Trae Coyle benefitting from going back to U18s

When Trae Coyle was a schoolboy at Arsenal he was widely considered to be one of the clubs standout young prospects, and, while he has endured some difficult moments in the ensuing period, the Hale End graduate has shown some signs of late that he is heading back in the right direction.

Now aged 18, Coyle has bene heavily involved for Arsenal at U23 level but has yet to score for the second-string, while has mustered just two assists.

Capable of playing as an attacking midfielder but most frequently deployed as a winger, the youngster has tended to overcomplicate play at times, while he has also found the step up in physicality at U23 level a little difficult to cope with.

There have still been some encouraging signs, however. Coyle is a fine dribbler and uses his excellent technique to good effect, while he is capable of playing some brilliant passes.

With coach Freddie Ljungberg having many options to choose from at U23 level at present, Coyle hasn’t been included in the starting lineup for several recent fixtures.

That has proven to be a blessing in disguise for Coyle, though, as it has enabled him to drop back down to the U18s, where he has been very impressive of late.

Coyle scored in consecutive games against Leicester City and Southampton as Ken Gillard’s side continued their title charge, and certainly seems to have regained his confidence following his aforementioned struggles.

The hope now is that Coyle will be able to now take that good form onto the U23 stage and start to show just why he has long been seen by the club as a player who could have a very bright future.

—

Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird