What to make of Wenger’s current batch
Pre-season is always a difficult time to ever truly judge any player’s talent as they battle to get back to full fitness, but it is certainly a time to impress and leave a lasting impression on not only the manager but the club’s fans. With that in mind, having watched a few of Arsenal’s games so far this summer as they step up their preparations for the new season, which of the club’s current crop look as if they have what it takes to cement a first-team spot over the coming years?
Arsene Wenger is certainly a manager that divides opinion and you’re more often than not caught between the ‘In Arsene We Trust’ brigade or the ‘Wenger Out’ side. His critics, rather understandably, decry his near constant obsession with planning for the future and the lack of emphasis on recruiting players for the present, but there does look to be, at least at the moment, an exciting conveyor belt of talent within the squad’s ranks.
Young Japanese winger Ryo Miyaichi is an exciting player, full of pace, trickery and craft and even if he may be best served by making another season-long loan spell elsewhere next term, after successful short-term switches to both Feyenoord and Bolton, he could make a real impact as he matures in the future.
Another player that I’ve been impressed with is Spanish defender Ignasi Miquel, who has been used for the majority of the time at left-back. Having been a member of Barcelona’s much-vaunted La Masia academy, he is comfortable on the ball, positionally aware and he’s shown a great degree of adventure further forward. As he fills out and adds the muscle required to be at centre-back in the top flight, he could be quite some player.
The young German winger Thomas Eisfeld has also been in lively form, having arrived from Borussia Dortmund in January. Speedy, calm in possession and with a low centre of gravity, he made a huge impact in their friendly against a Malaysian XI side, striking the winner in the final few moments of the match. He’s likely to be consigned to reserve-team football for most of next season, and like Miquel, he’ll need to add some muscle on those bones, but the technique is there for all to see already and he reminds me a bit of Juan Mata in terms of style, which is no mean feat at a young age.
Benfik Afobe has been touted for big things for quite some time now after impressing in the reserves and for the England youth-teams, but I have to say, on the evidence of what I’ve seen (yes, I know that it’s *only* pre-season), he doesn’t look up to the standard required for a club like Arsenal. His finishing leaves a lot to be desired, and he’s a bit of a donkey, a quick donkey, but a donkey nonetheless. He’s more of a throwback to the Arsenal before Wenger took over and he doesn’t appear to have either the speed of thought or the requisite ability on the ball to impose himself on the first-team.
Nico Yennaris is another England U-19 international at the club that’s turned out for the side on their tour of Asia and it could really go either way with him. He looks prone to panicking whenever he’s put in the back foot or facing his own goal, but further forward, he provides a real threat from full-back and he’s got a decent delivery on him. After a short-term loan spell at Notts County last season, a longer period away from the club could prove decisive in shaping the player he hopes to become, but the jury is out at the moment.
Chuks Aneke is another that I’m not quite decided on just yet. He can look awfully gangly at times but there’s no denying that he can be a powerful and effective force in the middle of the park when he wants to be. He lacks discipline at the moment and may not quite have the technique, but he’s unpredictable and extremely hard-working, think of more of a raw version of Emmanuel Frimpong but with more potential. His long-term future may not be at a big club like Arsenal, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him excel in the Championship within the next five years or so.
Of course, the likes of Francis Coquelin, Craig Eastmond and Kyle Bartley have been on the fringes of the first-team picture for some time now, which shows that you can make the leap. Bartley looks destined to be a Premier League player in the future, I just very much doubt whether it will be at Arsenal, while the same could be said of Eastmond, although you can definitely see why Wenger has high hopes for Coquelin, which may explain his reluctance to sign a holding man this summer.
Every season fans bemoan that the club aren’t granting enough opportunities to this or that player, which has impressed during pre-season, but Jack Wilshere has shown that the step up is possible and Wenger has displayed an ethos in the past that if you’re good enough, that age doesn’t really matter to him with the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain serving as prime examples.
In Miquel, Miyaichi and Eisfeld, they have three exceptionally gifted youngsters at the club and while they may not have an instant impact this season, it bodes well for the future. Wenger is often derided for an all-conquering fixation on youth, and if the aforementioned trio can force their way into more than just the manager’s Capital One Cup plans, they could potentially save them a fortune further down the line.
