Arsenals Loanees - Vela, Merida & P.Botelho All Feature

Carlos Vela - Osasuna 2-1 Real Murcia

This time next year Carlos Vela will be planning his summer break probably with his family back in his native Mexico. However whilst his future team mates ended there season this afternoon, Vela is on a mission to help his loan club Osasuna avoid relegation from La Liga.

Despite being a regular for most of the season, coach Jose Angel Ziganda felt his side have gone stale in recent weeks with performances which has been his team slip deep into danger. He freshened things up during the defeat to Mallorca in midweek, with Vela dropping to the bench. Ziganda kept faith in his charges ahead of this evening’s game, which meant Carlos was again benched.

First Team Watch - Randall Features Against Sunderland

Arsene Wenger kept his policy by including a bench full of Reserves and Youth players for the final game of the season, for the trip to Teeside to take on Roy Keane’s Sunderland. The surprising news ahead of kick off was Kieran Gibbs was left out with a suspected injury, he was replaced by Reserves skipper Håvard Nordtveit.

Top scorer Nacer Barazite was also included alongside stopper Vito Mannone, winger Armand Traore and the fore mentioned Mark Randall.

The Confirmed Arsenal Team

Fabianski
Djourou - Senderos - Song - Clichy
Eboue - Denilson - Gilberto (c) - Walcott
Bendtner - Adebayor

Subs - 40. Mannone, 35. Nordtveit, 30. Traore, 36. Randall, 43. Barazite

Mark Randall was nearly involved with just three minutes gone, as Emmanuel Eboue had his ankle kicked out. After being taken of on a stretcher Eboue it seemed could not continue and Randall was warming up. However shortly afterwards he returned.

Sunderland has some nice early touches, and two free kicks which were eventually wasted. But then Arsenal stepped up the tempo and bagged the opening goal. Gilberto picked the ball up in the centre of midfield and poked it inside the Sunderland back line, Walcott raced on to it and as Martin Fulop advanced Theo clipped the ball beyond him to give Arsenal a 24th minute lead.

The second half was a more relaxed affair between the two sides, and at times it seemed both sides had half an eye on the summer break. But following a mix up between Danny Collins and goalkeeper Marton Fulop Arsenal won a free kick from just 6 yards out.

Bendtner, Adebayor, Walcott and Gilberto all stood over it, with the latter coming up and smashing it well wide of the target in a bizarre incident. Then Pat Rice signaled two changes for the Gunners.

Mark Randall > Nicklas Bendtner (81)
Armand Traore > Emmanuel Eboue (81)

The TV commentators then made jokes about Randall’s hair cut even saying it looks like it was cut with a knife and fork! haha. Walcott pushed up front with Randall on the right wing, and Traore taking the position the left flank.

Mark and Traore had one or two touches as the tempo edged out and the game drew to a close. Arsenal controlled the ball towards the end of the game, with a flowing passing move involving Randall, Gilberto, Denilson, and Walcott. Arsenal first goalscorer then toe poked the ball through to Randall who slotted beyond the goalkeeper, only for the referee to give it as offside. It would have been the perfect reward on his Premiership debut.

With minutes left the Gunners searched for another goal, Walcott and Denilson played a neat 1-2 who fed Adebayor. Then Randall was brought into the play in midfield, and was not daunted by the atmosphere and struck a powerful drive which Marton Fulop grabbed.

Lukasz Fabianski was particularly impressive, he was sharp of his line and made several decent stops to deny Sunderland an equaliser. But the referee blew for full time.

An impressive 9 minutes plus three minutes of injury time for Traore and Randall, with the latter showing signs he could be a real prospect for the club. In other news Jay Simpson looks set to leave the club during the summer transfer window.

Article By - J.Sanderson

Euro Championships Day 3 - Sunu & Özyakup In Action

Day three of The UEFA European Under 17 Championship’s got under way this afternoon, with all the teams playing the final games of the group stages before next weeks knock out phase.

Gilles Sunu’s France fresh from the stunning 3-3 draw with Spain took on Switzerland. While Arsenal’s other representative new signing Oguzhan Özyakup was again named on the bench as his Dutch team took on a struggling Scotland.

