Arsenal’s Golden Generation: Will Wenger’s squad ever live up to the high expectations?
I want you to take us to the Promised Land!
“Man Utd had a golden generation with Giggs, Scholes, Beckham, the Nevilles and Butt and they won together because they stayed together. This team can have similar success. Normally big clubs do not educate young players any more.”
– Arsene Wenger
As shocking as it may seem, earlier this season, fans and the media were questioning as to whether Arsene Wenger should continue his reign at the Emirates. The man lives, breathes and spits Arsenal FC.
Most of the fans still have faith in his abilities, but he has not won a trophy since that penalty shootout win against Man United in the FA Cup in 2005 — and that just won’t do.
He promises fans that their time will come again. His unbeatables are long gone now, replaced by another team of stars that are different in so many ways from his teams of yesteryear. His new squad was built in a way that he claims is like no other approach in Europe. He moved to explain his philosophy, his “golden generation” that will become a dominant force in Europe like the Manchester generation has done.
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
His long terms plans for the club involve a firm wage structure and the desire to “educate” the young stars they have. He highlighted the many gems at the club, the nucleus to a golden era ; Cesc Fabregas, Denilson, Theo Walcott, Abou Diaby. He has assured the fans that if the core of the team can stay together and if the desire is there, then Arsenal will be a dominating force in 3 years time.
Three years is a long time to fans. Especially when they have already waited nearly four years, and when some of the talent at the club has already been tipped to move on. Adebayor rumoured to be cashing in on a fantastic goal scoring campaign last year with a move to AC Milan or Barcelona; Cesc Fabregas linked with a move back to the club from where he was poached, Barcelona; Denilson was linked with Real Madrid in January. Will the kids wait for three long years for the trophy cabinet to begin to fill up? Will they be able to resist the pound signs that other clubs dangle in front of them? Who really knows for sure.
THE BEST OF THE REST
What of the league rivals? Chelsea have curbed their spending considerably, Abromovich tightening his purse strings in recent seasons. They have an aging squad, as Ferguson pointed out in pre-season. Drogba, Lampard, Ballack, Deco, Terry, Carvalho; just a few hovering around that landmark 30 years of age. In three years’ time — 2012, to be exact — many of these will no longer be able to cope with the speed and stamina that the Premiership demands.
And what of European Champions, Manchester United? Do they have what it takes to dominate Europe in the long term? Rooney should still be there, but is his world class presence enough? Wenger scoffed as the names of Nani and Anderson were put to him in a press conference. He dismissed the Brazilian twins of Rafael and Fabio, pointing out the inferior Champions League “education” in comparison to his own batch of talent. Scholes, Giggs, Neville will be gone. Ronaldo is constantly linked with a move to Spain. How long can Manchester United resist his inevitable Real desires?
Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, the key at the moment to Manchester United at the back, will be nearing the end of their careers. Both will be into their thirties. Can they maintain their form into the latter stages of their career? Indeed. the big question is what will be of Sir Alex? His eternal tutelage must eventually come to an end. A lot of it depends on who replaces him. Jose Mourinho is tipped as his successor but will this prove true? And does he have what it takes to take Manchester United to further success?
Then there is Liverpool. Gerrard is close to his 30’s. Retirement or at least a fall in his excellent form is going to come to an end. It looks like Benitez will still be there, but Liverpool’s form going forward seems to depended on his latest batch of signings. Fernando Torres is obviously world class, but he needs the stars around him. Can the likes of N’Gog and Lucas really compare with Arsenal’s future talent?
Then there is the latest team to enter the fray: Manchester City. The billions. How will they use them? Will they buy the success that Chelsea have done or will they simply skim through an endless list of illustrious global managers and players without ever finding the winning formula? Will the men behind the billions grow bored? Will they stick with the club or leave them in the lurch as 2012 arrives?
So many questions surround Wenger’s rivals. He can only guess what challenges and even what managers will face his squad in 2012. All he can do is look to his own squad. His promise to “educate” the stars and the potential that he boasts must be delivered. They all feature on a continental and domestic front week in week out. At such tender ages they are in the Quarter Finals of the Champions League.
