Jan 31
Dutch youngster Quincy is shipped off to Spartak Moscow and Bentley does a permanent move to Rovers.
Talented? Yes. Attitude problems? That’s my guess. Either way, my bet is that you’ll be able to count the times either/both of them make headlines for their positive on-field contributions on one hand.
This is also a good reminder that while guys like Lupoli sure look good in the reserves, there is no guarantee that they’ll be the business at the senior squad level. Arsenal are chock full of promising young players, some of those kids need to come good, and soon.
64 Responses to “Quincy and Bentley Shown The Door”
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January 31st, 2006 at 1:36 pm
Because under Wenger Arsenal have the worse youth policy in the country. How on God given earth does Wenger thinks he is doing with these kids. We have used more kids than Liverpool, Chelsea, United add together.
That is a shame. Buying kids age 16/17 and selling them by 21/22 is a big joke. The slave master were not that bad I guess.
Before anyone jumped out of their pram - Put yourself into the shoes of an 17 yr kid. Been told you are the best kid around goes on loan and never to be seen again. That will destroy your career and confidence.
Quincy did nothing wrong whiles at Arsenal and even asked to stay in England by signing for Sunderland.
January 31st, 2006 at 1:56 pm
you can’t be serious saying they have the worst youth policy in the county. There tons of guys playing in the Prem and the Championship who got thier start at Arsenal. How many players do Man U, Chelsea and Liverpool have who are in the first team, and get games who came from their youth system?
Chelsea have Terry, Man U have Fletcher and Richardson, Liverpool have Stevie G, Jamie C.
Arsenal have Cole, and now Gilbert and Johan Djourou. So it’s about even.
January 31st, 2006 at 2:03 pm
That is exactly the problem Love_G has with Arsenal’s youth system. They are all playing elsewhere. Although I have to say that most of them haven’t done much elsewhere either.
January 31st, 2006 at 2:04 pm
It makes me saaad to see Quincy leaving more than Us leaving the FA Cup.
Not cause I am in Love with Quicny, but becuase it shows the waste of time and money and even promisses … 1-2 years ago we were promissed to see Quincy and now we see nothing of him. Bently, Hoyte, Ali, …. all at the end will leave us. What a shame ?
I am 85% sure than Theo will not make it in Arsenal. Myabe when he is 19 or so Arsenal will sell him to Villa or Sunderland for 2-3 million … I hope the 15% comes true. !
Come on give me a break ? How in the Hell our new signings are any better than Quincy.
If one kid I was hoping to do an impact in our team, it was Quincy. Saw him in the Youth worldcups and he is absolutly one of the best. He looked better than first team starters like Collins Jones at Fullham.
AW: Keep playing Bobie and those till they are 39 !
January 31st, 2006 at 2:07 pm
Thats great…
The problem is that when the kids DON’T come good… we buy more kids… and then they don’t work out… and we buy more kids.
Chelsea, United and Liverpool also buy STARTERS who have played at the top level before. Thats why they are all ahead of us right now. We have a bunch of kids with potential, and they’ve bought proven players who are contributing NOW.
Fowler might do NOTHING… but I think thats a great gamble to take. It would be like us giving Anelka a 2nd chance.
United / Tottenham / Chelsea / Liverpool… are also bringing in the real deal… players that can play today… not in 2009, maybe.
January 31st, 2006 at 2:07 pm
Gilbert and Johan Djourou are still promisses like the others …. Wait for next year and see
January 31st, 2006 at 2:15 pm
Stag,
If it takes fifty kids to come through the youth team to get one Ashley Cole, than so be it.
You want Arsenal to buy players like Chelsea, Liverpool, and Man U do, but Aresnal have never had the money that they have so it has to be done a different way.
And for all the players who have left, who has made Wenger regreat it? There is maybe one player, Steve Sidwell at Reading, and he is not even doing it in the Prem.
You can’t have it both ways because Arsenal don’t have the money to buy the people that Chelsea et all can buy.
Any in my opinion, Cesc counts as comming up from the youth team because he came to Arsenal at 16.
January 31st, 2006 at 2:19 pm
Is either you don’t understand football or have never kicked a ball before.
Ask any pro football about kids and they will tell you. We buy them with all these false promises and killed their dreams off. What Arsenal is doing is destroying these kids confidence and career. The last count was 26 and tell me will you be happy to see the dreams of your brother or kid killed at Arsenal. I loved Arsenal but at the stay time we have to treat these kids well.
