It has been a somewhat mixed season so far for Dan Crowley.
The campaign started well enough for the prodigious youngster as, after featuring for the Arsenal first-team during pre-season, he was sent out on loan to Barnsley, where he scored his first professional goal in a Capital One Cup defeat to Everton.
As the weeks progressed, however, Crowley started to become less frequently involved for the League One side and Arsenal eventually utilised their option to recall the England youth international.
Tonight Crowley is in line to make his first appearance of the season for Arsenal’s U21 side when they take on their Stoke City counterparts, and the 18-year-old will certainly be eager to make an impression.
An excellent passer and sublime dribbler, Crowley has long since been earmarked for success, but his stint at Barnsley was an important learning curve in his development in that it demonstrated that not everything will always go his way.
Perhaps it would have been more beneficial to have sent him to a side with a penchant for free-flowing football, but for now the youngster will simply be happy to be playing regularly again, even if it is only at youth level.
Given the longstanding hype surrounding him, it is very easy to forget that Crowley is just 18 years old. He could, theoretically, still play at U21 level for another three seasons after this campaign, but such is his talent and determination, he is understandably eager to make the step up as quickly as possible.
There are certainly some aspects of his game that require fine-tuning. He does, for instance, have a tendency to keep hold of the ball for too long at times, whilst he occasionally becomes rattled when he finds himself on the receiving end of hefty challenges.
For all that, though, Crowley remains one of Arsenal’s standout prospects and certainly has a better chance of making the breakthrough at the club than several of his youth team colleagues.
Whether he will ultimately be able to succeed in that aim remains to be seen. It is a little frustrating that his loan spell dictated that he wasn’t able to feature for Arsenal in the Capital One Cup this season, but perhaps he will receive his opportunity in that competition next season.
Before then Crowley will seek to build up his sharpness in youth team fixtures before possibly heading out on loan again in the New Year. This time the club may be more wary with regards to where they send him in order to avoid a repeat of the situation that occurred at Barnsley, where he often acted as a deputy to more senior players.
It hasn’t exactly been plain sailing for Crowley so far this campaign, but, beginning tonight, he is eager to kick-start matters.
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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird
Shame for him.
Can we bring Gnabry back aswell, not liking these loan teams not playing our boys. Can’t develop on the bench.
Holding on to the ball for too long, you say?…..that’s my boy! JWx
Undoubted talent – questionable mentality. Let’s hoped being bombed out by Barnsley is the wake-up call he needed.
What was your mentality at 18? That’s something people forget about the youth players. They receive a lot when they have potential and then are almost left to handle it all themselves. With agents wanting their cut, suddenly finding you have lots of “friends”, etc… I’d be surprised if they didn’t get ideas above their station. Some can find help in the form of grounded parents, loved ones but others are praised further by those who should be looking after them.
Wonderful talent. While it’s undoubtedly important for him to get playing time at senior level, might also be the time to start drilling into him the importance of being injury free.
looks a bit like Rambo.
Go for it Dan, you can be THAT man, bonne chance ce soire…..
Good luck kid and make Bansley regret sending you back
*Barnsley
“Whether he will ultimately be able to succeed in that aim remains to be seen.” Must a sentence on Jeorge’s clipboard, inserted in every article… Hope the kid makes it with us.
Go for it Danny Boy! Make a name for yourself in Under 21.
Send him to Spain on loan. He’ll get a master’s level course in passing and midfield play.
Hopefully Ireland will fast track him to senior squad and will be at the Euros.
He’s a prodigous talent. Here’s hoping he seizes this opportunity and shines for the U21s, and forces his way into the senior team.
I really liked what i saw pre season . the lads got a future for sure . Barnsley fans cant believe they’ve let him go !
Wonderful talent. It’s probably a good time to also drill into him the importance of being injury free. I think there’s a tendency to overplay anyone with such obvious talent.
Einstein was cap at the primary school. Cantona went to Sheffield he was shit. And crawley went to barnsley eh?
Is he one of the Downton Abbey Crowleys?