How good can and will the current mix of talent really be with another 3 years of top class football and experience under their belt? As Wenger’s golden era comes in 2012, how far will the squad have come?
WENGER’S MAIN MEN
Cesc FABREGAS: NOW 21 / GOLDEN ERA 24 – Captain of the club and already a world class midfielder and will just get better and better. If he adds the goals to his game that Gerrard and Lampard offer their clubs, it is a scarey thought for opposition players. If the golden era comes, this Spaniard will be at the very heart of it.
Emmanuel ADEBAYOR: NOW 25 / GOLDEN ERA 28 – This season has not see the riches that last did. His injuries preventing him from building his goals tally. He has been tipped for a move away, but if Arsenal can keep him his goals will be instrumental.
Robin VAN PERSIE: NOW 26 / GOLDEN ERA 29 – When fit, he is already one of the best strikers in world football. He has a fantastic strike, an air of ease in his style and control, and an ability to transform a game with sublime skill. He has deputised as a makeshift target man to try and fill a void left by Adebayor’s injury. Usually playing behind a front man, he has expanded and developed his game and will continue to do so as he moves into his prime.
Samir NASRI: NOW 21 / GOLDEN ERA 24 – He has shown glimpses this season of true class. One of the creative flair attacking midfielders than Arsene likes so much. He can strike with both feet, has a great bust of speed and control and will chip in with a few goals. He plays on the left right now, but will experience other positions and develop into a world class star. His style compares to the old Pires and Wenger has tipped him to reach the talented heights of his compatriot.
Theo WALCOTT: NOW 19 / GOLDEN ERA 22 – Fan favourite. He has already struck a hatrick at international level and played a number of games in the Champions League against the likes of Chelsea, Inter and AC Milan. At just 19, he has so much time ahead of him and will wreak havoc on many more defenders in his career. If he can fine tune his final delivery and chip in with a few more goals, he too can be one of the best players in the country. Theo remains the only major English player in Arsenal’s “golden generation.”
THE GOLDEN OLDIES
Manuel ALMUNIA: NOW 31 / GOLDEN ERA 34 – It is doubtful he will still be part of the squad during the potential ‘Golden Era’ but his role is vital until then. He has the experience that can help the squad “educate” and develop. He may be vital in securing the trophies that will keep the young stars at the Emirates.
William GALLAS: NOW 32 / GOLDEN ERA 35 – His Arsenal career took a hit earlier in the season and he is coming to the end of his career in the game. He will almost certainly be leaving the club over the next couple of years. His experience will be vital however until he departs. Goals like the one in the FA Cup tie against Hull could help clinch some silverware to feed the hunger and keep the “golden generation” at the club.
Kolo TOURE: NOW 28 / GOLDEN ERA 31 – He has the pace to be at his best into his thirties and could feature highly if the golden era is to come. His role at the back will be vital to any success and he is a model professional. He will hope to enjoy a better relationship with his next partner in defence than he does with William Gallas.
Andrey ARSHAVIN: NOW 28 / GOLDEN ERA 31 – An unusual signing for Arsene in cost and in age. He is already a class player, a creative genius and a scorer of great goals. He took Russia to the late stages in Euro 2008 and has settled early on at the Emirates. He will be in his thirties when and if the golden era arrives, but can still play a major role with a cool head and an understanding of the world game. He could adapt his game, drifting into a similar kind of influence and player to Ryan Giggs. Relying less on his pace off the mark and using his vision and experience to break open stubborn back lines.
Tomas ROSICKY: NOW 29 / GOLDEN ERA 32 – As this playmaker moves into his thirties, his injury record would not look like getting any better. It is difficult to know what role he will play in Arsenal’s fortunes over the next few years, but as the golden era approaches, he may be forced to move abroad to continue his career.
THE REST OF THE BEST
Carlos VELA: NOW 20 / GOLDEN ERA 23 – Could be a huge player for Gooners for years to come. He has already shown the crowd some great goals, already establishing a trademark move where he chips the ball over the keeper, leaving him red faced. His left foot is magical and the Mexican has ardently been compared with the great Hugo Sanchez. Darting runs and a bubbly charisma could take the striker into the starting lineup sooner rather than later.
