I’ve heard a lot of things said about Carl Jenkinson. Too young. Not enough experience. Lacks pace. Lacks positional awareness. Understudy to Bacary Sagna.
When the final whistle sounded against Olympiakos on Wednesday night, there is only one message I have for everyone who knocks or has knocked this guy. Rubbish.
Jenkinson is Arsenal’s secret weapon at the back. In midweek he displayed, yet again, all the qualities that ought to make him the regular starter at the Emirates even when Sagna finally comes back.
His speed is deceptive and all the more frightening for it. He absolutely powers down the lines, leaving midfielders and defenders dead in their tracks. His link up play, particularly with Theo Walcott when he’s ahead of him, is something special. The way they overlap isn’t something that can be taught. It’s natural. Most importantly of all, unlike Theo, once he does get to a good position his crossing is top notch – intelligent, powerful and without fail picks out an Arsenal shirt.
This guy is the complete package, no doubt about it. I couldn’t count how many times he broke up play against the Greeks, stopped crosses from coming in, and had his foot exactly where it needed be to make the perfect tackle. And this is not a one-off performance; he did the same against Chelsea and against Man City. Time and time again, he gets it right. But no one gives him the praise he so richly deserves. I don’t know what kind of contract he has with us, but I sincerely hope we are already negotiating a new long-term deal to keep him with us.
Watch him. There is a lot more yet to come, and if he’s this good already, we want him with us for the rest of his career.
If there is just one thing I would say it’s this – for god’s sake man, smile!
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He’s one of the best young full backs in the epl and i can only hope City wont come knocking again
I was one of those U describe, Im sure U were too 😉
Nice to be proven wrong 😀
I hate It when people tell you to smile, it’s soo annoying. I like jenkinson just the way he is, the people who smile all the time are just trying to hide the fact that they are depressed all the time. Fact
I sincrly seconded d tot dat jekis as arrv to his best
Unlike Theo??Youa re daft, as Theo’s crosses have got better every year. What lasat year 12 assists and 10 goals. Enough bashing on this 23 year old who should be coming into his career years. He should be constructivly encouraged not dumped on, because he would like to play in the middle. In my mind that is a great ambition, because Gervinho is having a great year, but os absultely lucky as more often then not he will lose the ball trying to dibble into traffic, and his crosses leave a lot to be desired
Tired of people talking smack about Theo. He’s a top class player and anyone that thinks otherwise is an armchair gooner.