A fellow Gooner on Twitter, @Eltomo71, got me thinking a few days ago with the following tweet:
‘You know the problem with most our players atm? They play for the name on their back not the crest on their chest!’
He went on to say that is why he wants Bergkamp as a coach at the club as he understands what it means to represent the Arsenal.
Whilst with our injuries and inexperience it might not be possible now to put out a team that either grew up at Arsenal or signed as youngster have a burning desire to succeed at the Emirates in the Premier League right now, we could have a crack in the Carling Cup.
Wojciech Szczesny – Came to Arsenal at 17, but grew up following the Gunners from Poland and a self-confessed Arsenal fanatic.
Carl Jenkinson – Whole hearted with much to learn, but wouldn’t you put your body on the line for a club and a manager who took a punt on you after a handful of games in League One?
Daniel Boateng – A powerful athletic centre-back who has been at Arsenal since the age of 11. Now 19, he has not missed a single minute of the reserves 5 match unbeaten start to the season.
Per Mertesacker – Per as we all now has told us he has been a Gooner since teenage years when he came to London and bought a shirt. Playing for the Arsenal has fulfilled his life time ambition. Per offers great experience alongside Daniel.
Kieran Gibbs – We picked up Gibbs in 2007. With over 4 years and a manager who has faith in him this 22-year-old qualifies as a Gooner for me.
Emanuel Frimpong – I don’t think any of us doubt this guy would run through a brick wall if Wenger told him to. He joined our academy at the age of 9 with JW19.
Alex Song – Bring in Alex to keep ‘Dench’ Frimpong in check. Alex is another who whilst having not grown up in the youth ranks was brought to Arsenal by Wenger at the tender age of 18 in 2005, and as such qualifies as having Gooner DNA for me.
Chuks Aneke – Described by Stevie Bould as one of the most talented players he has EVER seen, Chuks has as much Gooner DNA as anyone, having joined Arsenal at 7, 11 years ago. He is an ever present for the reserves, scoring for fun and made his debut in the last Carling Cup outing. This guy is the future, make no mistake.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – The Ox does not really qualify for Arsenal DNA, but I just sense that he has always wanted to be here and has a fierce desire to succeed the Wenger way and everything he and his dad say backs this view up.
Sanchez Watt – Another who joined Arsenal aged 7 and after successful loans spells at Leeds, Watt is back playing through the middle for the reserves and has scored in all bar one of our 5 match unbeaten start to the campaign.
Theo Walcott – Having been given his big break by Arsenal at such a young age, Theo has the DNA and last year he truly began to deliver. For so long the sole Englishman in the first-team squad, Theo is now being pushed by Oxlade-Chamberlain, but who says they cannot play together. We have a long list of flying right footers cutting in from the left, Limpar, Merson, Overmars and Pires.
I am assuming we play the same formation as the first-team in the Premier League when selecting my Gooner DNA team, but here’s the shape:
Szczesny
Jenkinson Mertesacker Boateng Gibbs
Song Frimpong
AOC Aneke Walcott
Watt
Now I know this will never happen and it is just a bit of blogging fun, but it does illustrate that we do have many players who owe Arsenal and Arsene everything and who would love to play for the shirt for a long time to come. Anyone who has read Jack Wilshere’s tweets or who saw Frimpong on Soccer AM can have little doubt of where their loyalties lie. I would happily have added a fit Benik Afobe and JW19 to this squad; I could have also easily selected the likes of Eastmond, Freeman, and Ramsey as well and would certainly have Lansbury back anytime as well.
As I said, it’s just a bit of fun, but with a serious underlying message that after years of suggesting a bright Arsenal future we may actually have a crop of true Gunners to follow through.
Keen to hear your views.
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What this need is a fliud player
Wenger is a very loyal and principled person but he does not seem to appreciate that they will All leave The Arsenal when they are ready (and/or when their agent wants to make a killing !)
Therefore there is no point in him being sentimental either. If it seems right to bring a top star – but it means cramping a young developing player …. well tough. They won’t end up in the workhouse – none of them.
ive said it many times before and ill say it again, all the players mentioned and including more players in the reserves like ozyakup, ebecilio and coquelin fit this same mould. i think we have the most potential weve ever had coming through the ranks. the dna is the most important thing though, hopefully coming through the ranks creates a loyalty that resembles the likes of paul scholes, david beckham and ryan giggs
Yes Goon I agree big style. We may need to spend some cash but not the millions most fans want.