Nicklas BENDTNER: NOW 21 / GOLDEN ERA 24 – A big question mark continues to hover over Nicklas Bendtner and his future at the club. But Arsene has faith, and so should the fans. He is having a season that reminds me so much of when Adebayor first came to the club. Gets into goal scoring positions, shows many great touches around goal, but mising the final finish. He could be a big big player for Arsenal in years to come, or leave before the era arrives. He certainly has potential and confidence could easily bring over 25 goals in a season as he learns his trade and continues to develop.
EDUARDO: NOW 26 / GOLDEN ERA 29 – Amazingly, yet another world class striker will be at Arsene’s disposal in a few years time. No wonder Arsene fancies his chances. He has one of the best finishes in world football, and his Brazilian routes are displayed in his exquisite technique and comprehension of the game. Unlike some of the club’s other centre forwards, there is no conspicuous style to his play. Many won’t notice the Croatian international is even on the pitch until the ball is nestled in the net.
Bacary SAGNA: NOW 26 / GOLDEN ERA 29 – The Frenchman already looks like a quality right back. He goes forward well and defends with assurance. A top player already and will get better, covering for Walcott as the winger ventrues on his trademark runs and assisting him in delivering into the box.
Gael CLICHY: NOW 23 GOLDEN ERA: 26 – A fantastic left back with gallons of energy and pace to burn. He is partial to the odd error due to his youthful exuberance but should eradicate these with another few years of Premier League and Champions League experience. He will stand amongst the best left backs in the world in a few years. Without a doubt.
Emmanuel EBOUE: NOW 25 / GOLDEN ERA 28 – Once booed by his own fans but things seem to have picked up for the Ivorian in recent games. He can play right back and right midfield and is not afraid to get in the box to add his name to the goalsheet. If he remains at the club, he will be a great player to have in the squad and will have had over five years playing in the Premier League and Champions League. A fantastic squad player at the very least.
Alex SONG: NOW 21 / GOLDEN ERA 24 – A big favourite at the Emirates and often underestimated member of the young Gooners. He has power, pace, can pass the ball well in all directions and can fill in a number of roles around the park. He his best role is in defensive midfield where he can provide a stronger presence than many of the ‘lightweights’ in the squad.
Johan DJOUROU: NOW 21 / GOLDEN ERA 24 – May be the man who steps in for Gallas when he departs. He has been given great experience and has the usual pace and strength of Wenger’s young defenders. He has the odd lack of concentration and mad moment but once again, game at the top level will help this no end.
Abou DIABY: NOW 22 / GOLDEN ERA 25 – Central defender/striker/central midfielder/ticket office attendant. This guy can do just about any position. He has played in attack in the Chamions League and scored, and has held off the likes of Drogba for 90 minutes in the league. Powerful, aerially superior, and moves forward like a steamengine. Players appear to move out of his way to avoid being flattened. One hell of a talent and the only question will be where and not if he makes his name as a top class player. Position that is, not just club.
DENILSON: NOW 21 / GOLDEN ERA 24 – A Brazilian who seems to be filling in a role he has not yet adapted to. Since Flamini departed, he has come in as the main tool to sunder opposition attacks and breakaways. He has skill and flair in abundance and his ability to pass a ball is not in question. Wenger may look to him as the long term partner for Cesc in midfield, and has directly tipped him as a key component of his “golden generation.” Perhaps a fancy “Nicky Butt” in his mind. He still has plenty to show the fans at the Emirates but already has plenty of European and Domestic games under his belt.
SQUAD DEPTH
Lucasz FABIANSKI: NOW 23 / GOLDEN ERA 26 - Wenger is fan of the young Pole. Very young for a keeper he will likely have another 15-20 years left in his career. His few displays have been promising but he will not get the experience that some of the youngsters will get. He will probably be a backup keeper for whoever is the ‘Golden Era’ goalkeeper.
Jack WILSHIRE: NOW 17 / GOLDEN ERA: 20 – Maybe an even more long term member of the Arsenal crèche. He has displayed evidence of his touch and ability in the league cup, against the likes of Wigan and Sheffield United. Wenger has not yet began the real “education” of the English kid, and his appearances may be more plentiful as the potential golden era closes in.
