English youngster touched ball just 273 times this season
THERE was a time when Arsenal was a finishing school for the world’s most talented young players.
Ashley Cole, Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and Kolo Toure will say amen to that.
Calum Chambers, who has had just 273 touches of the ball in an Arsenal shirt this season, is entitled to think differently.
Arsene Wenger’s fabled production line, once thought of as a route to the very top, needs some urgent attention.
This was supposed to be the Golden Age for young English defenders but 21-year-old Chambers has been caught in Wenger’s time warp.
Since his last appearance, as an 86th-minute substitute against Everton on March 19, he has been trapped in a depressing cycle.
Turn up, train, go home. Repeat.
To think this young man was once ahead of Everton’s £50million-rated centre-half John Stones in the thoughts of England head coach Roy Hodgson when he left Southampton in 2014.
Not any more.
These are challenging times for Chambers and the routine must besoul-destroying for this dedicated, disciplined pro.
It is not a unique case because there are a number of other English players who have failed to kick on, for whatever reason, under Wenger.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott have all hit a brick wall.
You would think a manager of Wenger’s stature would take them to one side and pass on the tit-bits that every young player needs in their career.
When Swansea winger Jefferson Montero had the game of his life against Chambers at the Liberty last season, Wenger failed to react.
Nobody from Arsenal — much to the alarm of England’s assistant manager Gary Neville — helped Chambers through the traumatic experience.
Old-school coaches argue that it is up to individual players to work it all out for themselves.
There is that but these days the back office at every Premier League club has more analysts than you can shake a stick at.
It would be foolish to ignore what they have at their fingertips.
More than a decade has passed since Wenger bought into his own hype, with the country brain-washed into believing he possessed supernatural powers when it came to star spotting.
It added to Wenger’s allure and he used it to his advantage when he secured some of the best young players for the Gunners.
Beyond the Invincibles, his record has not been good and the Chambers Project is in danger of being abandoned.
Two years ago he was an England international, graduating from the Under-21s after a fine start to his Arsenal career.
Chambers impressed in the 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield and a measured display in the annual Champions League qualifier in Besiktas then followed.
Hodgson, on the floor after England’s disastrous World Cup in Brazil, rewarded Chambers with the first of three caps.
His progress has ground to a halt, slipping down the pecking order at club level behind a player — Gabriel Paulista — who barely speaks a word of English.
Arsenal used to have a language of their own, a dialect that separated Wenger from the rest of the Premier League.
Chambers, who has been denied several chances to move out on loan, will struggle to pick it all up if he is not tested competitively.
Inevitably there will have to be talks at the end of the season because Chambers cannot spend another year on the sidelines.
This is a big call for Wenger because he has to find a way to integrate Chambers into Arsenal’s team next term.
Either that, or he’s lost his touch.
This was set-piece of cake!
WEST BROM coach Ben Garner was the man who highlighted Tottenham’s weakness at set-pieces before the 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane.
The highly-rated Garner showed Baggies players exactly how Spurs’ defence is susceptible to crosses during a five-minute, 20-second video presentation at the St Pancras Hotel.
He called it spot on as the title- chasers let in a 73rd-minute equaliser on Monday night.
Right-back Craig Dawson towered above their defence to head beyond keeper Hugo Lloris.
Gaal or nothing
TIME is running short for Louis van Gaal but the Manchester United boss surprised his players by giving them three days off this week.
Van Gaal unexpectedly addressed them after the dramatic 2-1 victory over Everton in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final and told them not to return to Carrington until Wednesday.
The Dutchman is back in favour with some of the dressing room after reaching Wembley.
But the next big test for LVG is Sunday’s clash at Old Trafford with league leaders Leicester.
THE Champions League itch is the big reason Diego Simeone is resisting the temptation to speak to other clubs before the end of the season.
Argentine Simeone was a beaten finalist with Atletico Madrid in 2014.
And he is determined to lift the big one with the Spanish side before he finally caves in to a massive offer elsewhere.
After Wednesday’s 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the Vicente Calderon, there is every chance he will get his hands on the trophy in Milan next month.
Roland the rat
THE plan by Charlton fans to stage another protest about Roland Duchatelet’s shameful running of the club on the final day of the season has already reached the ears of the Football League.
Security is being beefed up at The Valley ahead of the clash with Championship leaders Burnley because of fears of a pitch invasion.
Last season, angry Blackpool fans forced their clash with Huddersfield to be abandoned just after half-time in a protest against owner Karl Oyston.
Football League chiefs fear something similar at The Valley — and have warned Charlton to make sure nothing jeopardises the final outcome of the promotion race.
ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS went into a major sulk when Spurs refused to sign Manchester United’s chunky midfielder Anderson in 2012.
Instead, his chairman Daniel Levy went out and brought in Belgian powerhouse Mousa Dembele above the manager’s head.
But Villas-Boas was not around long enough to see the best of him.
Smart guy, is Levy.
Now watch Arsenal stars go head to head in crazy Airbump challenge
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