. Having played just 11 games in 13 months at Colchester (including his loan spell) I am actually surprised Arsenal let him go! If he gets fit, he will rip League One apart. But Watt and fitness go’s together like Diaby and fitness.

Nigel Neita

It seems he is without a club since leaving us. The speedy striker should probably start seeking employment elsewhere.

Josh Rees

Has since joined Nottingham Forest, where he has played 3 games for their under 21’s scoring once in a 3-0 victory over Birmingham City U21’s. Not yet had a sniff of 1st team action.

James Shea

Many years ago (2010 to be exact) Shea trained with England at London Colney when they were 2 goal keepers short for training. He once made the bench in a Champions League tie. Last Saturday he played for Needham Market in a 2-1 victory in the FA Cup Third Qualifying Round against Suffolk rivals AFC Subdury. He has only signed for the club for the single game. He is still officially without a club, but has been allowed to continue to train at Arsenal, the club he has been with since 10 years old, to maintain his fitness.

Vito Mannone

Joined the cuckoos next which is Sunderland, he started the majority of the Black Cats games in pre-season, including both games in the Premier League Asia Trophy. It looked like he would start the season as their number 1, however Paolo Di Canio went for Kieren Westwood when it came to the 1st game of the season. With Di Canio’s departure, Mannone has remained on the bench. We wait with baited breath to see if he will be on the team sheet for Gus Poyet’s 1st game after the international break.

Tomorrow: Charles-Cook, Meade, Squillaci, Santos & RobertsKeenos

Tottenham’s Andros Townsend the future of English football?

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I did not watch the England game. I was travelling for a weekend away in Suffolk whilst the match was on. I have not seen the match. By the time I got to where I was staying, the final whistle had just gone, so I settled down to watch the highlights of the goals. I did, however, read many a news report the next day, and most were saying the same thing, that Andros Townsend was the future of English football.

Let me get straight to the point, Andros Townsend is not the future of English football. He is the 4th choice English right winger, behind Walcott, Lennon and Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Andros Townsend is 22 years old. He has played for 10 different clubs as a professional footballer. His career reads played 136, scored 14. These are not the statistics of the future of anything.

He has got lucky this year, and in fairness, has taken that luck and made the most of it. An injury to Lennon, Bale being sold, and Lamela settling in has meant he has gone from QPR last season to Spurs 1st team this season. And injuries in the England squad left Roy Hodgson with few other options. He is not even the future of Tottenham Hotspur’s right wing, let alone England’s.

I first saw Townsend a few years back in a Tottenham v Arsenal youth game, where Arsenal took around 3,000 fans. A young lad called Jack Wilshere was by far the star of the show, running in a game which Arsenal comfortably run. Townsend was Tottenham’s best player, but he was mainly just pace, with very little end product. He has not changed that much.

Earlier this week, I wrote about how young players are getting too easily hyped after just a couple of performances. It seems after one game for England, Townsend is getting similar treatment. Tipped as the next big thing, despite not doing much, and already being 22.

Yes, the goal he scored was a brilliant finish, but a wonder goal does not make a brilliant player. Both David Bentley and Danny Rose have scored wonder goals against Arsenal in the past, neither of them have gone to do anything special.

The gushing over Townsend during the post-match summary even went as far as claiming he assisted the 1st goal. This despite it being a poor cross from Townsend and at least another as touches of the ball from other players before Wayne Rooney put the ball in the net. The pundits conveniently ignored a poor cross to use the clip as another example of how Townsend was the future.

In one report I read, someone jorno even said he was the ‘New Gareth Bale.’ That he was quiet in the 1st half but exploded into life during the second when he dropped inside in a Bale-esque performance. Gareth Bale is 24. Andros Townsend 22. He is nowhere near the talent of Bale. He is on par talent wise with Serge Gnabry, who is 4 years his junior.

