goldfish80:

Denilson actually joined Arsenal as a 17 yr old. He used to be a very promising youngster. Being captain of Brazil of U17 side tells you how highly rated he was. That should tell you buying young footballers does not guarantee anything. Even the coveyour belt that was the Arsenal academy had lots of promising young players who won the FA youth league. Players like Frimpong, Wilshere, Chucks Aneke, Jay Emma Thomas, Diaby, Benik Afobe etc.
Nobody could have foretold none of these guys could have hit the heights years later judging, from how promising they were in there formative years.

TheGoodJoe:

Apart from Wilshere, which if these names you listed had the clout of Luka Modric? None. I watched Denilson in U17 and he did not have that kind of clout. That was Dos Santos, Anderson, Vela and Nuri Sahin's U17. All these were rated ahead of Denilson. Nothing stopped Wenger from signing the Superior talent. Modric was already hot. There is no defense in this.

edi287:

Wenger actually wanted to sign him with Eduardo back in 2007. He rejected it because he wanted to wait. He rejected both Arsenal and Barcelona. Harry Redknapp also said Wenger didn't go for him because he felt he was light weight. Let's be honest, it was a period when we had Cesc, Rosicky, Hleb, Diaby and they were on form then. He was meant to replace Rosicky who ended up staying.

goldfish80:

Denilson was highly rated at 17. As a matter of fact, he captained all the Brazil youth teams he played for from U15's to U17. You're saying all these because you have the benefit of hindsight. The Brazilian U17 side he captained played up to the finals of the U17 world cup,the same tournament Arsenal scouted Fabregas from a few years earlier.
Even Diaby was super highly rated in France. They believed in him so much that whenever he is fit, he's always called up to the national team and he walked straight into the French first 11. Hindsight, hindsight, hindsight

TheGoodJoe:


Denilson was not as hot as other players in that U17. Typical Wenger not to go for Sahin and opting for Denilson. Not fielding Vela even after a brilliant game playing for Osasuna against Madrid.

The man get me tired.

goldfish80:
Denilson wouldn't captain all the youth teams he played for if he wasn't highly rated. Its just like the case of Musa mohamed. You don't captain your house at inter house sports if you're not good. The best players usually captain their school in inter school competition, that's how the system works at that level.
If you played high school football you will understand what am saying.
The problem with Vela was being too lightweight for the Premiership. He just couldn't cope with the physical demands. He went on to flourish in a more technical league is not a surprise to me. There was this goal he scored for Arsenal after a 24 pass move, he finished off the passing move with a deliberate chip on the keeper. That's the kind of finness he had in his locker. Put him against agriculture teams, they will kick lumps out of him.

goldfish80:
Denilson wouldn't captain all the youth teams he played for if he wasn't highly rated. Its just like the case of Musa mohamed. You don't captain your house at inter house sports if you're not good. The best players usually captain their school in inter school competition, that's how the system works at that level.
If you played high school football you will understand what am saying.
The problem with Vela was being too lightweight for the Premiership. He just couldn't cope with the physical demands. He went on to flourish in a more technical league is not a surprise to me. There was this goal he scored for Arsenal after a 24 pass move, he finished off the passing move with a deliberate chip on the keeper. That's the kind of finness he had in his locker. Put him against agriculture teams, they will kick lumps out of him.

TheGoodJoe:


When I watched Mikel Obi in 2005 World Youth Championship final, I screamed, "Maradona (who was in the stadium) can you see how to play the ten role?"

When I watched Nuri Sahin few weeks after that game playing in the 2005 U17, I murmured," This Boy is better than Mikel."

Denilson was never in the class of players like Dos Santos and Sahin. Only Wenger would do things like that.

goldfish80:


For he didn't make an impression, he couldn't have captained a team like Brazil to the world cup finals. You can't fault Arsenal scouts for giving him a look in.

TheGoodJoe:


Nobody will ever tell you Denilson was the best player of the Brazilian side. Anderson was already a phenomenon at Gremio. By miles better than Denilson. Anderson ended up as the best player of the U17 World Cup. Who was Denilson?