Oguzhan Özyakup started from the bench, but played the last 5 minutes as Holland beat Scotland 2-0 thanks to goals in either side of half time from Geoffrey Castillion, and Ricardo van Rhijn. They are now into the knockout phase next week.

Gilles Sunu started for France and played the full 80 minutes as France booked there place in the semi-finals with a 2-0 win over Switzerland, thanks to a double from Yannis Tafer.

Scroll down for full reports on both fixtures.

Wenger Cautious On Loaning + Talks Up Youngsters

Mark Randall and Kieran Gibbs have travelled with the first team to Sunderland this afternoon, and the pair could both feature in tomorrow’s Premiership fixture between the Gunners and the Black cats. Both players have recently returned from loan spells at Burnley and Norwich, and both players have had spells sat on the bench during the fore mentioned loan periods.

Arsene Wenger has confirmed he will be cautious in the summer when clubs come knocking for Arsenal’s young stars.

“Now they need now to show they are good enough, They have, like everybody, to fight to play, and if they are good enough they play. It’s as simple as that.

“They didn’t play a lot and that’s why it’s sometimes disappointing you give them up to Championship teams and they don’t play.

“(If) you want to play for Arsenal, you have at least to play in the Championship. When you go somewhere and you are on the bench, you cannot come back and say ‘I have to play for Arsenal’, because if you don’t play in the Championship team it’s difficult.”

Wenger also went on to describe the importance of loaning, and how high Arsenal rate the option to send the young prospects to other clubs.

“For us it’s part of education, to have a period of your life to play in a team who has responsibilities and to be under pressure and show how well you can do in the Championship.

“So it’s just to get you used to realising that life is not as easy as it looks in the football world.”

He also talked about some of the young English prospects in the system, and as we first announced he confirmed Jack Wilshere, along with Kieran Gibbs and Henri Lansbury will be fighting for a first team place next term.

“It’s fantastic because there is guaranteed stability when you have English players coming through. If I can bring a few through I will be very happy,”

“Gibbs, Jack Wilshere, Henri Lansbury, all might be included in the group next year. There is a core coming up, but I cannot tell you now whether all of them will make it.”

Wenger added: “I feel we have produced many good players English players and many of them play in other clubs. We have produced plenty, more than anybody else in England, but not enough for us.”

Article By - J.Sanderson

Oğuzhan Özyakup Talks About Arsenal Transfer

As first announced on Young Guns, Arsenal have all but signed Dutch Under 17 international Oğuzhan Özyakup from AZ Alkmaar. The attacking midfielder is currently away with the Holland team in his native Turkey for the European Under 17 Championships.

We have been offering regular reports on Özyakup’s performances during the tournament, which has seen the 15 year old feature as a substitute in Game 1, but he was left on the bench for Game two. Many have spoken about Oğuzhan’s Turkish background, but his family are fully behind him and his development.

“I heard from the stands people saying: ‘Oh, he is Turkish,” “But I am playing for the Netherlands team right now. My parents say: ‘Go and perform as Oğuzhan, whoever the opponents.’”

Many have made comparisons between Oğuzhan, Zinédine Zidane and Juan Román Riquelme. The level headed youngster lists the pair as his heroes but is keen to forge his own path in football.

“I want to play behind the forwards as an attacking midfielder,” he said. “Sometimes I cannot believe the things they are able to do.”

Özyakup himself admits the move is not 100% completed, as Arsenal still have some things to iron out with AZ. But things will become much clearer after the Championships.

“Liam Brady, the head of youth development, watched me and communicated with my agent,” Oğuzhan said. “But the transfer is still uncertain. I hope it will be certain in a few weeks.”

Quotes From UEFA.com

The move will be sorted shortly after we agreed terms with the player himself, however we are yet to agree compensation with his club side, that should be completed very soon.

Article By - J.Sanderson

Randall, Gibbs & Wilshere The Future, Simpson Is Not

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has confirmed he will run the rule over Mark Randall and Kieran Gibbs ahead of Sunday’s end of season clash against Sunderland.

