Lansbury and Hoyte earn call-ups, but should there be more Arsenal youngsters in the England U19 side?
Henri Lansbury and Gavin Hoyte have been named in the England U19 squad for the upcoming UEFA u-19 European Championships in Ukraine but, somewhat suprisingly, they are the only Arsenal youngsters selected by Brian Eastick.
Lansbury, as captain of the side, was certain to be chosen, whilst Hoyte has seen his form improve significantly recently following his loan spell at Championship side Watford.
However, it is the omission of some of their Arsenal team-mates which is the most baffling aspect of this selection. It seems somewhat suprising, for instance, that Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, one of the most versatile youngsters in the game and an integral cog in Arsenal’s Premier Academy League and FA Youth Cup success, is overlooked at this level and has not been part of the England reckoning for over a year.
It is thought that the England coaches, particularly Eastick, consider Emmanuel-Thomas to be ‘lazy’ and ’selfish’ and also raise eyebrows at his lack of a set position. However, it was impossible to ignore his form in the latter stages of last campaign, when he became more integrated in team play and continued to develop his impressive leadership qualities.
Another questionable omission is that of Jack Wilshere, who Fabio Capello was quoted as saying would be involved with the u-21s by now. So far, he has mustered just one appearance at u-19 level and is currently stuck in the u-17s. Sure, he had a dip in form mid-season, but he bounced back with some grace and his performances in the two-legged FA Youth Cup final against Liverpool brought back memories of when he first burst on to the scene as a 16-year-old in the dying embers of the 2007/08 season.
Sanchez Watt was also overlooked on this occasion, despite scoring in both legs of the final against Liverpool and, Kyle Bartley has not featured in the England setup recently, even though he came on leaps and bounds last season.
What do you think? Should there be more Arsenal youngsters in the England u19 squad? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
