Both Tom Cruise and Mark Randall have been released, Arsene Wenger opting not to offer them new deals. Cruise made his one and only senior appearance for Arsenal on 9th December 2009, in the Champions League, away at Olympiakos. He was one of two debutants on the night, playing in a team with an average age of just 21. The whole side impressed me, losing only 1-0, and looking the more likely to score for much of the game. He had a relatively anonymous loan spell at Carlaisle in the 2010/11 season, returning to the reserves. Releasing him is an understandable move, although one I am disappointed with, I thought that he showed some real potential in his one senior game, but with Clichy, Gibbs and Traore ahead of him it was always going to be an uphill struggle to break into the first team.
Randall, would seem to have spurned his chances at Arsenal. A promising midfielder, he broke onto the scene aged 17 in October 2006, making his debut from the bench in the Carling Cup. Another substitute appearance in the League Cup followed in 2006/7, before in 2007/8 he looked to push on, making his first league appearance - again from the bench - and earning his first start, again in the Carling Cup, along with another substitute appearance in the same competition. 2008/9 saw 3 substitute appearances for Randall, coming off the bench once in the league, and twice in Europe. He also managed 3 Carling Cup starts. 2009/10 really should have been his breakthrough season, but he managed just two appearances from the bench in the League Cup. The beginning of the end. In 2008/9 he spent part of the season on loan at Burnley, the season they were promoted from the Championship, making 10 appearances - 8 from the bench. 2009/10 saw a spell at League 1 MK Dons, Randall's local club, where he made 18 appearances, with 13 starts. Yet in 2010/11 it all really started to go wrong. Randall spent most of the season on loan at Rotherham, making just 10 appearances, 7 from the bench. The Millers are in League 2. He had some bad luck, getting a broken bone on his debut, but much of his downfall was of his own doing. He missed an away game at Stockport after breaking down on his way from Milton Keynes where, unbeknown to Rotherham, he had been staying. His time there got so bad that he ended up playing in their reserves. Seemingly Randall is rapidly falling from grace, a meteoric rise to the first team at 17, before a rapid slide down the divisions, and it will be interesting to see where he ends up next season. But it is said that the higher you rise, the harder you fall.
I'd like to wish them the best of luck to them in the rest of their careers.
Trawling through the PFA database, I also noticed a couple of other former Arsenal youngsters available on frees. The first was Liam Chilvers, who left Arsenal at 22 for Colchester United, having won the FA Youth Cup, but without making his first team bow. He's spent his time since Arsenal playing in the Championship and League 1.
Another former Gunner on the list is Seb Larsson. The 25 year old Swede left for Birmingham a few years ago, and his career has blossomed. He's developed into a decent player, and one who I rate. He made 12 appearances for the first team, and I think that with the likes of Denilson and Diaby set to leave if he would be a good addition to the ranks as a squad player. Especially as he is available on a free transfer and has won something, and has been playing in a side where they've had to be resilient, a skill Arsenal need to acquire.
Why do you think Diaby is set to leave?
ReplyDeleteI feel that there will be some major changes in the squad over the summer, and I am inclined to agree with the press that he is one of the more obvious names for a departure. I personally, don't think that he is up to the standards required at Arsenal. I think that he is a mid-table club player. He has moments of pure class, but much of his play is hesitant and ineffective. In counter-attack, the move often stops flowing, and the ball heads back towards the Arsenal goal when Diaby is brought into the play. It is only my opinion though, not solid fact.
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