Arsenal: What lessons can new British core learn from predecessors?

Joe Willock leads a new generation of Arsenal’s British core. The new-look youngsters have the opportunity to learn from the shortcomings of their predecessors. 

On Thursday, September 12, Arsenal made an announcement that will surely encourage many supporters around the globe. Rising star Joe Willock has put pen to paper on a newly minted long-term deal that is reported to keep him at the Emirates until 2023. Unlike his brother Chris, who opted to swap England for Portugal and join Benfica, Joe has remained patient and grabbed his opportunity to stake a serious claim to a first-team role.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — The summer transfer window review

Willock’s rise to prominence has been one of the most exciting aspects of this young season so far and his storming displays against Newcastle, Burnley, and Liverpool have been a source of encouragement for fans everywhere. With Willock entrusting his long-term future with the club, Arsenal now have yet another fundamental piece of their revitalised British core.

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We all remember the promise and high hopes of Arsene Wenger’s highly lauded collection of British talent; Jack Wilshere starred in a group that included Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs, Carl Jenkinson and, to a degree, Theo Walcott. None of those players remain at the club, while only Ramsey and, in some respects, Oxlade-Chamberlin are the only players that we can safely say would still add something to this current Arsenal side. It may be harsh but the British core of the Wenger era was, unfortunately, a major disappointment.

However, Arsenal now have a new clutch of exciting British players, and they have the chance to learn from the shortcomings of their predecessors.

The aforementioned Willock, Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe, Rob Holding, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Eddie Nketiah, and Kieran Tierney are all young(ish) British talents with major potential. It may not be unrealistic to imagine all of these players becoming first-team regulars or crucial rotational players in Unai Emery’s set-up.

It must be said that fitness and availability will be crucial. Injuries ultimately derailed the success of Wenger’s British core; already Holding, Tierney and to a lesser extent Smith Rowe have suffered from nagging injuries that have hampered their progress slightly, and so, when these players do return to the fold, they need to hit the ground running and stay fit.

Another major challenge that the youngsters will face is nailing down a position. For the defenders, this won’t be an issue, but for players like Willock, Maitland-Niles, Smith Rowe and Nelson, it will be crucial for them to claim a role in Emery’s formation. Oxlade-Chamberlain’s biggest failure was his inability to play in one position. The same could be said of Ramsey and Wilshere, who also got shifted around during their tenures at Arsenal.

Nelson will have to find his place on one of the wings and put in performances that will make it difficult to drop him from that specific role. Smith Rowe seems like a perfect candidate to play as a number 10 but will have to muscle his way past more seasoned players like Dani Ceballos and Mesut Ozil. Maitland-Niles has the hardest road ahead of him. The 22-year-old has started the most of these young players but has done so out of position, largely filling in for Hector Bellerin at right-back. He will either need to hunker down and make the backup right-back position his own or provide an added dimension in another part of the pitch.

Consistency will also be an issue as fans will remember the frustration of Ramsey’s yo-yo-like performances. Rather than being a nine out of ten every so often and then a four, five or six most games, players like Willock, Nelson, Holding, and Tierney should strive to be consistent. Nacho Monreal at the peak of his powers is the perfect example of a consistent, reliable contributor. Rather than trying to play beyond themselves and overcomplicate things, effort, discipline and dependability should be the new British core’s major concern.

In Europa League and EFL Cup competition, Arsenal face Eintracht Frankfurt (A), Nottingham Forest (H) and Standard Liege (A) over the next few weeks. These games are perfect opportunities to integrate young players into the first team and help bring returning players like Tierney and Holding back up to speed. It’s crucial that the new British core take advantage of their appearances in Europa League and domestic cup games to give Emery pause for thought.

With the incredible turnover of the playing staff over the last few months, Arsenal will be leaning heavily on these under-23 British players to step up. And if they can learn from the mistakes of their predecessors, they might just be able to reach the heights the former stars never could.