However, with concerns to Afobe, Yennaris and Aneke, expectation may need to be reigned in, for if the French boss has shown anything in his 16-year spell at the club, it’s that he has no trouble ditching players if they aren’t up to the technical demands of first-team football and it remains to be seen whether these three can play a part.
Which Arsenal youngster are you most excited about?
You can follow me on Twitter @JamesMcManus1
July 31st, 2012
I don’t know where you get these ideas James – disagree on a few of these. You’re questioning Aneke’s technique!? That’s just absurd. The only question anyone has about him is whether he plays the game too slowly, and whether he’s able to play in the fast-paced PL. The way he performed against Man City suggests that he is capable, but time will tell whether he can do it consistently in competitive games. In this preseason though, he looked incredibly comfortable.
I don’t know what you’re talking about wrt Yenaris panicking. I’ve never noticed that. To me he looks like an intelligent and highly determined young player, who hasn’t once failed to impress at 1st team level, and surely will have an excellent career in the game, hopefully at Arsenal. Personally I think he’s our 2nd best RB at the moment – him or Coquelin anyway.
On Afobe – absolute rubbish. His speed of thought is one of his major plus-points. Compare him to Chamakh (a full international 10 years his senior) and notice how much more often he gets into goalscoring positions, and how often he makes chances for others. His first touch and technique are both excellent, and the fact that he’s a strong and athletic lad already is just another plus. His finishing has been poor in preseason, but no doubt it will come in time. He’s spent a lot of time learning to set up others, I wonder whether he’s lost a bit of confidence in front of goal?
Of the 3 I’ve addressed here I think Yenaris is closest to the first team, but the other 2 have massive potential.
July 31st, 2012
i think the likes of ryo, miguel, coquelin and eisfeld should get their chance in the first team next season especially for ryo he has been amazing
July 31st, 2012
I have to agree with you davi, the comments about Aneke especially struck me as odd. I don’t want to seem like a troll or an arsenal fan with his red glasses on but from what we saw of Chuks his technique should be lauded. He has an eye for a pass and a fierce shot. Comparing him with frimpong is a huge compliment to Dench’s abilities I would compare aneke to diaby and if I’m being very optimistic Yaya Toure.
Afobe failed to score but was in the right place more often than not to get on the end of things and thats a great sign. Every striker misses chances but this guy has scored at every level for club and country so I’m sure he will make good progress.
Yennaris looks intriguing I’ll be interested to see who starts against sunderland I think it’s wide open between him, jenkinson and coquelin.
Miquel looks like he’s making good progress. Let’s not get too excited about Eisfeld but there’s definitely reasons to be optimistic.
Now can we just sign Cazorla already and sell that Benedict C**T.
July 31st, 2012
Absolute farce of an article.
Aneke is going to be a big player for us in the future, Yennaris also looks good, James have you watched arsenal vs man uts last season? he came on and was disciplined kept nani quiet.
Afobe will come good.
Why would barca wanted to sign afobe and aneke a few years back if they were not good enough. Barca dont sign players ho are donkeys and afobe isnt one.
James, dont write an article based on a few pre-season games.
July 31st, 2012
None of these players will come good(in terms of them winning us the epl title), should have bought Victor Moses from Palace. Just another mistake by wenger and the board.
We are clearly not making stars as fast as we sell them and that is going to be a problem.
August 1st, 2012
This sums up why Arsenal fans believe the hype.
“Why would barca wanted to sign afobe and aneke a few years back if they were not good enough. Barca dont sign players ho are donkeys and afobe isnt one.”
Absolute farce indeed, ridiculous logic. Don’t base your opinion on a few reserve-team games. Blinkered fool.
August 1st, 2012
Eisfeld seems to be the one player who has captured the headlines in the last week or so, due to his goals in pre-season. I certainly hope he’ll do well at Arsenal, but I wouldn’t want to spout to the world that he definitely will.
For me, the best player is Benik Afobe. He’s done very well at every level of his young career, and could have had a couple of goals himself in pre-season.
Miyaichi and Lansbury would probably be my other two. Miyaichi’s done very well for both Feyenoord and Bolton, whilst Lansbury’s never really put a foot wrong, but doesn’t ever seem to get a run.