Aaron RAMSEY: NOW 18 / GOLDEN ERA: 21 – As above, he is still on the periphery of Wenger’s plans and is being eased into action. Tipped as a big talent, he came from Wales with big hopes and we will learn more about the player over the next couple of years. He would not appear to be a first team player in the golden era but could be essential cover in the squad of depth required in the Premier League.
VERDICT
There it is. A brief glimpse at how the Arsenal’s current crop will look in 2012. Whilst we can only guess what the quality of their rivals will be, there is still an abundance of talent and plenty of potential for silverware just like Sir Alex achieved with his own generation. The squad will have developed, gelled together, and completed their apprenticeships in European and Premier League football. They will have sponged plenty of experience and be fully adapted Premier League and Champions League stars. But, can Arsene convince the kids to stay? Will they complete their “education” under his charge?
There is no doubt that there will be a “golden generation” of world class footballers in three years’ time. There is little doubt that these golden stars will include Cesc Fabregas, Abou Diaby, Denilson, Carlos Vela, Theo Walcott to name but a few. The big question, however, is whether this “golden generation” of world class stars will be bringing success to Arsenal Football Club, or to another club.
great article..but to wait for another 3 years will be painful for the fans after going 4 seasons without silverware..will really help if they get a taste of silverware within these 3 years, a Champions league medal or an FA cup this season will greatly increase their appetite for silverware..and once they have a taste of being winners they will be hungry for more..
he he, Most of these players will be sold by Wenger the time they reach 21…
Eduardo is 26 currently?
Cain – spot on. Eduardo’s been around for some time now. Along with Arshavin he’s going to be in his prime for the next few years for Arsenal, assuming they can stay fit.
Fantastic piece
I don’t think it will be three years before we start to see trophies, which should keep the fans somewhat happy. If we can keep this squad together in three years time we will be dominating everything.
Exactly. Keep fans and players happy with some trophies and good performances and hopefully they will stay and the club’s time will come.
I am wigan fan but love watching arsenal play and really admire the way Arsene sends them out to pass. Eduardo is 26, I was suprised as thought he was few years younger than that. He is kind of player who will be at his best for 5 more years, as I said, he just appears out of nowhere to score. He should be firing on all cilinders in a few years time.
I think an FA Cup win this year would do wonders to help keep some of these players who are having their heads turned by Milan, Barca, Real, etc. I am convinced now that we will finish in 4th so there won’t be the excuse of no Champions League so we know if anyone leaves this summer it is only for a paycheck like Flamini and Hleb.
A healthy Arsenal next year will be challenging for the league title. I think the teams midseason drop in form was due almost exclusively to missing Fabregas. In the long run this could be the key to Arsenal being a great team even sooner than expected. The players have had to adapt to not having their star play maker. This will give Wenger the confidence to rotate the squad and keep Cesc and others fresh over the long haul of the league and cups.
It has been a tough year but these are growin pains.
they have the quality, the main thing that experience will give the team is consistancy.
good article…. i think we’ll get either the FA CUP or UCL or even both this year…. just watch.. and that means the stars will remain with us… i just hope Fabregas and Edu stay along side with arshavin…. can you picture the trhee playing together… some good times are coming to north london….
Sometimes I wonder if that 2003-04 season did more harm than good in terms of creating unfulfillable expectations. When you come off a season undefeated in today’s modern game, it’s a tough act to follow. But it seems that subconsciously, Wenger and Arsenal have held themselves to that standards in their ambitious plans to build for the future and any team (or promise of a team) that fails to live up to that standard might inevitably seem like a resounding failure. That’s the impression I get at least.
Yeah arsenal has a young squad…what a load of shit is what i say. For one thing many of them are mid 20’s or older, only fab, nasri and walcott are really main players who are young. The thing is arsenal just wants to make excuses for themselves, chelsea might have an aging squad what with essien, malouda, joe cole, ashley cole, bosingwa, terry all mid to late 20s with another 4-5 years of peak playing time left. Lampard is playing better then every1 in the whole team and he is meant to be old…mikel and kalou both early 20s and playing key roles this year with di santo, stoch and mancienne getting more playing time means chelsea has a very aging squad…
The only difference between chelsea and arsenal is that chelsea best young player is a defensive minded CM so he doesnt score goals or make crazy assists so mikel isnt as lauded as fabregas even though mikel arguably is just as good as fabregas. Yeah im a chelsea fan but i hate the supposed idea that arsenal play youth out of some kind of special reason and not because half their actual squad is injured or actually already playing at their peak.
