Wenger needs a guarantee that young Gunners on loan are playing

There comes a time in every footballer’s life when they need to play regularly if they hope to develop or retain their skills. But in reality this isn’t always possible to do, especially for youngsters because there are so many more players than positions available. This is why we see players loaned out to other teams on a regular basis. However, in some instances this could be counterproductive to a player’s career.
If a player is loaned out and is getting regular playing time with his new club, things usually work out well since he’d be gaining much-needed experience. By staying with his original club, the odds are likely that he’d be glued to the bench or sitting in the stands all season long. If this is happening then the player on loan would have been better off staying with his original club.
There are so many Arsenal players out on loan to other clubs again this season for a variety of reasons including the fact they haven’t gotten a work visa in England, such as Joel Campbell. If you’re sending young players out to gain experience and they’re playing regularly then it makes sense. However, if Arsenal players are just sitting on the bench for other teams they’d be better off doing it at the Emirates.
Whether they succeed or flop on the pitch this season doesn’t change the fact that the Gunners have one of the most talented sides in the Premier League. Loaning a player out to Wigan or wherever, such as Ryo Miyaichi has been, is all fine and good as long as he’s playing regular football. If Miyaichi sits on the bench for Roberto Martinez’s side he’d be better off at the Emirates.
The main reason for this is that he wouldn’t be learning anything by training at Wigan. Who would you rather have a young prospect training with everyday, one of the leagues cellar dwellers or a squad full of world-class internationals? Before a player with as much potential as the Japanese star has is loaned to another club, manager Arsene Wenger needs to be guaranteed that he’s playing for them and not sitting on the bench.
Now, Miyaichi will probably see quite a bit of action, like he did when loaned to Bolton last season, because he’s talented and will help Wigan. But what about all of the other players Arsenal have out on loan? If these youngsters aren’t playing, they should be in London learning the Gunners’ style of football as well as getting to know their teammates and bonding with them. They should be learning the great culture and history that surrounds Arsenal, which would then motivate them more to become a part of it.
Before Wenger loans out any of his youngsters he should be getting a guarantee that they’ll get so much playing time. If not, then what’s the point of loaning them out? Also, if Arsenal is loaning out players, what’s the point of bringing in players on loan, such as they’re trying to do with Turkish midfielder Sahin? By doing this you’re simply taking away playing time from one of your own players who need experience to develop. And with players such as Oxlade-Chamberlain and Wilshere in the squad it’s crucial they get on the pitch.
There are too many clubs, Arsenal included, that are buying players that simply aren’t good enough or don’t fit in with their style of play. Many of these players aren’t properly scouted and are just bought on a whim. Sending a player out on loan is ideal for a young player who needs experience. However, with players such as Nicklas Bendtner, Andrey Arshavin, and Park Chu-young etc., it’s done because you don’t need them anymore, don’t want to pay their wages, or shouldn’t have signed them in the first place.
Let’s face it, with somebody like Park Chu-young, who is one of South Korea’s best ever players, he doesn’t need to be sent out to gain experience since he’s got loads of it. If he’s loaned out it’s simply because the club doesn’t have room for him anymore. If that’s the case then he should be sold. But the question needs to be asked why he was bought in the first place and then given just a couple of hundred minutes to prove himself at the Emirates.
The scouting departments at football clubs need to thoroughly check players out before making moves for them. As for the manger, Wenger should be making sure that all of his young players out on loan are getting the playing time needed to develop their skills. If they’re not, then don’t loan them out in the first place. They’d be much better off playing in Arsenal’s NextGen Series squad if they’re under 19 or the Under 21 Premier League team.