16 comments

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  The Arse

  9 months ago

  Arsenal's academy differs from all others in England in that technical skill is the most stressed aspect of the program. This would be a beneficial move for Renken.
  
  BTW Kartik, how's that pick for Tottenham to pip the top 4 going?
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  kkfla737

  9 months ago

  I never picked Spurs in the top 4. Never in my life! I picked them 8th! You should know that, I am probably more disparaging of Spurs than anyone out there and took poor Michael to task last year for picking them in the top 4. I did pick Villa 4th however and that is not looking great either with Liverpool actually playing this season for a change!
  
  Good point about the academy at Arsenal. It may be different.
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  ste_global

  9 months ago

  Yeah, I see your point but, as The Arse points out - the Arsenal Academy is unlike any othe academy in Europe actually. Its probably the best footballing education a 14yr old could possibly have.
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  slipereypete

  9 months ago

  whatever gets him the farthest away from American coaches the better.
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  chengiskhan

  9 months ago

  Arsenal's youth academy is much better than others in the EPL. Arsene Wenger has staged a complete revolution there and Renken's physical, technical, mental, and emotional development would be in good hands with the Arsenal staff and facilities. Also, if Renken managed to shine, he might actually get a chance to play, possibly even with the first team. Wenger is well known for giving youngsters a chance. See what Jack Wilshere is doing at age 16.
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  Ibracadabra

  9 months ago

  Renken should definitely join Arsenal - if he wants to be 10th choice in the midfield on a team that hasn't won bugger all in three years.
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  eplnfl

  9 months ago

  Kartik: In general I have formed the opinion that most English youth academies are not suited to the talented American player. Arsenal maybe one of the better places for a talent rich young American player. The Gunner's style of play is suited to the American player who wants a game that is more free-flowing and attacking and less ball control.
  
  My college basketball coach was able to develop from limited talent good teams. When he had talent rich players he won a lot of games but couldn't win the big one. My feeling is that English academies can teach the average player great skills but are weak when it comes to the young player with all the tools.
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  ls7

  9 months ago

  Moving underage players from their home countries has to stop. It's ridiculous and unnecessary and borders on human trafficking. Why buy a 14-year-old? So you can sell him a few years later for a profit? For the few underage players that do stick around and make it into the senior squad of the club that buys them up initially, there are many others that end up regressing in their development or are just sold on to another club.
  
  It can also be damanging to the player's social development because they are away from their normal support structures and environment (i.e. falling in with bad influences away from the game). UEFA has been looking at restricting this type of movement and I think it's a good idea to have it examined in more detail.
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  Jorge

  9 months ago

  your an idiot! At 14 he will get paid more than you ever will.............
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  ls7

  9 months ago

  Yes you're quite right. What was I thinking? We all know that money solves everything in life...thank you for that flash of brilliance Jorge.
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  Joe

  9 months ago

  Renken should be kept away from england at all costs.
  
  He's already ahead of where Adu was at this age. Letting him go to a country that has the worst player development system in the big european leagues is a sure fire way to ruin him.
  
  I'd prefer he end up at a PSV or Ajax personally.
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  Shakira Graham

  9 months ago

  If he goes anywhere outside the US, he should go to Holland where they know how to develop young players in all aspects of the game. England is the last place he should go, his talent will be wasted there. Keep him here till he is 16 and then send him to Holland to hone his skills there and he will do just fine.
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  ihuy01

  9 months ago

  Joe and Shakira. A large majority of the premier league clubs in England have very strong academy systems. I think it's a cultural thing above all the other issues. Wenger and others have continually said that the coaching and methods used are barely different to those on the continent or in south america. The fact is culturally these places are different. I would agree clubs and academies at the lower level is more of an issue. Add to add to that, i think there is legislation in place that doesnt allow a child to attend a club for training purposes in an area other than where he lives (it may have changed). None the less the Manchester United, Arsenal and others have encouraged ball work in a bid to improve the technique of their academy youngsters. Parents sign 'silence contracts' whereby when attending training they cannot yell or scream at their child..of course this is a bid to address 'lump the ball up the field' and 'your child is a hog' mentality. I would like to also say that technique is built up at a very young football age which is the main argument why players of developing football countries want to leave early.
  
  Bear with me but i have always thought there are similarities between USA and Australia in terms of football. Let me preface this by saying football similarly to in the USA i think attracts a lot of young footballers despite being a second rate sport (though this is changing dramatically). Long we have produced the physical type of footballer, very much different to other developing football countries who tend to lack organisation but have a technical basis to their style. I think we have similarities to the African footballers who (for all intensive purposes) have been associated with the physical side but you could argue have a good balance with technique these days.
  
  Australia has gone the dutch root in terms of our football style. Albeit success at the NT level has alluded the oranje, their methods in the style of play is conducive for the development of technical players. We have a dutch coach and a dutch technical director. We have moved away from the mixed system in place five or so years ago. Youngsters are encouraged to go to holland. I think this has helped greatly, football played at youth level translates to NT level. However i would like to emphasize the fact that Harry Kewell, Luke Wilkshire and Carney, all in the squad for Australia went through the English football system. Kewell Australia's greatest export and at one time was the hottest property in european football and our most technically gifted player ever has played in England all his life until this latest move. Carney who is dribbling abilities is his greatest strength came through everton i believe. And Wilkshire, Hiddink said he had the best technical skills of all the Australian players developed at Boro. Albeit Wilkshire has moved to Holland and subsequently earned a big money move to Russia, England is not a waste ground for talent.
  
  If you ask me i would send your young and developing player to France or Italy. The French system in the 20 years or so has been churning out talent which has reflected success at senior level football. When it's said and done the purpose of NT football is to win the world cup. Albeit Spain and Holland have incredible records of developing skilled footballers they have not translated and do not compare to France or Italy in terms of senior success.
  
  Finally...when it's all said and done, nothing is as important as first team football...you have to go a place where you have a legitimate chance...it's all about timing of your move....
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  otieye

  9 months ago

  Charles will go back and play for his native Zambia. All he neded was a way out in life not manipulation into running away from his motherland.
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  American Gooner

  9 months ago

  This is the same crap anti-English article that has been making the rounds. Arsenal's player development program is one of the top in the world. The signs of this is how many Arsenal players are plying their trade in the top two divisions in England, not to mention elsewhere (Italy for one).
  
  The name-dropping is just cherry-picking. Beasley spent his younger years with the Chicago Fire. PSV no more "developed" him than Man U developed Wayne Rooney. Of all the Holland-developed players mentioned, only O'Brien and Bradley can be said to have significant development there and even Bradley has only spend a year or two in Holland, having been with NY before that... and O'Brien, who did come up through the Ajax ranks, unfortunately had injuries ruin his career, so we'll never know what his potential would have been, but he never played for a club bigger than Ajax.
  
  Meanwhile, Rogers, who I'll agree has potential, is in Columbus. Berhalter and Deering aren't exactly sterling examples to fall back on. Kirovski had a more regular run out for a time that Deering in the MNT.
  
  Anyway, Renken seems set on joining Arsenal, so the verdict will be handed down in a few years, regardless of the one-sided biases in this article. I predict that if Renken sticks it out, he'll come away a stronger player. Potential is always difficult to determine, but the Arsenal system will give him time and experience in a world-class environment.
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  American Gooner

  9 months ago

  Oh, and always be skeptical of comments that use terms like "motherland." There's nothing stopping Renken from putting on a Zambia shirt now, is there?
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