look, there is no dispute that the chelsea squad right now is a top one. however, stoch, mancienne, di santo and obi mikel are not going to set the world alight in a few seasons. they are not going to be anywhere near the likes of fabregas, diaby, nasri etc. to think so , i know you are a chelsea fan , is blue glasses at it highest level. i am a true neutral, have seen the chelsea youngsters a lot and they show promise but nowhere near the level or the amount that arsenal has. it isnt a squad of pensioners, but all i say is that in 3 to 5 years, many of the best players will be gone and you dont have much in terms of quality to replace them. it is hardly like roman will go out and spend millions again as he seems to have curbed the spending.
Main players in Arsenal squad who are ‘young’: Fabregas, Denilson, Walcott, Nasri, Clichy (which is nearly half the first team)
And really there are no old players aside from Almunia (31 which is quite young for a goalkeeper) and Gallas.
Any other squad and you have at least 2-3 players in the first team around 30 or older:
Chelsea: Lampard, Drogs, Carvalho
Man Utd: Scholes, Giggs, Ferdinand, Van Der Sar
Liverpool: Carragher, Aurelio
I was not aware Song was a fans favourite. He does not have pace, nor vision. Admittedly, his performances have been better of late, however he is not good enough to stake a regular claim for a place in the centre of the park. He has a good attitude but not enough quality.
huh???? mikel better than fabregas????what sort of joke is that?? i kno both of them are different type of players and u can’t compare them and shit…but is chimbonda a better player or torres?
leave chimbonda out of this!
as a wigan fan i felt inclined to dispute any mention of the french player in my presence. he was great when he played for us by the way.
Great article; one of the best I’ve ever seen on Arsenal future.
I was a true neutral when I first watch football some years ago. But over the years, I couldn’t help but to admire Arsene’s philosophy for Arsenal. It was only last year that I decided to support Arsenal.
Andy, I think there is one more player that may be worth to put under ‘Squad Depth’: Kieran Gibbs. He’s been playing really good whenever he comes on this season.
Apart from the players mentioned in this article, there are some more fantastic young players coming through the ranks in a few years. Mind you, if they all stay, Arsenal could field an all-English team 7 years down the road! Or maybe at least 8 English players, since I have yet to see truly potential young English players on Right Back, Center Back, and Goal Keeper positions in Arsenal.
Oh well, I’m just hoping that the current team will stay together for a long time. That should be enough to win trophies. I don’t mind waiting three years, haha.
i thought about him, and randall. to be totally honest though i have not seen them more than ten times and i only comment if i have a good long luck at the player. when i see reserve games etc they never seem to play, or miss the one i end up seeing through injury. once i view them i can really form an opinion. i have heared good things but only feel that i am justified to make a estimate if i have had more than a brief viewing.
thanks for the comments
Great article!
It will definitely be difficult for some fans to wait for three years, but watching some of these players develop has been a real joy:
-Denilson and Song: Compare their performances 6 months ago to their most recent performances in terms of distribution and tenacity, it’s like their completely different players.
-Bendtner: Takes a lot of crap for his lack of finish, but he looks 10x more dangerous and confident now than he did at the beginning of the season. He runs at defenders, takes the right positions, and has worked on his distribution and hold-up play and is a much better all-around player than he was in August.
We need to be more supportive of these young players. The injuries have forced them to fill some immense shoes and I think they’ve done quite admirably. We’re still in two major competitions and are very close to becoming a dominant side.
Lol as a Chelsea fan I would love to see Diaby be the ticket attendant. Freak of a player, and provided he gets a good injury run, he’ll get world player of the year at some point. Good injury run being key.
Even though I am a Chelsea fan, I’ve come to respect Wenger’s spending policy – out of all of these, only Arshavin is in the top 50 paid players in the world, and he’s at 37. There’s an article on it somewhere on this site.