Cole was not a product of Wenger but GG so get that right. We still waiting for the first kid to cut it under Wenger.
January 31st, 2006 at 2:22 pm
I just do not understand why Wenger will want to offload 2 talented youngsters. With Ljungberg slowing down and becoming more injury proned, isn’t Bentley the natural successor until Walcott is ready in 2 to 3 years?! And with Pires most likely leaving in the summer and Reyes misfiring for a good part of the 2 years he has been at Highbury, isn’t the speedy Quincy the next in line?! Attitude problems? Isn’t Wenger paid the big bucks to transform talented troublesome kids to world class professionals?! Like van Persie? If Wenger can persist with van Persie (rape allegations, send-off, etc), why can’t he persists with Quincy and Bentley?! If Wenger can continue to give the underperforming 17m pounds Reyes chances after chances, why can’t he do the same with Quincy and Bentley? If by Wenger’s own admission that the way to beat Chel$ki’s unlimited roubles is to have a strong youth policy, why is he selling them off and for a pittance?!
This is a bad season that has just got worse for me.
January 31st, 2006 at 2:24 pm
Now the media talking about the same thing. Is Theo dreams going to be killed off at Arsenal.
Slave trade is dead but now we can buy as many kids as we want and if they don’t come good sell them for a profit after a year or 2.
Sorry anyone with a bit of common sense know this is bad.
January 31st, 2006 at 2:26 pm
But would Cesc be playing in the first team if it were not due to injuries to Vieira and Edu at the start of last season? Cesc was *forced* into the first team by Wenger bcos Wenger did not have a choice. Shouldn’t the same opportunity be extended to Quincy and Bentley before shipping them off somewhere?
January 31st, 2006 at 2:36 pm
I think Quincy and Bentley were given there chance and they didn’t take it. I never saw Quincy give a decent ball in from the wings. There are two parts to being a good offenceive winger. The first part he had, beating his man down the wing, the second part, putting a good ball into the box, he didn’t have. And that is down to the player working on it. Ashley Cole was not a good crosser of the ball when he first broke into the team, but now he is one of the best in England if not the world at overlapping runs and sending in balls and cross field passes that change the direction of play.
And what has Bentley done at Blackburn to show he is so good? In 14 games he no assist,no goals, and 10 shots on goal. Not really lighting it up.
And your 100% right, Cesc was forced into the team. But when Vieira and Edu were back, Cesc never left. I think the same thing will happen with Gilbert. He will be the backup like Gael C.
But lets talk about Joey Barton, that’s who Arsenal need to buy. He will add some serious bite to midfield, and with him and Diaby or Flamini, Cesc would be able to room free in the middle of the park and do what he does best. And to top it of he is English
January 31st, 2006 at 2:38 pm
Nope..
Wenger paid to sit on his fcuking ass then blame anyone else with silly excuses. I can’t understand what he is doing. If he can’t look after these kids then he is not worth being the manager. It comes with his job not only to coach them into football but to protect them mentality and socially.
So I guess that is why Keown now there to motivate this team.
January 31st, 2006 at 2:43 pm
No wonder M. Keown is back to motivate this team cuz Wenger is doing jack sh*T.
Wenger has know man-management skills. If he can’t control these kids what is he paid for then. To sit on his Fcuking ass and make excuses.
January 31st, 2006 at 2:44 pm
Cesc has done f-all!
We have more money than 99% of the teams in all of England, so that excuse is bulls888…
We are either a big team or not… I don’t buy into this crap about punching above our weight. Sorry.
January 31st, 2006 at 2:49 pm
Bentley has played 12 matches at Blackburn…
Cesc has played 20 at Arsenal…he has 1 goal and 2 assists. Is that so impressive? I don’t think so.
We won’t buy Barton. We don’t buy players like that… makes too much sense.
Yaya Toure will probably end up at Chelsea… because we’re that stupid.
There is no defending our youth system in recent years. Its produced nothing.
January 31st, 2006 at 4:28 pm
Wooo … Arsenal dont have money.. What a bull I hear.
buying kids cost a lot of money tooo …what are you talking about. Pennat : we paid 2 million to get him. Then his salary and we never realy played him … Pennant was one of those kids that was thought to become the new Micheal Owen … where is he now .. we Fcuked him !