Infact, Townsend is most similar to Shaun Wright-Phillips. A player of pace who would score the odd worldie, but never have the talent required at the highest level. His raw pace enough to make people remember him, but not good enough to be a consistent high end performer. Townsend also compares to SWP in that he is older than what many think. For years SWP was put in with Walcott and Lennon as ‘exciting young wingers for England’. This despite SWP being 7 years older than the other two. He is now 32!

I am sure Townsend will end up similar. Continual comparisons with those 4/5 years younger as he broke onto the scene so late. At 22 he has no potential. He should be England’s star now, not an England star of the future.

He is of similar ability to the likes of Scott Sinclair, Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge. He is just pace, and like these players, will suffer from second season syndrome. As players work out how to defend against him, his tells, whether he go’s inside or out. The top players such as Lennon and Walcott are able to continue improving, adding to their game, these players, like Townsend, have not, as they are just pace.

England’s future lies in the hands of the likes of Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ross Barkley and many more better, younger players then Andros Townsend. The future for England is brighter than some make you believe, and it is these players who Hodgson should be looking at taking to Rio to gain experience, not a ‘never gonna be’ like Townsend.

Again, to remind you all, Townsend is 22. Not exactly a young star. He is only 2 years younger the Mesut Ozil!

The one thing I would say about Townsend is that he is testament to not giving up and working hard. In the youth game I mentioned, he was outshone by the likes of Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Emmanuel Frimpong. Neither of these have done much of note since then, so credit to Townsend for wanting to be better, not sitting on his laurels and accepting earning a good wage whilst being mediocre.

You have to feel that were Townsend not playing by the presses love Spurs, there would not be as much love for him. Were he playing for an unfashionable Stoke, Villa or Southampton, the hype would not be there. The only surprise is that Harry Redknapp has not yet come out and said how it was he who developed Townsend at Spurs and QPR and that if he were England manager, Townsend would have been in the England side years ago.

Andros Townsend will not be going to Rio.

Keenos

England a glimpse of Arsenal’s future?

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Tonight at 8pm, England play at home against Montenegro. Whilst International football rarely gets me excited, I am actually looking forward to this game – although I am likely to miss the first half as I am taking advantage of the International break by getting away for the weekend – and the reason for this is we will potentially get a glimpse of Arsenal’s future.

Now I am not talking about the amount of Arsenal in and around the England side. Wilshere, Walcott, Gibbs & Oxlade-Chamberlain could all be on the plane to Brazil (if England make it). I am actually talking about the future make up of Arsenal’s central midfield.

“But only Wilshere will play and he will be next to Gerrard, who is Scouse” I hear you all say. And that is true. It might sound odd that by watching Gerrard & Wilshere together is a glimpse of Arsenal’s midfield of the next 10 years.

Wilshere has often played most of his career in the number 10 role. Further up in the pitch involved around the edge of the area. But I have long believed that his future would be deeper. His technique and long and short passing is exceptional. But so is his aggression, and by playing him too far forward, you lose the aggression. Add in Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere’s future at Arsenal is deeper.

For England, he will play deeper alongside Gerrard with Wayne Rooney ahead, in behind Daniel Sturridge. It will be interesting to see how he gets on and if he can still dominate and influence the game. I am sure he can. Now where does Gerrard fit in?

Well Aaron Ramsey shares a lot of similar traits to Gerrard. Stamina, running, able to drive forward, but a solid individual. I have long felt Gerrard would have been a better player had he performed deeper and dictate play, however his own ego dictated where he played. He was, for a time, bigger then any Liverpool manager, and basically played where he want.

I can see Ramsey playing in a similar role to that of Gerrard in the near future for Arsenal. A little bit deeper, a little bit more disciplined. He would provide a midfield two alongside Jack Wilshere, where their intelligence would mean that they could both defend and attack at will. The would be able to build a relationship and become the best central midfield partnership in world football. And with Mesut Ozil ahead, well the world would be our oyster.

For once, watching an England game might not be worthless.

Keenos