Chuba Akpom says he’s determined to show Arsene Wenger what he can do, and wants more first team chances.
With Arsenal 2-0 down to Southampton yesterday, the young striker was given just 6 minutes plus injury time, at which point it was too late.
Without Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck, Lukas Podolski and Yaya Sanogo, the 19 year old might have felt he’d have more of a chance, but he’s looking forward to more first team opportunities.
“Every game I’m hoping to get an opportunity,” he told Arsenal.com. “I just want to play. I’m hungry for it now. I want to show the boss what I’m made of and I think that I’m ready.
“I think I can have a good impact on the team. Hopefully I get a chance.”
And as for his brief cameo at St Mary’s, he said, “You’ve just got to stay positive. I was just thinking, ‘How can I help the team?’ I tried to make as many runs as I could in behind, press the keeper and the defenders. I was hoping to come on and try to get a goal for the team but it didn’t work out.
“We have to forget about this game. We’ve been playing good football and it was an unfortunate result. The lads are a bit down but we just want to move onto the next game and see what happens.”
Of course the elephant in the room is his contract situation and given that his current deal expires in June, it’s going to take a lot of convincing from Arsene Wenger that he’ll be given chances for him to stay when he could move on a free to get regular football elsewhere.
His goalscoring record at youth level would suggest there’d be no shortage of takers either.
Can’t do much worse than the main bunch on current form. Hope he starts in the Cup.
With the planned loan move for Sanogo, it moves Akpom up the order.
Its unfortunate we exited the League Cup so early, that many of our young attacking players did not get the chance to impress the manager.
and we missed the opportunity to watch them too. I wonder if Wenger will treat the FA Cup more like the League Cup because of our league position and CL games.
Am getting more and more convinced that Wenger is not only not producing players he is being a negative on them. Akpom, Afobe, Coquelin, Bartley even Meade are all players we could have done with this season… especially with Flamini and Sanogo getting lots of play, Monreal at centre half, and Gibbs often injured.
That’s ridiculous. If Meade and Bartley were so great, why are they now without contract after Swansea, and bench-warming respectively? Surely once Wenger’s shadow was removed, they would have thrived? If you’re good enough, you’re old enough- Wilshere, Gibbs prove the point. These players are not judged by youtube clips of their greatest moments- they are watched daily, their attitude, effort, talent, application, professionalism… all of it is measured and monitored constantly. Some might be unfortunate with injuries (Afobe), some might be disruptive to team harmony (Frimpong) or out of control (Pennant when he was with us), and every single… Read more »
To be fair Frimpong was also ruined by injuries.
Agree, but from the twitter shenanigans and otherwise general behaviour, the attitude didn’t seem to be requisite. As Abou Diaby proves, if the manager believes in you, injuries won’t be a big factor in your leaving- you’ll always get a chance
What *IS* that under Akpom’s nose?!!
Great attitude. Good lad!
akpom is suddenly ready just as the transfer window opens, no need for us to sign any attacking reinforcements then is there
*sigh*
You actually think Arsene was planning on reinforcing our attack?!?
that’s hilarious
I reckon we could still play a strong squad with akpom starting with them. I hate to rate a player on appearance but physically he looks more ready than some of our first teamers. I would start him against hull and if he does well we have ourselves an option in the premier league.
Akpom should understand that 6 munites plus added time at Saint Mary’s is a millennium time for him to score 2 goals and start writing his name with gold-ink into the book of the Arsenal legends. Akpom and the whole packs of the Gunners that went to Saint Mary’s were careless and lazy. Opportunity comes but once in life to be seized and utilized. Akpom, I will be your advocate again, but just for the reason that the boss hasn’t start you yet in a senior Arsenal game to see what you are made off as you said. The boss,… Read more »
I’m hoping this is satire
Too early for him to be talking like this. Be happy to be in the squad on the bench for now
He’s a young man and I like his sincerity. The fact that at the club now we teach people to “forget about” bad games and “see what happens” in the next one tells its own story. Nothing to do with him, but I’m find revealing some of the soundbite bullshit that comes out all the time, as much to do with the exposure crazy news media situation, as it is to do with what our players end up saying. We have to get this right, we were not good enough—Per says this regularly, and he must find it galling that… Read more »