Roberts signs for Arsenal

[Jerzy Krukowski 5]

I''ve had an Arse fan at work telling me about him for a while, apparently highly thought of, did we miss a major trick here and have we had our jewels nicked from under our noses?http://arsenalyouth.wordpress.com/2010/05/09/phillip-roberts-signs-scholarship-terms-with-arsenal/

[morty 0]

As far as I know, youth players are pretty free to move about.If I was him I''d probably make the same move lol.

[city-till-i-die 7]

http://arsenalyouth.wordpress.com/2010/05/09/phillip-roberts-signs-scholarship-terms-with-arsenal/

[Norwich or die tryin! 0]

Anypne know anything about this lad?

[Norwich or die tryin! 0]

Anyone know anything about this lad?

[Matt Morriss 60]

This beggars belief doesnt it? Or perhaps somebody could enlighten me as to why our youth setup deemed Roberts not good enough to make the grade, however Premiership Arsenal, a club not out of the top 4 for 20 odd years and with a very proven record of developing young players, decide he has what it takes.

Perhaps im overreacting but it just doesnt really make any sense does it. Surely a top 4 prem clubs opinion of a player or potential player vastly supercedes that of a League 1 club, and incidentally one with such a poor record in recent years of developing and bringing thru there own young players.

[Norfolk Mustard 70]

The Arsenal Academy lads are top, top, top with their technical skills - have you seen them play at u12?

My son played for Norwich against Arsenal, Spurs & Fulham last season and I saw first hand that Arsenal have talent in spades! (It was Norwich 0-2 Arsenal in the game my lad played - seen as a good result given the quality of the opposition).

Any player not taken up by Norwich but accepted at Arsenal must surely be ''one missed'' by us?

Since Norwich still haven''t taken my son into the Academy, perhaps I should request a trial for him at Arsenal in the close season? One of my other u13''s is going to Arsenal for a 2-day trial in July - perhaps there''s a trend building here?...

[Legend Iwan 30]

I''m pretty sure they''ve taken a couple of our lads before.

[Canary_on_the Trent 0]

Who said he was rejected by ourselves?Kids are free to move clubs at that age but for travel rule which is easily got around.

[Joanna Grey 0]

[quote user="Norfolk Mustard"] ...I saw first hand that Arsenal have talent in spades! [/quote]

Pffft, that''s borderline.

[G 0]

As someone has said already, youth players can move anywhere.

[ncfc90 0]

Henri Lansbury was at Norwich but left to Arsenal at a young age, he just spent the last season on loan to Watford.

[Willmeister 35]

It was far more likely that Arsenal stole him from us, like they do with a lot of youngsters, but Whinger seems to forget about that. Also the New Premier League rules imposed on the Football League will make this sort of thing far easier in the future.

[morty 0]

[IMG]http://i869.photobucket.com/albums/ab257/mortymccarthy/48385f7238_thumb.jpg[/IMG]

[Jacko 0]

I honestly don''t know enough to comment about whether he was poached or slipped through the net. But the reality is big clubs will always find a way to get around the rules if they want a player badly enough. Anyone remember this bloke and the lengths United want to, in order to sign him. He is now playing at Tiptree...

http://www.ex-canaries.co.uk/players/mooniaruck.htm

[Tangible Fixed Assets anyone? 0]

[quote user="ncfc90"]Henri Lansbury was at Norwich but left to Arsenal at a young age, he just spent the last season on loan to Watford.
[/quote]

and I believe he was born in Enfield. It could be argued that he was poached out of the London area and it was natural for him, when got older to join a London club.

As for Roberts lets find out some more facts first.

 

[Tangible Fixed Assets anyone? 0]

Well he was still our player late last year as he scored on his debut for the Eire U16:

http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100559:roberts-seals-win-for-ireland-u16s&catid=7:under-16&Itemid=18

He is a striker.

 

[BigFish 1,560]

[quote user="Good Touch For A Big Man"]

I honestly don''t know enough to comment about whether he was poached or slipped through the net. But the reality is big clubs will always find a way to get around the rules if they want a player badly enough. Anyone remember this bloke and the lengths United want to, in order to sign him. He is now playing at Tiptree...

http://www.ex-canaries.co.uk/players/mooniaruck.htm

[/quote]This is a salutory tale that should put some calm into this thread. The boy probably has one chance in a hundred of making into the pro game and an even smaller chance of still being a pro at 25. The word on City''s academy is that they are only interested in athletes rather than skill which may be why he has moved on to Arsenal (though that view may be coloured by sour grapes). Imagine if he was your son and Arsenal made him an offer of a chance it would be very hard to reject, don''t you think?

[Joanna Grey 0]

[quote user="Tangible Fixed Assets anyone"]

Well he was still our player late last year as he scored on his debut for the Eire U16:

http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100559:roberts-seals-win-for-ireland-u16s&catid=7:under-16&Itemid=18

He is a striker.

 

[/quote]

So he''s pretty good. Consequently he gets offered a trial at Arsenal, then they ask him to join them. Arsenal....Norwich....Arsenal....Norwich....where will you go, what will your family want you to do? Fame, Glory, Money...

[Devils Advocate. 0]

   We''ll probably get him back in a few years time . If  you look at the Premier League now, how many players have actually gone up through the youth team ranks of British clubs? It probably works out cheaper to bring in players from abroad than to grow your own.

[norfolkbroadslim 223]

No wonder they signed him, sounds like he played really well and was scoring for fun for them

 

http://younggunsblog.co.uk/2010/04/arsenal-crash-out-in-the-group-stages-at-ferroli-cup/

 

http://younggunsblog.co.uk/2010/03/trialist-roberts-stars-as-under-18s-struggle-against-reading/

[Rolf Harris 22]

if he had a contract or pre contract you would get some money but it would be nuffin compaired to a normal transfer , maybe a nominal fee?

[cityislife 0]

Its an outrage clubs can do this.

[naaarwich fan 0]

He is from the London area he used to play for Waltham Abbey u16, a mate of mine played in the same side as him and said he was quality he joined Norwich a couple of years back, anyway here is the Waltham Abbey U16 website a bit of info about him on there

http://derwent.intheteam.com/modules/page/page.aspx?type=home&mid=12697&pmid=0

 

[As my login causes problems [ :o) ] 0]

This kid was actually listed in the Sun yesterday as one of Arsenal''s signings in their Premier League Ins/Outs section.

So at least 15 minutes of fame for the lad !