TheGoodJoe:


I said, he was not among in that U17. Players were far ahead of Denilson.

BascoVanVeli:


That was one match, any team can lose on any given day. Remember we beat them in Sudan.

TheGoodJoe:


I can say I have never heard of a team that went through what Amunike's boys faced during camp. Not paid allowances from before the U17 qualifiers, to the qualifiers and then the tournament they won.

Then no allowances in their U20 Camp which comprised of most of the U17 winning team.

Why carry them to Teslim Balogun stadium instead of Calabar or Port Harcourt in such an important game? We failed Amunike and his boys.

Icon4s:


Why Calabar or Portharcourt.

Can you support ur claim in anyway that they were not paid their allowances right from the U17 qualifiers?

goldfish80:

If only you knew how highly rated he was in Brazil.

goldfish80:

What position did Anderson play? As far as I can remember he played as a box to box midfielder while Denilson played as a DM. The box to box midfielder will certainly catch the eyes more.
Funny enough, you would have given Wenger a slack for signing Anderson because he never hit the heights expected. Having the benefit of hindsight have you at an advantage.
Just like I have when I call out Guardiola for signing Chygrisnky who had a solid campaign in the Europa league for Shaktar Donestk the previous season.

TheGoodJoe:


At the end, Wenger ruled against Signing Modric and also Mandzukic. Whether he thought the young man was lightweight does not change the fact that he refused to sign Modric.

TheGoodJoe:
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger concedes he made a "huge mistake" in failing to sign Gareth Bale.

Wenger was tracking the Tottenham winger back when he was a young left-back at Southampton, alongside future Arsenal star Theo Walcott.

But while Walcott made the move Arsenal, Bale, now 23, headed to north-London rivals Tottenham, where he is now proving to be one of the best players in the country.

"We didn't take him as we had Ashley Cole and Gael Clichy and didn't want another left-back," Wenger told Al Jazeera Sport.

"I must confess it was a huge mistake as he can play in midfield. He struggled at the start at Tottenham, then they moved him to midfield and he has done exceptionally well.

Typical Wenger. Sign Walcott and leave Gareth Bale.

TheGoodJoe:


Which rating? What had he done before the U17 World Cup? I repeat. Ando was the phenom in Brazil before the U17. Not Denilson. In the tournament, he was not among. Even Celsinho who came in when Ando injured showed more promise. Which Kind of invisible best player was Denilson?

TheGoodJoe:


Do you prefer our Super Eagles play on the pitch in Teslim Balogun Stadium or Port Harcourt/Calabar?

Amunike advised that boys not to worry about their allowances during the U17 and think of how their lives will change after they won the U17 World Cup.

TheSuperNerd:
Spalleti Explains Why Nura Abdullahi Didn’t Make Roma Bow Against Empoli





An explanation as to why highly rated Nigerian teen back Nura Abdullahi didn’t make his debut for Serie A side Roma against Empoli has been provided by Luciano Spalleti.

The Roma boss included the Nigerian in his matchday squad for the first time this season, as the highly rated 19 year old has fully recovered from the numerous injuries and fitness issues that has slowed him down.

However, he didn’t get to make his debut as expected as Roma cruised to a 2-0 win over Empoli, courtesy of goals from forward Edin Dzeko with Nura left on the bench for the entire duration of the game.

”Nura was a bit unfortunate yesterday. The plan was for him to play some minutes but the coach was forced into making a substitution in defence which caused Nura his debut”, Nura intermediary told Owngoalnigeria.com.


”Federico Fazio felt some pains in his legs and has to be replaced by another central defender with five minutes left to play that substitution plus other factors in the mind of the coach denied Nura his first team bow with Roma, He is aware of this explanation from the coach”.


* Daniel Martins


Source: http://owngoalnigeria.com/2017/04/02/spalleti-explains-why-nura-abdullahi-didnt-make-roma-bow-against-empoli/