Post by QPR Report on Dec 25, 2009 7:50:15 GMT
Mirror/James Nursey - Why this season is make or break for Jay Simpson's Arsenal career-I remember seeing Jay Simpson play for West Brom on loan from Arsenal last season.
- And I thought the young striker had half a chance of making a name for himself on his return to The Emirates.
But now Simpson, 21, finds himself out on loan again - this time at Championship QPR.
And Arsenal are believed to be considering using Simpson as bait in a swap deal for 15-year-old QPR and England schoolboy Raheem Sterling.
- Simpson is a Gunners fan and understandably wants a decent crack at trying to make it with his favourite side.
- It just underlines the dilemma facing youngsters with Premier League clubs as they debate whether to wait for their chance or move to a smaller club to carve out their career.
- Certainly there is a lot of hype about Sterling and I can understand why Arsenal want him.
- But Simpson also played for England at U17, U18 and U19 levels.
- At 13 years of age Simpson was playing Academy football for Arsenal U18s and then went on to write history by becoming the first player at Arsenal to score a hat-trick at the Emirates Stadium in the FA Youth Cup.
- He has not had a Premiership appearance for Arsenal but in his one senior start for the Gunners, he netted two goals against a strong Premier League Wigan side in the Carling Cup.
- The forward, who can also play on either flank, has plenty of experience behind him having been out on loan to Millwall and West Brom previously.
- He was PFA Player of the Year for Coca-Cola League One for 2007/2008 after scoring eight times in 46 games for the Lions as he helped steer them clear from relegation.
- While at West Brom, Simpson started fantastically for the Baggies but never sustained that form as they were bolted to the bottom of the Premier League.
- He had to come to terms with defeat week in, week out but now appears to be thriving at Loftus Road with eights goals in 19 games.
- I recall a young Nicklas Bendtner, who had a loan spell with Birmingham City in the Championship, scoring 13 goals in Brum's promotion season in 2006/2007 and has progressed since.
- Simpson's statistics are almost as good as he is always fit, works extremely hard and has an eye for goal.
- But his current contract expires at the end of next season and I know he wants first team football.
Surely providing Simpson has a decent remainder of season, he will be on his way to playing Premier League football either way.
But we will all have to wait and see if Wenger has Simpson in his plans."
www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/james-nursey/Why-this-season-is-make-or-break-for-Jay-Simpson-s-Arsenal-career-article267259.html
- And I thought the young striker had half a chance of making a name for himself on his return to The Emirates.
But now Simpson, 21, finds himself out on loan again - this time at Championship QPR.
And Arsenal are believed to be considering using Simpson as bait in a swap deal for 15-year-old QPR and England schoolboy Raheem Sterling.
- Simpson is a Gunners fan and understandably wants a decent crack at trying to make it with his favourite side.
- It just underlines the dilemma facing youngsters with Premier League clubs as they debate whether to wait for their chance or move to a smaller club to carve out their career.
- Certainly there is a lot of hype about Sterling and I can understand why Arsenal want him.
- But Simpson also played for England at U17, U18 and U19 levels.
- At 13 years of age Simpson was playing Academy football for Arsenal U18s and then went on to write history by becoming the first player at Arsenal to score a hat-trick at the Emirates Stadium in the FA Youth Cup.
- He has not had a Premiership appearance for Arsenal but in his one senior start for the Gunners, he netted two goals against a strong Premier League Wigan side in the Carling Cup.
- The forward, who can also play on either flank, has plenty of experience behind him having been out on loan to Millwall and West Brom previously.
- He was PFA Player of the Year for Coca-Cola League One for 2007/2008 after scoring eight times in 46 games for the Lions as he helped steer them clear from relegation.
- While at West Brom, Simpson started fantastically for the Baggies but never sustained that form as they were bolted to the bottom of the Premier League.
- He had to come to terms with defeat week in, week out but now appears to be thriving at Loftus Road with eights goals in 19 games.
- I recall a young Nicklas Bendtner, who had a loan spell with Birmingham City in the Championship, scoring 13 goals in Brum's promotion season in 2006/2007 and has progressed since.
- Simpson's statistics are almost as good as he is always fit, works extremely hard and has an eye for goal.
- But his current contract expires at the end of next season and I know he wants first team football.
Surely providing Simpson has a decent remainder of season, he will be on his way to playing Premier League football either way.
But we will all have to wait and see if Wenger has Simpson in his plans."
www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/james-nursey/Why-this-season-is-make-or-break-for-Jay-Simpson-s-Arsenal-career-article267259.html