If Quincy stayed in Ajax he would have been in with Holland in the WC 06 right now … I bet You. When he moved to Arsenal, I was hearing about him, but that time I never heard about Babel and Maduro.
A. Cole came from Arsenal all the way. buying kids and forcing them into a new life and style of living would change a lot in in their skills improvment.
It could be true that among 10-15 kids, if we get one Cole or one Cesce we are fine. But when u lose an entire season and win nothing, then this not worth it.
I like to have kids as back ups, but its better to play them from time to time.
I dunno HOW Quincy is judged that fast ? he is still 19 years old …. One thing I say .. Poor Quincy !
January 31st, 2006 at 4:30 pm
And…
we brought back J.Aliadiare from loan early from WetSham… only to send him out to Wolverhampton. Not sure if this is on loan or if its permanent.
With Quincy gone, he surely could have played in our reserves. This kid has gone thru it all with the injuries. When he has played for the 1st team, he has done pretty decently.
But alas… he’ll be off to Wolves, probably permanently. If I were him, I’d go back to France. He’d probably light it up there, just like that stiff we sent back Wiltord. I’d take 5 Wiltord’s at this point.
January 31st, 2006 at 4:33 pm
I also read today that Wenger won’t make any more signings this window. Why not buy Toure? The kid came out and said playing with his brother would be a dream come true. Yaya Toure has obvioulsy looked at the team and believes he can walk right into the first team and move either Fabregas or Gilberto to the bench. He wouldn’t be coming to be a squad player.
That’s what Arsenal needs is someone ready to kick in the door and help make his team a champion. Someone with that attitude is the answer to many of Arsenal’s problems. Toure’s got the required attitude and the ability. He may not be able to help in the CL but he can help us get to fourth place for next season. Seems like easy math to me.
January 31st, 2006 at 4:53 pm
Com On Fulham…
4th spot is all ours…
January 31st, 2006 at 4:59 pm
Arsene Wenger’s youth policy is like the kid who always thinks the other kids candy bar is bigger. It’s like he goes out and buys these kids, then once he has them he suddenly finds another who is ready for the first team who is better.
I’ve never seen Steve Sidwell play. But if he’s been voted the best player outside the premiership I can’t see how someone as average as Flamini can be any better. I doubt Quincy or Bentley could have played any worse than Reyes given the chance. And home grown Arsenal stars ditched for players like Alex Song, common now is this supposed to be funny?
Theo will get his chance at Arsenal, his price tag guarantees it. But many others won’t, no matter what they do. Wait and see. Rossi at ManU and Lupoli are counterparts, but see who gets a chance. Rossi will one day be one of the best players in the Prem, Lupoli will be lucky if he makes Shakhtar Donetsk. It’s a stupid incoherent policy, that never gives what we have a fair chance, before we ditch them for someone else, most of whom are no better.
And Cesc? He’s a transfer waiting to happen. For me there’s nothing special about Cesc now, but there may be in four years time. Just old and good enough for Barca. That’s the things about the Spanish. If they play well they start looking home, see Reyes. When they play badly you’re stuck with them because they’re expensive. It’s lose-lose however you look at it. Just like Wenger’s youth policy.
January 31st, 2006 at 5:11 pm
It’s so Funny how Flamini gets dogged by everybody on this site. The Sun gave him the highest rating of anybody on team in the FA cup game VS Bolton, an 8.
The guy isn’t supposed to play pretty. He runs all day, gets stuck in, breaks up the attack and gives the ball up. That is his job, that is it.
I don’t think half the people who post here ever played the game of soccer in their lives. Blaming Senderos and Sol for the goal against Bolton when it was someone in the midfield who was supposed to track back against Stelios. You guys need to get a clue
January 31st, 2006 at 5:31 pm
What is soccer ?
And if I get my body back into the gym I can do better job than Flamini.
January 31st, 2006 at 5:47 pm
So now if we haven’t played, then we have no clue as well.
What if I played in High School, but not at University?
How about if I played in an over-30 kick-about league… does that make me more knowledgeable than someone who’s daughter plays in the under 10 league?
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Flamini is NOTHING special. He hasn’t done much to deserve a 1st team spot, any more than Quincy or Bentley who are gone.