Gibbs and Randall, both 18 have spent 3 months on loan recently at Norwich and Burnley respectively, and both have scored goals in their first games since returning to the club. Wenger has spoken with Neil Banfield in the past week, and has decided to look at the two youngsters and asses them ahead of next season.

“I could give one or two players an early breather because they go to Euro 2008 or the African qualifiers.

“So Kieran Gibbs, who got on the bench last weekend, could be involved again, so could Mark Randall. But I am really not sure yet.”

Quotes From Arsenal.com

However Wenger did not talk about Jay Simpson, who has spent the year on loan at Millwall and many feel deserves a chance to perform following his hat-trick against Dorchester on Tuesday. It now seems that Simpson will have to find himself a new club during the summer.

Steve Bould has spoken about the positives and negatives from the Under 18s season, and the former Arsenal defender has heaped praise on starlet and top scorer Jack Wilshere.

He also praised his “special” squad and talked about the development of his players, but also rued what could have been, and admitted his disappointment at injuries to Henri Lansbury.

“We knew from the beginning that they were a special group and they have come on really well. I would not have expected Jack Wilshere who is still of school boy age would be training full time with the first team.

But the kid has done really well, and has impressed in the Reserves games he has played, and i hope and expect his progress to continue”

Read more from Steve Bould, as well as an interview with Jay Simpson in the Arsenal Match day Programme.

Article By - J.Sanderson

Chelsea’s Gaël Kakuta Claims He Will Join Arsenal

Speculation is growing that Arsenal are set to sign Chelsea and France wonder kid Gaël Kakuta, after the Frenchman confirmed he has failed to settle with the Gunners London rivals following his switch from RC Lens.

The news first started with Skysports who reported last month in an exclusive interview that Kakuta had become frustrated at the Chelsea coaching staff, who have failed to reward his progress with a professional contract. He also had damming things to say about Head of Youth Development officer Frank Arnesen.

“I’m disappointed by the management in the Chelsea youth teams. Frank Arnesen refused my request of a new contract with some calls in the first team”

Now Spanish website Airfutbol has picked up on the story, in which Kakuta claims he has the offer of a contract from the Gunners, and also the guarantee they will sign Franco Di Santo should he put pen to paper of the contract.

“Here I have just one friend, the newcomer, Franco (Di Santo), that was very difficult for him after his signing because of tensions in the cloakroom. We approached to face this hardship and now we have a very good friendship.”

“I won’t leave the club alone, because I have guarantee from the Arsenal chairman that Franco will also join Arsenal this summer and we will still play together next season, so that make me happy.”

During the interview he was asked about rushing into the decision, in a similar fashion to Lassana Diarra who also joined Arsenal from Chelsea. Something he considered, but claims after holding talks with his former Chairman at Lens, as well as William Gallas and Arsene Wenger he is convinced Arsenal is the perfect place to develop his talents.

“I have taken advices close to a lot of people, I called my former club chairman, Gervais Martel (RC Lens executive) and he thinks it’s better for me to join Arsenal. I talked also with William Gallas who says me it’s better for my career to leave Chelsea. Moreover, Arsene Wenger’s sporting project is very attractive.”

“Now it’s clear in my mind I will play with Gunners shirt next season, I have agreed a deal and I hope Chelsea and Arsenal will found a agreement. It could be better for everybody”

The article from Skysports is not of the highest quality, and its riddled with spelling mistakes however, Sky are one of the best websites around and reliable when it comes to transfer news.

Kakuta is a left footed left sided player who can also play as a striker, he is currently away with France Under 17’s along with Gilles Sunu and has been one of the stars of the tournament so far. The transfer of Gaël would be a notable one as he is considered one of the biggest prospects in world football.

Article By - J.Sanderson

Beyond The Academy - Arsenal’s Under 16’s Stars

To celebrate the achievements of Arsenal’s Under 16 team in winning the Atalanta Cup earlier this week, Young Guns will bring its readers closer to some of the brightest prospects from the team, and players to watch out for next season as many of them push forward in to Steve Bould’s Under 18 team.

We profile midfielder Chuks Aneke, as well introduce defenders George Brislen-Hall and Daniel Boateng as well as forwards Jeffery Monakana and Jason Banton.