Wenger lags behind in developing homegrown talent

[Wembleygooner- raised in hornsey]

http://news.arseblog.com/2014/10/report-arsenal-ninth-in-hom egrown-talent-table/ (http://news.arseblog.com/2014/10/report-arsenal-ninth-in-homegrown-talent-table/)

[JohnnyPuma]

The point of developing players must be to have them play in your team, surely?

We have 7 homegrown players in our squad, Chelsea have 3 and City have 1.

In fact only Manchester United has more in England (of those listed).

Also, we are behind a team like Athletic Bilbao, which has a policy of playing Basques only. So that is not really surprising.

A number of French teams have a lot of homegrown players on their books. But Bordeaux, Montpellier, Metz, Lens and Nantes are not really the teams we compare ourselves to, are they?

Other than that there is Barcelona, United (and perhaps Lyon and Schalke if I am being generous) of the top teams have more homegrown players in their squad than us.

[Nicosia Gooner]

players in the last 10 years

You really have it in for Wenger to the point that is becoming boring

[7evens]

There's a very obvious reason why both Chelsea and City are at the bottom of that table.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

Man Utd in terms of English teams. Imbecile.

[Bergkamp's Brain]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

There may be some nice bits, of course. I've just never encountered them.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

Between the ages of 15-21 for this report. It's not about English only. Maybe you should both read it.

[Bergkamp's Brain]

no need to go back to Wembley

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

But in the spirit of Xmas I won't.

[7evens]

Ah.. Preston Road.
How can we ever forget this ..

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSBA7irC6qjriGSMwLUUolecw2V3vrc u91g4HNVPcPmISfucGTDE6OiW6L

[JohnnyPuma]

They can buy whoever they want and with two internationals in almost every position, they do not have to include a spotty 19-year-old homegrown player in their squard.

They prefer to loan them out to gain experience elsewhere rather than taking up a place in their squad. I think Chelsea have loaned out more than two full teams of young players to other clubs.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/sep/09/chelsea -loan-players-change-rules-wild-west-football (http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/sep/09/chelsea-loan-players-change-rules-wild-west-football)

Either way, football is not about having the most number of homegrown players. It is about winning football matches.

I remember Spurs-fans making a big point about how many British players they had under Redknapp. Then we were told it was very important to keep an English contingent. Now, when they have no more than we do, it does not seem to be that important anymore.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

It never was though of course the immature aspect of being a football supporter means that you will use any stick feasibly possible to beat your opponents with.

[HoddGooner]

In terms of players signed to those BEFORE 16, Arsenal have more players EARNING A LIVING from the game - i.e. playing in the Prem or Football league - than any other English club.

[Classic Jorge]

[SOLMAN(read by millions)]

[Classic Jorge]

[7evens]

They just buy ours. :-(
I read something last week that ran along the lines of Maureen considering the options of disbanding an academy altogether.

[Wembleygooner- raised in hornsey]