Has Wenger conceded he won’t win anything with kids?
Arsenal boss says he’ll stop leaving cup runs to youth
Arsene Wenger has told Arsenal fans the need to win trophies is getting so desperate he is giving up on trying to win domestic cup competitions with younger squad players.
Despite a relatively junior side dismantling rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the last round the Gunners will line up with more first-team faces than usual against Newcastle tonight, with at least Bendtner and Walcott in the frame to start.
When asked why he had changed his attitude toward the Carling Cup at the club’s annual general meeting last week, Wenger said:
First of all because we have a big squad and, as well, I believe we have a good enough squad to go forward [and win] trophies. That’s why I think: ‘OK, let’s go as far as we can.’ If needed we can still always choose later but, at the moment, it is important for everybody to think we go for everything we can.
The win at Manchester City on Sunday was certainly a pivotal moment of our season because we could not afford a defeat. To keep in touch with the top teams and have a victory was mentally very important for the team. So it’s just all movement. We want to end our wait for a trophy. We want to respond with the maximum commitment to the demands of people.
After five trophy-less years, is Le Prof finally preparing to ditch his youth project?
8 responses so far
shooy // October 27, 2010 at 1:39 pm
Of course.
Yiannis // October 27, 2010 at 1:47 pm
In my opinion you are twisting things. He never ditched his youth project. The majority of his squad tonight will be either young or ex-young guns.
Jules // October 27, 2010 at 1:50 pm
Have you ‘conceded’ that you can’t spell?
Andy Mack // October 27, 2010 at 1:51 pm
NO. The majority of the squad is a youth project, you’re just used to seeing them in the 1st team more often due to injuries.
How many of the 1st team squad are under 24?
Most of them!
Paul N // October 27, 2010 at 3:03 pm
I think the question is do people get older.
The whole point of having a youth project is keeping them together until they mature.
Its as if people have such a dislike for the man that they just find anything to talk about even if it is meritless!
Richard Gilzene // October 27, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Multiple times, Jules. You must be new around here.
Thank you for pointing it out, anyway.
Jack Straw // October 27, 2010 at 3:35 pm
This is shit stirring of the worst kind. It has nothing to do with ditching anything. 3-4 years ago we were just beginning to see the benefits of a well developed youth setup. There was a clear gap between the first team and the young players because the youth system was failing prior to AW’s arrival. Now we’re seeing the first batch of AW youngsters integrated into the 1st team.
Look at the team from the famous Sheffield United victory in 2008. It’s almost the same team that’s expected to play tonight. Gibbs, Bendtner, Vela and Djourou will be repeat starters. Wilshere, Ramsey and Frimpong would almost certainly be starting if not suspended/injured. Lansbury made a substitute appearance and JET was an unused substitute. Fabianski has progressed beyond this level at the moment.
The fact that these players have developed into contributing members of the 1st team should be an indication that the youth project is working quite beautifully. The only difference is that AW will plug the gaps with other fringe first team players instead of not-quite-ready youth teamers because those players need games.
Fat Nakago // October 27, 2010 at 11:27 pm
So THAT explains Newcastle 0 Arsenal 4. Hmmm…I thought I was seeing things. I thought it was the YOUNG Theo Walcott out there at first instead of the real once. This clears it up.
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