Yahooooooo, he got an 8 in the Sun.
January 31st, 2006 at 5:48 pm
Our beloved friends Totteringham are trying to make it possible for us to finish top 4!
God Bless them!
They did sign another midfielder!
Someone I believe was on our radar… then again, they just watch who we are interested in, and then they go in for them!
(except for the kids… they know we have no clue in that area!)
January 31st, 2006 at 6:54 pm
I hope Quincy does not come back to haunt us..The guy has so much talent and I had great things about him in the Under 21 cup games…He did have a problem finishing but he is only 19..Was not really a striker but could have been a great winger with his speed and dribbling ability.
Isn’t Spartak Moscow, a feeder club for Chelsea…Wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up at Chelsea.
If we had a good season this year, Quincy could have had more sub time in the 1st team. But unfortunately, AW fc*ked it up and we lose a potential great talent.
Hope I am wrong.
January 31st, 2006 at 6:55 pm
It’s so Funny how Flamini gets dogged by everybody on this site. The Sun gave him the highest rating of anybody on team in the FA cup game VS Bolton, an 8.
The guy isn’t supposed to play pretty. He runs all day, gets stuck in, breaks up the attack and gives the ball up. That is his job, that is it.
I don’t think half the people who post here ever played the game of soccer in their lives. Blaming Senderos and Sol for the goal against Bolton when it was someone in the midfield who was supposed to track back against Stelios. You guys need to get a clue
Yes, lets all hail Mathieu Flamini. What was I thinking? All those tackles he doesn’t put in, the goals he doesn’t score, the assists he doesn’t make, the passes that go 10 yards astray, the mindless chasing of other players all over the pitch and getting nowhere near the man or the ball.
Hail the new Johann Neeskens, Roberto Rivelino, Socrates. Still, what do I know, I’ve only played football for 15 years, and watched Arsenal for 30.
I should be ashamed of myself, going against the views of the great European bastion of football knowledge - The Sun!
January 31st, 2006 at 7:44 pm
It’s ridiculous to say that they kill kid’s dreams & career. How? By shipping them off on loan (so they can play). What’s worse? Making a living somewhere else where you can actually do the thing you’re signed for or rot on the bench?
And if dreams die, so what? People have this attitude that it’s such a tragedy when a dream dies. Big f’in’ deal. Everybody’s whiners. We’ve all had dreams die, at least these kids lived part of the dream. Reality has a way of giving you a wake-up call.
That’s why you always have to have a good education too in case your “dream dies.” So you have something to fall back on or are we to create a socialist class of needy football flunkies?
And how are their careers “killed” when they get to sign for another club, actually getting playing time & further their career. Contradictory, irrational emoting. Just like people use in politics.
Look at the youths Arsenal have let go in the last decade or so. Who’s gone on to be a superstar? Andy Cole? That’s about it. Upson has gotten an England call up or two. Pennant will eventually, Bentley will eventually as well but I doubt either of them will ever be truly great players. Young, flashes in the pan undone by their attitudes & lifestyles.
We won’t miss Quincy much either. If he wants to do tricks with a ball let him go join a circus. Tricks don’t mean squat if there’s no end product to them.
Also, some of Cole’s development has to be given to Wenger b/c Graham was gone by 95 (when Ashley Cole was 14) & Cole didn’t make a reserve appearance until 98 & a 1st team appearance until 99/00, 5 yrs. AFTER Graham left so to say that Ashley Cole developed under Graham is skewing the reality of the situation to say the least.
And what’s “cutting it?” & How long before some is not a “kid?” Anelka came through the youth ranks. B/c he got jealous & decided to leave his pretty good season & half in the 1st team wasn’t cutting it?
The vast majority of youths let go during Wenger’s tenure have played or are still playing in the lower divisions (Barrett, Vernazza, Black, McGowan, Rankin, Riza, Crowe, Rose, Livermore, Lincoln, Day, Weston, Chilvers, Kuffour, Canoville, etc.)
The others that are in the top flight are hardly any better than the guys that we have coming up.
Although I am interested to see former Arsenal youths, Harper & Sidwell in the top flight next year with Reading (along with American midfielder Booby Convey).
January 31st, 2006 at 7:47 pm
Quincy was a show pony. That’s it. He’s like a receiver in American football who can’t catch. He’s exciting b/c he’s fast & has tricks on the ball but with no end product (a decent cross, pass or shot), it’s all useless (the tricks).
