Last night, (a dry night, as it happened, as has been the case since Wednesday's rather unexpected, if exceedingly pleasant, outing in a 16th-17th century pub) while suffering from the worst sinus attack I have endured for ages, I idly pondered a number of matters:
These included (in no particular order), Brexit, (effects, etc), Stuff Happening Across The Pond And In The Eastern Part Of Our Common European Home, and Arsenal's current (and apparently endless and growing) list of injuries, which led to further thoughts, mulling on the current situation, especially as it applies (or, is applied to) gifted, and talented young players .
At the moment, Arsenal are missing (missing, in this context, meaning - mostly - absent through injury) the following players:
Christian Mosquera (an excellent summer purchase, and a genuine loss), Kai Havertz (whom I still do not believe is a natural fit as a striker, though I cannot deny his work ethic and attitude, both of which are excellent), Gabriel Magalhaes (a superb defender, and outstanding player, thus, a critical loss), Ben White, (a talented and hard-working defender who had just fought his way back into the team, but has just suffered a hamstring injury), Max Dowman, (a young, repeat, young - the boy is but 15 - teenaged prodigy, who burst into the first team earlier this season, and is now sidelined due to an ankle injury), and, finally, Riccardo Calafiori, who is absent due to his suspension as a consequence of having accumulated five yellow cards.
Others who have been recently out through injury included Jurrien Timber (another exceedingly good defender), Martin Odegaard (our captain and capable midfield general), Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus (who has just returned from eleven month absence due to suffering an ACL injury last January), Noni Madueke (an unusually excellent summer purchase from Chelsea), Piero Hincapie (yes, another recent purchase - from last summer - and a very good defender), Gabriel Martinelli, and Christian Norgaard, a summer purchase from Brentford.
However, apart from enumerating Arsenal's growing list of the walking wounded, what prompted this post was the fact that (between bout of my sinuses being troublesome last night), I fell to pondering about how gifted and talented teenaged prodigies fare in the Premier League.
For, I must admit to an enormous unease - grave doubts and considerable concern - about the fact that we are playing Max Dorman - the boy, and - at fifteen, which he remains until 31st December, as his birthday falls on the last day of the year - he is still a boy, a boy, who, despite his (evident) prodigious talent, (and despite his clear ambition and desire to accept the career and footballing opportunities that have come his way) still has the body of a boy, the mental, psychological and mental and emotional development (irrespective of his personal maturity, nature, temperament, character, or disposition) of an adolescent boy, a boy who is facing grown men, men who have not just fully grown into their strength, power, and body mass, but are exceptionally fit, fully conditioned, highly trained and powerful athletes, on a regular basis, which he was doing until he suffered his recent injury.
Whatever about playing 17 year olds playing first team football, (and, at 17, your body and bones are still developing, your mind and body are still growing, taking on their final forms as you approach adulthood, a situation that must apply to a far greater extent when you are but fifteen), and a situation that I must confess that I also harbour considerable doubts about, I cannot see any reason why a 15 year old, in a team as well resourced as Arsenal (this is not a desperate Sunday five-a-side, after all) has been permitted to play for the first team.
Yes, the headlines are dramatic (as are the records - for youngest age when first taking the pitch in a professional capacity, and so on).
However, to my mind, the (sports and football) media (and here, I include the fanzines, - which I read reasonably regularly - as they are a place where one can sometimes find interesting, articulate, and thoughtful commentary, articles and pieces) have been extraordinarily unquestioning about the fact that a boy of fifteen has been appearing in Arsenal's colours on a fairly regular basis since the season started.
Anyway, while the intention behind my post is partly to see what the other Arsenal supporters on this thread may think about - or feel about - this, I am also curious to read the thoughts of the many other posters who contribute regularly to this thread.
These included (in no particular order), Brexit, (effects, etc), Stuff Happening Across The Pond And In The Eastern Part Of Our Common European Home, and Arsenal's current (and apparently endless and growing) list of injuries, which led to further thoughts, mulling on the current situation, especially as it applies (or, is applied to) gifted, and talented young players .
At the moment, Arsenal are missing (missing, in this context, meaning - mostly - absent through injury) the following players:
Christian Mosquera (an excellent summer purchase, and a genuine loss), Kai Havertz (whom I still do not believe is a natural fit as a striker, though I cannot deny his work ethic and attitude, both of which are excellent), Gabriel Magalhaes (a superb defender, and outstanding player, thus, a critical loss), Ben White, (a talented and hard-working defender who had just fought his way back into the team, but has just suffered a hamstring injury), Max Dowman, (a young, repeat, young - the boy is but 15 - teenaged prodigy, who burst into the first team earlier this season, and is now sidelined due to an ankle injury), and, finally, Riccardo Calafiori, who is absent due to his suspension as a consequence of having accumulated five yellow cards.
Others who have been recently out through injury included Jurrien Timber (another exceedingly good defender), Martin Odegaard (our captain and capable midfield general), Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus (who has just returned from eleven month absence due to suffering an ACL injury last January), Noni Madueke (an unusually excellent summer purchase from Chelsea), Piero Hincapie (yes, another recent purchase - from last summer - and a very good defender), Gabriel Martinelli, and Christian Norgaard, a summer purchase from Brentford.
However, apart from enumerating Arsenal's growing list of the walking wounded, what prompted this post was the fact that (between bout of my sinuses being troublesome last night), I fell to pondering about how gifted and talented teenaged prodigies fare in the Premier League.
For, I must admit to an enormous unease - grave doubts and considerable concern - about the fact that we are playing Max Dorman - the boy, and - at fifteen, which he remains until 31st December, as his birthday falls on the last day of the year - he is still a boy, a boy, who, despite his (evident) prodigious talent, (and despite his clear ambition and desire to accept the career and footballing opportunities that have come his way) still has the body of a boy, the mental, psychological and mental and emotional development (irrespective of his personal maturity, nature, temperament, character, or disposition) of an adolescent boy, a boy who is facing grown men, men who have not just fully grown into their strength, power, and body mass, but are exceptionally fit, fully conditioned, highly trained and powerful athletes, on a regular basis, which he was doing until he suffered his recent injury.
Whatever about playing 17 year olds playing first team football, (and, at 17, your body and bones are still developing, your mind and body are still growing, taking on their final forms as you approach adulthood, a situation that must apply to a far greater extent when you are but fifteen), and a situation that I must confess that I also harbour considerable doubts about, I cannot see any reason why a 15 year old, in a team as well resourced as Arsenal (this is not a desperate Sunday five-a-side, after all) has been permitted to play for the first team.
Yes, the headlines are dramatic (as are the records - for youngest age when first taking the pitch in a professional capacity, and so on).
However, to my mind, the (sports and football) media (and here, I include the fanzines, - which I read reasonably regularly - as they are a place where one can sometimes find interesting, articulate, and thoughtful commentary, articles and pieces) have been extraordinarily unquestioning about the fact that a boy of fifteen has been appearing in Arsenal's colours on a fairly regular basis since the season started.
Anyway, while the intention behind my post is partly to see what the other Arsenal supporters on this thread may think about - or feel about - this, I am also curious to read the thoughts of the many other posters who contribute regularly to this thread.
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