Arsenal: Chuba Akpom’s Training Wheels Removed

Arsenal youngster Chuba Akpom may have to start the season against Liverpool, and from the sounds of it, Arsene Wenger is not giving him much of an option.

The story of Chuba Akpom is rather complex, despite the fact that he has yet to score a first team goal for Arsenal in the Premier League. He joined Arsenal at the age of six and has long been the future at the striker position. However, just as the hype reached its peak around the age of 17, it felt like it stalled.

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Arsenal’s young man has been struggling to make that final push into the first team picture, despite having the way paved in gold. Wenger doesn’t exactly make a habit out of signing excessive strikers, in case you hadn’t noticed.

Last year was a big year. Huge, if you will. After a very successful preseason, Wenger gave Chuba the option of going out on loan, or fighting to stake out his place at Arsenal. The young Englishman chose a loan and his life at Hull City began.

It didn’t go well. Despite Hull City gaining promotion, Akpom was not a big piece of it. I do not feel at all hesitant to say that staying with Arsenal would have been much more beneficial. At least then we would have known if he was any bit more prepared to go into this season as more than just a question mark.

This time around, Wenger isn’t going to be nice about it. He has ripped the training wheels off of Akpom’s bicycle and told him that fun time is over, it’s time to get serious.

At least, that’s what the reports say. According to the Telegraph, Wenger has come out and told his 20 year old striker that there will be no loan this year. His place is at Arsenal.

I could not be a bigger fan of this. Wenger is known for his patience and his nurturing for his younger players, but perhaps what is missing at times is a bit of firmness.

From a supporter’s perspective, we rarely ever get a chance to see stuff like this, (although we don’t have the actual quote) where Wenger lays down the law for a younger player and essentially tells him, “go out there and be a man.”

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Akpom probably didn’t need Wenger to say this to him and we probably should have known it wasn’t an option anyway. But still, for Wenger to throw this down on Akpom should put it into perspective. There is nowhere to run. There is nowhere to hide. Just go win the job like you are capable of doing and make this a whole lot easier on everyone. Especially Wenger, so he doesn’t have to buy anyone.

I still may not have the most confidence in Akpom to run with the job. Mainly because he just hasn’t given us enough evidence to wholeheartedly believe that he can do it. But that doesn’t mean we should be completely against the idea. This young man has been a Gunner since he was six. I would much rather put it in his hands than someone who doesn’t particularly care for the club. At least we know he will give it his all.

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And heck, ‘giving it his all’ is what made Iwobi so darn effective last season, so who says it can’t work again.