Trust me, Quincy, won’t ever be a truly, great player. He’ll play in RUssia for a couple yrs. get picked up by a German team for a few yrs. & then drift around the continent with spells in Spain before he ends up back in Holland for somebody like Willem II.
January 31st, 2006 at 7:49 pm
Uhhhh, the people know the deal when they sign the contracts. Football is a business not a day care.
If football & other sports were here to make us feel good, we could all play for clubs like Arsenal.
And if it’s so evil to profit off the sales of footballers (why is it any less ‘bad’ to profit off an adult footballer?), the kids can quit, so that the clubs don’t get a dime.
January 31st, 2006 at 7:51 pm
Except that when we won titles before, the same policy worked for us. While Chelsea & Liverpool bought their established stars & have only come good in the last few years.
But like most people in the world, they’re ok with a system until it doesn’t work, then it’s the system’s wrong! Gotta change the system, when it’s the very same system that has brought us success before.
January 31st, 2006 at 7:56 pm
Unless it’s showing the Walcott will play as a spot sub & maybe even get some starts next year.
Bentley’s attitude consigned him to not playing for Arsenal again when he went to Norwich. His problem was he listened to all the agents & other coaches that whispered in his ear that if he were getting playing time, he’d be in the England squad.
How many England caps has Bentley received since he’s gone to Blackburn?
And the answer to your question of Van Persie is simple. Van Persie scored more goals than Bentley & Quincy combined in 2 weeks than either of them did in the Arsenal 1st team combined.
Has Bentley’s performances up in Blackburn been anything to write home about? He got shipped off b/c of his attitude & he would’ve run off in a yr. or two even if Arsenal would’ve played him as soon as an Italian or Spanish were to have come sniffing around & throwing wads of cash in his face.
January 31st, 2006 at 8:07 pm
Seriously, folks, what is the big deal with selling Bentley & Quincy?
Neither one are that much of a loss for us. I don’t understand all this moaning. Wenger gets vilified for playing the kids & when they dont’ cut it, people complain, when he sells them off, people still complain.
Bentley is not exactly setting the world on fire up in Blackburn & Quincy is nothing but a show pony. While I had hope for & was a backer of both now that I’ve seen them play several times, they’re nothing special really & if there’s no end product at all to Quincy’s tricks, then what’s the point of looking like a fancy-pantsed ball juggler if he can’t then get in a finishing pass or shot.
We won’t miss either Bentley or Quincy & we won’t miss Aliadiere when we get rid of him in the summer either.
Walcott may play some as a sub this year, he’ll definitely get some time next year & Diaby is going to get a ton of playing time the rest of the year & next & I expect Adebayor to rotate with Van Persie/Bergkamp up front with Henry as Wenger will move Reyes back to left-sided midfield (or maybe he’ll stick Van Persie there).
Y’all have to look past the step in front of you & set your eyes down the road. Wenger’s got a plan, it may not work but I think to write him off after a season & half is a bit ridiculous unless you want us to turn into Real Madrid or a Brazilian club & fire our manager every 3 or 4 months or so or after 2 or 3 defeats in a row.
This is the problem with the heights of success…
January 31st, 2006 at 8:11 pm
Shakhtar Donetsk? That’s a bit of making a mountain out of a mole hill. I’m sure Parma & a host of other Italian clubs would take Lupoli back before he’d have to go play at Shakhtar.
January 31st, 2006 at 8:12 pm
Aliadiere’s gone. He’ll be gone permanently in the summer.
January 31st, 2006 at 8:34 pm
When did I say Flamini was the best defenseve midfielder in the world? I didn’t, all I said was the guy is committed to the cause, gets stuck , runs all over the place, and does the job he is asked to do. If you ask me Arsenal, and any team for that matter, needs that.
Arsenal has problems, and to finish top four will be a tough job that they might not do. But buying a stop gap player like Gravason, Dacourt, or any other 28 and over player isn’t going to do anything but mess up the team chemistry and delay the development of young guys like Flamini and Diaby. Anybody who is really good is Cup tied/ and or their team won’t let them go. You think Man U didn’t want to buy a center middy?
When Vieria was sold the dye was cast, and there is no turning back. You can debate that desision for the rest of time, but its done.