So as much as I would love to see Arsenal fall, as a Chelsea fan, at the same time I’d love to see a manager who doesn’t spend much to be successful. Damn it.
i really liked the artcle. people and have said alot about Arsenal and the players. most of the media haven’t said anything of the future. they are completely decieved by current inconsistencies in the squad and see is the surface apperances going on.
the writer of this article i think has touched all Arsenal fans and has the power of seeing things from distance. All the future depends on what we do today and AW is doing the very job for that matter.
what i am afraid now is other teams interest in the palyers of us. that would be something we fight for. Everything will be alright with Arsenal in the coming years.
great stuff. wenger is truly a genius for keeping the arsenal squad competitive without spending money.
by competitive i hope you mean able to challenge for a top 4 finish cause thats all they have been doing for last 4 years. I think the biggest problem with arsenal is that they dont have the older players who can use their experience to weather the storm/make something happen. Many of the games this year the ones who have done the most in many of the major teams have been the slightly older players like lampard, scholes, giggs and carragher. Look at liverpool’s squad they are also relatively young with many years of peak performance to go. Same goes for ManU who have just gone through a rebuilding over the last 2 seasons and look better for it.
Alot of the youth are arsenal i think are over-rated in the sense that if they played a club outside of arsenal and maybe barcelona they would not be as lauded. Many of arsenal’s “youth” is just very well scouted players from around the world already and many of them can’t even cut it in the long run. The problem with arsenal is that some of the players just aren’t good enough and they drag back the team because suddenly fabregas can’t trust denilson/diaby/song/eboue to be half the DM that flamini was and that limits his going up forward which directly limits adebayor’s contribution, add to it that many of the players that would normally be on the wings are injured or not natural wingers and you get a situation where goals are hard to come by, only now that arshavin is firing can arsenal get back on track.
You can understand that Arsene is an excellent manager and that these children(yet) have talent through their development this season! they didnt’t started quite well but 2009 has been a very different season..they seem more like a team now..they can make a comeback when they are down 0-1 and they can perform what everyone calls “the arsenal way”..Future beckons..it is almost inevitable that some players maybe the popular ones will leave due to big contracts that they will be offered..but if they stay together..oh my..i can see the domination..only united(man.) and barca will be able to compete them in england and europe respectively..! I dont think that 2012 will be the start of the golden era..their peak time yes..but i think title credentials will arise from this summer since arshavin seems well adapted he will included in the champions league and cesc alongside denilson will develop even more..i think 2009/2010 will be an interesting season for arsenaL…the potential is there..only time will show us the result of all the speculations..! thank your fabmaniac
I’m an Arsenal fan but the last few seasons without trophies have been hard. Year after year the same thing is promised; that the next generation is coming. Half way through last season I started to believe. We had Hleb and Fab was laying everything on a plate for Ade, whilst Flamini was a revelation. We also had two of the best full backs in the game. But then everything went wrong. Eduardo was just starting to prove what a great buy he was before his unfortunate incident and we started to draw too many games. Furthermore, we were robbed by Liverpool in the Champions League by a penalty that didn’t go our way in the first leg, and a dubious penalty to them in the second. Then came the news in the summer that Hleb and Flamini were leaving. If those two stayed we would’ve had a real shot this season.
Nevertheless, I believe many journalists fail to recognize that Arsenal have built a world class stadium. Consequently, in order to maintain long term sustainability, it is totally understandable that Arsene has pursued a youth policy as opposed to the millions that the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, and Man United spend on transfers each summer. Ultimately, Arsenal and their board have created arguably the most sustainable, self-sufficient club of the big 4 in England.
Referring back to your player summaries, I’d like to add that Eboue is simply not good enough. His performances have improved but he just doesn’t have enough talent. As for Song, I don’t think his a fan favorite but I reckon he is underestimated a lot of the time. His job is similar to that of Gilberto’s and is only missed when his not there. The one I see who could make the biggest impact is Vela. In the games he has played this season his shown great promise and is a player I’d really like to see more of. But I feel Wenger is protecting him in the same way Walcott has been protected in the past. We see the benefits of that now.
Walcott/Fab/Vela will be the future of Arsenal, but then again I fear that we may lose important players like these before the ‘golden years’ just like we lost Hleb and Flamini last summer.