Arsenal’s head of academy Andries Jonker, has discussed the U19s side’s win over the Olympiacos youth team with Arsenal Player .
The youth team won 3-2 against the Greek club in the UEFA Youth League yesterday, with defender Julio Pleguezuelo netting a brace and midfielder Ben Sheaf scoring a penalty.
We have been fighting for 90 minutes, we have been playing well for 20-25 minutes but we are happy with the victory.
On the team going behind early from a Georgios Manthatis opener the Dutchman said it was difficult.
It is always difficult. We always knew that they were the semi-finalists last year with more or less the same team. If you go 1-0 down at the beginning, you know it is going to be a difficult game.
We know there is a lot of potential in this squad and we shouldn’t start that bad. After it was 1-0 we really came into the game, made it 1-1 and deserved to make another goal.
After a surprising brace from Spanish defender Julio Pleguezuelo, Jonker heaped further praise upon the teenager.
His job is to defend well and that is the main job.
It is exceptional when a central defender scores two goals.
Jonker also commented on Dutch youngster Donyell Malen’s debut. The forward moved to Arsenal in the summer as an established graduate of the famed Ajax youth academy.
I think it was important for him to get his first game but it was difficult for him to come in.
He is a talented player and it was good to come on.
The U19 side has currently won all their games so far in the UEFA Youth League, and will next face Bayern Munich’s youth team. The Bayern academy is known for producing world class talents like world cup winners Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Muller.
Many players might go to the World Championships for the Under-17s so we might miss five players.
We will have still a couple of good ones so we are confident.
Lastly on the topic of whether to under-21 players are utilising the confidence gained from their unbeated run the Dutch youth coach said that individual development is most important to him.
I think that is what I do. I think the results of the Under-18s are also okay.
But that is not what matters to us, what matters to us is the individual talent we try to develop and that looks quite good.