After all Wenger has done for the club, don’t you think he deserives some time for his plan to work out? Personally I do, and I think the club is headed in the right direction.
If Arsenal win tomorrow they can be 1 point behind Spurs with a game in hand and they get to play them at home, still in the champions league, moving to a new stadium that will allow them to compete for the kind of players you want, Henry while yet to sign has said he wants to say, and they just signed the hottest prospect in English Football who choose Arsenal over Chelsea despite a lower money offer and wages. It might not all be roses, but it an’t all doom and gloom.
Oh and Joey Barton still wants to leave and Wenger says that he likes the way he plays.
http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?HLID=358900&CPID=8&title=Wenger:+I+admire+Barton&lid=2&channel=Football_Home&f=rss
you never know
January 31st, 2006 at 8:50 pm
Joey Barton? Nah. He is a certified class 1 nutcase. Wenger has his hands full. He does not need another troublesome kid. Remember he just got rid of 2 troublesome kids?!
January 31st, 2006 at 10:06 pm
This is my point… for everyone who said that Quincy was like a receiver who cant catch or who he will never make it here… Then this is again my point.
why did we spend the time and the money to bring and rais him and then he fail? We failed in raising him … Arsenal brought up a loser …
My point why do we bring players without studying so many factors … I think we got lucky with Cole and Cesce … Cesce was a luck …we all know this ! If he wasn’t forced in, he would have been like Lupoli or maybe Bently now.
Who is next to leave? Lupoli should start packing his stuff and go to Italy before its too late and find himself in Turky or Scotland.
January 31st, 2006 at 10:10 pm
Curtisimo,
the moaning that the promises is not getting us much. It seems that those kids starting from Ali to pennant to Quincy to Bently, … are leaving Arsenal for cheap. So Why do we bring them and waste money and time… and make us dream of a star.
Dont fire AW, we all respect him, but we get frustrated with things that we see .. we would like him to change it. We know that he knows how to do it better than us.
January 31st, 2006 at 10:13 pm
Flamini is not bad. I think he is decent and I like his attitude ! Keep him !
January 31st, 2006 at 10:16 pm
When are we going to start buying 13 years old. In 3 years they become 16.
JUST KIDDING !!!!
January 31st, 2006 at 10:27 pm
The same reason why we have a youth policy in the 1st place: to try & groom potential. Does it mean every youth will succeed? No. To think so is naive.
My point is it’s an over-reaction to think that a youth policy is somehow failed or misguided b/c 2 people are sold off, 2 people that never really did anything of consequence. Quincy scored a Carling Cup goal. Woopity do. Go back & do the math for all the youths under ANY manager not just bone-headed Wenger. I think if you take an honest look at it & not some misguided emotional one, you’ll see the success rate of a youth coming through at ANY top flight club will be far below 10-20% of the total enrollees.
And to say that b/c a youth player didn’t cut it, is also a bit short-sighted. It’s a 2 way street. We weren’t at the ground, we weren’t around Quincy all the time maybe there’s a character issue, a work ethic issue, we don’t know. We can only speculate but everyone on any message board anywhere thinks they know all about teams, players & managers b/c they watch matches 2 hours at a time & they read articles that are nothing more than reporting slanted one way or another as to what’s going to sell the most papers. You’re looking at small portions of player’s lives, nothing more.
And if Quincy flops out in Russia will Wenger be backed for the move?
January 31st, 2006 at 10:33 pm
Nobody ever makes anybody do anything, Faresk. That’s liberal emotive whining to say “you made me dream this or that & now my dreams are shattered.”
You’re the one who dreamed. That’s the point I’m always trying to impress here is that’s the reason not to invest so much emotional time in a team, a player, a manager, etc. B/c in the end it’s pointless & your dreams get dashed, shattered, whatever.
I don’t mean this in a mean way, but this is something I had to learn the hard way, something I learned in behavioral therapy:
Your dreaming is your problem, your emotions & your moods & happiness are defined by you, not Arsenal, not Arsene, not even Quincy.
There’s nothing wrong with frustration, it’s the motivating factor that can lead you/Arsenal/whomever to strive to do better next time.
I only think that the reaction to the selling off of Bentley & Quincy is a bit of an overreaction.
January 31st, 2006 at 10:35 pm
You’re laughing Faresk but wasn’t Man U & Botafogo sniffing aorund that 9 yr. old Brazilian kid 3 yrs. or so ago?
