Arsenal youngster Emile Smith Rowe is impressing so far during his loan spell at Championship side Huddersfield.
The 18 year old had a sterling performance last night as the Terriers won 2-1 against Bristol City – creating a goal for former young Gunner Chris Willock (brother of Joe), and wining a second half penalty.
Smith Rowe drew praise afterwards from manager Danny Cowley, who said, “Emile is just a really lovely player, isn’t he?” said Cowley.
“He has that ability to find space; he could find space in a telephone box; he speeds the play up for you and draws and commits and I think it would have been a brilliant performance if he had scored.
“I am always going to be demanding of him because, to me, he is a Premier League player so I have to treat him like that and demand Premier League standards from him – in training and in games, day in and day out.
“It was a really good performance.”
Cowley is taking things slowly with the midfielder though, ensuring he doesn’t overplay him despite the fact his side are in a relegation scrap and in need of as much quality as possible.
“It’s not easy being a manager because at the moment he’s not ready to play the three-game week, so we had to be really cautious on Saturday,” he continued.
“That wasn’t nice because you want him to play because even as a manager you enjoy watching performances like that and you know you’re going to get criticised a lot when you don’t play him – because the supporters are going to be frustrated – so we have to manage him at the moment.
“He obviously had a loan at Leipzig last year and picked up an injury and maybe there was a consideration that they didn’t quite manage his minutes and his load and the periodisation of his training.
“So we’re being very careful and cautious and protective because we know if we can get him on the pitch more often than not he’s going to be a very good player for us.”
It sounds like he’s having a good impact there, and let’s hope he can continue to do so between now and May, helping Huddersfield to avoid the drop – which might even go some way to seeing Stoke relegated.
Fingers crossed.
I think he’ll be an attacking 8. Facing goal and driving from deep, rather than a 10 accepting the ball on the half-turn with his back to goal (which is how he played for Arsenal recently).
A sharp-shooter, a striding ball-carrier and probably a powerful athlete when he fills out.
Maybe a replacement for Ceballos if we don’t manage to sign him.
Great to hear good things about a young gooner out on loan. And for stoke, I normally look at their table to see if they are going down.
As for their coach and most of you, this usually gets me laughing. “Emile is just a really lovely player, isn’t he?”
Is that a statement or a question?
Goes well with “periodisation”!
I wish I had an idea what that is. Maybe that’s what they felt like with the previous manager.
Periodisation is a sports science term; a project-management like framework for training and developing athletes.
I guess it comes from the States, business speak.
Speaking as an American, I’d never heard that term before, though to be fair, I stay as far away from business speak as I can.
Not business speak, but an elite athlete training method designed to enhance the body’s physical response to the actual training. Most importantly, it actually works.
It’s a rhetorical question. Phrased like a question, but doesn’t need an answer. For dramatic effect.
Smith Rowe can even find space in Arteta’s hair !!
Sounds like a manager who understands the player he’s got very well.
Might have been a different story for gnabry and arsenal if we’d sent him somewhere else than Mordor
We wont need to buy a replacement for Özil. I’m dead certain SR will be a brilliant player and if he’s managed properly, as he seems to be, he will be ready to take over the nr 10 role, and shirt, in the 21/22 season if not sooner.
Maybe he doesn’t play 10 but instead we play two attacking 8s like Liverpool, City and Leicester? Wouldn’t be surprised if that suited Arteta more.
His natural game/instincts, remind me very much of peak Ramsey. Think ESR has more vision and can rplay a through ball. If he grows to anything above 75-80% of Ramsay’s stamina and work rate, he’s golden. Plus, he will be playing with mates.
I’ve been wondering about him and Willock in the same midfield. Doesn’t scream dangerous, but I bet it’s silk.
I’ve only seen ESR play a couple of times but I can see the Ramsey comparisons, looks a really exciting player. ESR and Willock could be a very good partnership but it’s hard to know how young players will develop, plus Ceballos is doing the business for us right now and is only 23. Wouldn’t be surprised at all if we tried to take him on permanently. At least we’ll have options!
but can he do it on a cold, wet, windy Tuesday night in Stoke https://pic.sopili.net/pub/emoji/twitter/2/72×72/1f600.png
Could he end up as a box to box, Ramsey type?
If he could do that, then he’ll certainly find space in Arsenal team next season.
I am glad the loan deal is working well.
Arsenal’s future is bright, more so with a bright young manager to weave it all together. Happy days!
Imagine Smith Rowe helping Stoke get relegated. That would be the one of the best assists in Arsenal history, worthy at the very least of having his picture splashed all over our famous tunnel
Love to see it from Thornton Heath’s white Pele. His size, effort and understanding of the game have impressed me when I’ve seen him play.
I also love his thick south London roadman accent.
I’m pretty sure he’s gone in the summer though, the way Leipzig were also showering him with compliments when he was there.
Would obviously prefer him to stay in the red and white.
Not that it really matters, but I’m pretty sure he’s mixed race. Hope that doesn’t spoil it for you.
Chris Willock ends up having better stats than Joe in FM
Danny Cowley sounds like a really good bloke who appreciates young talent.Hope they stay up. That win puts them a point above Stoke.
If Smith-Rowe gets Stoke relegated, do we give him a statue outside the stadium?
Finally some news!
I keep forgetting about him, but he could well be our attacking midfield solution in the coming years.
I sincerely hope ESR plays a significant role in helping to relegate Stoke come the end of the season
Damn I even forgot about him when listing our promising youngsters, have we ever had a generation like this? Nketiah, Smith-Rowe, Nelson, Saka, Willock. I’d bank on at least 4 of those 5 being first team regulars in the next 2 years.