Having a core of players who have a similar background, education and language will always be the heartbeat of any team, an example is the Barcelona team when Pep Guardiola took over. Players like Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Pedro Rodriguez and Pique were all educated the FC Barcelona way, they integrated the style Guardiola and the club wanted with huge success. With those types of players, Barcelona bought proven world class players as well, to give the team flair, power and instant success.
Arsenal now have that with their now well known “British core”. With Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Calum Chambers, Kieran Gibbs, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Carl Jenkinson and now Danny Welbeck the club have a group of players who can lead the team to glory for many years.
When Arsenal were on the verge of moving to the Emirates Stadium from Highbury, Arsene Wenger opted to go for youth and give young players a chance to shine. With that Wenger was expecting his youth players to reward him for his faith and stay with the club for years, but that didn’t happen. What Wenger and the fans saw from his youngsters was very promising, until they decided to go to other teams for more money and instant success. With that Le Prof began looking for local lads, British lads having the opportunity to become real leaders of the club, possible legends in the long term if they deliver.
What led Danny Welbeck to come to Arsenal?
Why didn’t he want to stay at Manchester United, his club and fight for a place?
Or why didn’t he go to Tottenham Hotspur?
Arsenal have a record of bringing in young talent and nurturing them to become great footballers, but with that “British core” in mind, the North London outfit are now attracting promising “British” youngsters to join in their project and become future leaders, who can lead the team and hopefully become the image of Arsenal FC in the future.
With the “British core” Arsenal are also signing well known world class players, like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez who have the flair and class to lead the team to glory. What FC Barcelona did and what Arsenal FC are doing now is a perfect example of how to lead a football team to succeed, be properly managed and make profit.
The mixture of a strong core with well known world class players can only bring us success for the future.
Arsenal are and will always be an example of a successful business model and football club, what Danny Welbeck saw in Arsenal can only be as exciting.
For Arsenal is not only a platform for young foreigners to come and learn, but it is also a platform for the British players to come and join the Gunners' core.