And Italian clubs run youth teams all the way down to the 5 & 6 yr. old age groups.
January 31st, 2006 at 10:51 pm
I don’t blame Senderos for the goal against Bolton but I definitely blame hiim for the goals against Everton and Wigan last week. Clown shoes!
January 31st, 2006 at 11:07 pm
Cole had proven himself to be a star and an England international before he showed the whole world that he was also a clown with that Chelsea thing. Had Pennant proven himself before making a fool of himself he would still be a gunner too.
Cesc is playing by default and we are not a stronger team for it. If Vieira and Edu were still here Cesc would be happy being a squad player for a team like Arsenal just like any other 18 year old kid would. We don’t have anyone else to play there.
The problem with these young English kids is that they listen to the media hype them up telling them how great they are and try and demand a place in Arsenal’s 1st team instead of waiting their turn or trying to force their way into the team. Upson, Pennant, and Bentley all griped about playtime based on what the media said and they’re all gone as a result off to mediocrity.
Wenger simply lacked the resolve to ignore the media and allow these players to develop into superstars in time. He lacked the ability to channel their desire to play into forcing their way into the team. You don’t wait for handouts from the manager, you move players out of your way like Vieira and Cole did.
February 1st, 2006 at 12:32 am
“He’d probably light it up there”
I beg to differ. Aliadiere’s career has been riddled with injury. Wenger has still persisted with him and given him a new contract. But his third loan move in one season suggests that nobody is willing to play him. I don’t doubt that he will be back in France next year, but I do doubt that he will “light it” up there.
February 1st, 2006 at 12:40 am
I am not surprised that Bentley has left. Almost all youngsters who go on loan end up leaving. Next up are Hoyte and Aliadiere. I am not surprised by Quincy leaving either, just by the timing of it. I think Walcott’s signing hastened his departure. He is talented, no doubt, but just fancy tricks and stepovers don’t get you too far. One crunching tackle from Gary Neville and Quincy would have met the same fate as Reyes.
But I do agree that many youngsters are not getting a chance to prove themselves. Wenger is quite biased in that matter. Players he likes (Gilberto, RvP, Reyes, Fabregas, Cygan) will continue playing no matter what. Others like Lupoli are not even getting a sniff of a chance despite a good record in the reserves. Many point to Djourou and Gilbert, but forget that they made the team only because of injuries (much like Cesc did).
February 1st, 2006 at 1:53 am
Cesc, Djourou, Cole, Gilbert, Senderos, Diaby all have been bought as precocious talent and all are now starters in the team. How can you say Arsenal under AW have the worst youth policy!!!
All also play for their respective countries whether junior or senior level which the ones that don’t yet will get to eventually.
Quincy and Bentley were sold not because they do not have the talent but because of their attitudes no doubt about that. I made a judgement on Quincy when Arsenal played Ajax in the group stages earlier in the year and he came on towards last 10 minutes and did absolutely nothing not even track back and that was a pattern you saw. More show boating than anything else.
Bentley dug his grave while he was still at Arsenal when he threw his tantrum for wanting more chance and that AW does not give him or brits chances….what has he done at Blackburn that has caught the imagination - I remember Duff at same age as Bentley lighting up Blackburns attacking play when he use to play for them - thats why Chelsea paid big money for him! Bentley has not done that….
Aliadiere somehow never really impressed me so him going is fine by me - wish him all the best.
As for West Ham tonight we should win comfortably I would say 3-1 maybe even 4-2!
February 1st, 2006 at 2:10 am
An interesting point to note is that when Bentley went on loan for the second year in a row, AW said that Quincy plays in the same position, so he had to leave. Now he might say that Walcott plays in the same position, so Quincy had to leave.
February 1st, 2006 at 4:31 am
Well who would have imagined Quincy would end up in freezing Moscow
February 1st, 2006 at 4:54 am
I think Quincy should have gone on loan maybe to France, I did hear some French team wanted him at the start of this season. I don’t know, I don’t think he got his fair chance. Like someone said if Wenger likes you, you can do no wrong, and that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. People say he was a one trick pony, but how refined was Henry at 19? If he was at Arsenal I bet he wouldn’t have made it.
February 1st, 2006 at 4:56 am
Look all of you. STOP MOANING please !!!
Quincy was NOTHING but a SHOW-PONY with no end product. Yes, he is only 19 yrs old….but what manager in their right mind won’t accept 3 million for a 19 yr old reserve?????? That’s great business and it also makes sense sporting wise as well.
February 1st, 2006 at 4:56 am
Name one former Arsenal youth player under Wenger who has left Arsenal and improved?
Name two.
I think Wenger is a pretty astute judge of whether the player is going to make it or not. Quincy, who Ajax kicked out because of his attitude, played 23 times for the first team and has been training with the first team squad for over a year. that should be long enough to tell whether he has made the next step.
February 1st, 2006 at 7:36 am
I just don’t see anything in Flamini, not now or for the future. He’s simply not good enough in my opinion.
Diaby showed far more potential and talent in his first game than Flamini has ever done. That’s what I call a player with a bright future.
I have seen Flamini more than enough times to come to the conclusion that he will not amount to anything at the very top level - the talent just isn’t there, neither is the technique - he’ll be a journeyman.
February 1st, 2006 at 7:39 am
I think the moaning derives from the fact that Wenger is pinning out future on kids, but they’re flying out the door quicker than they’re arriving - meanwhile the team is suffering and declining.
As everyone has insisted, Wenger needs to bring in at least a couple of experienced players to make up for the natural underperformance of the kids, but he simply refuses to do that for some reason.
It’s hard to have faith in his masterplan when he’s showing the door to the very players that he has been asking us to trust his judgement on.
February 1st, 2006 at 7:40 am
?1.5 million I think you’ll find.
February 1st, 2006 at 7:41 am
Luis Boamorte - great player, woule be miles better then Reyes on the left.
February 1st, 2006 at 8:03 am
Isn’t that what they made on him?
February 1st, 2006 at 8:24 am
Good call, but that is pretty much it. In 8 years, Wenger’s been proved wrong in terms of letting youth team players go in one case.
My point was why the furore in Quincy and Bentley going. I don’t believe it’s a sudden change in Wenger’s philosophy, you can still be committed to youth and let 2 players you don’t think quite have it go.
Whether the commitment to youth over experience is a good thing, is an entirely different matter.
February 1st, 2006 at 9:24 am
Many clubs start developing player when they 4 or 5 years old. in Fact, you would know better. Lafaytte and Baton Rouge start developing their kids since that age.
I have kids in my U9 team who has been playing for 4-5 years and can do everything see a Brazilian can do !
I am sure other teams such as DC or fires would have a more superior programs. I am sure Arsenal and Man U would have waaay better system.
February 1st, 2006 at 12:58 pm
Mind you, once you leave Arsenal, Man Utd or Chelsea what are you going to do? Those clubs win everything domestically anyway, you’re going to have to work with inferior players with less equipped staff etc.
And if you’re dumped by one of those clubs you’re not going to be snapped up by a big European club either.
February 2nd, 2006 at 11:37 am
Ah the wonder of hindsight…
Bentley.. hat trick against MUFC last night. When did that happen before?
Also you failed to mention that Alliadiere went as well, to Wolves on loan….. when will he sign a perm deal with them?
February 2nd, 2006 at 3:06 pm
Does Bentley’s hat trick against Man U yesterday count as one positive headline or three? I just want to know how many fingers I have left on my one hand for Bentley… those 3 goals are more than the entire Arsenal team has scored in the last 4 games combined against Man U, so I’m thinking maybe Bentley is on to something (or, should I say, has something).
Funny how this time last year, there were people talking about Bentley (on this board, among other places) being the next Dennis Bergkamp (same initials and all). I know the English would say it’s “early doors” on his career at Blackburn– but I would have said the same thing about the Arsenal careers of Bentley, Quincy, Aliadiere, Upson, Jeffers (need I go on), at the time We(nger) got rid of all of them– not long after trumpeting them– and a pittance received for the combined lot of them… all this added to the wondrous sums Wenger finagled for Wiltord, Edu, Kanu, Van Bronckhorst, Parlour, Keown, Pennant, Stack, Grimandi ((need I go on)… at least with the lesser clubs, they at least get something for the guys the get rid of, even if it’s only million pounds– even Chelsea don’t let players go for free– as their manager emphasized so pointedly last year– if you want Tiago, you’re going to have to pay for him.