ARSENE'S BRITISH CORE PROJECT HAS CRASHED!!!

A BRITISH CORE

"I believe when you have a core of British players, it's always easier to keep them together. We are delighted that these five young players have all signed new long-term contracts. The plan is to build a team around a strong basis of young players in order to get them to develop their talent at the club." -- Wenger, December 2012

The photo has become notorious, with Wenger beaming over Carl Jenkinson, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as they signed new deals in December 2012. There was Theo Walcott, too, but beyond Ramsey, who gave possibly a career-low performance at Anfield last Sunday, and Oxlade-Chamberlain, set to leave for Chelsea or Liverpool, none are now a first-choice selection.

When Gibbs joined West Brom in a £7m deal on Wednesday, he became the first of the group to flee the nest. Oxlade-Chamberlain is part of Arsenal’s now much-maligned ‘British core’, a group of six players who have now either left the club or failed to live up the great expectations many supporters had hoped they would fulfil. Carl Jenkinson has been sent on loan to the Championship, Jack Wilshere has been offered to the likes of Sampdoria and Real Betis, Theo Walcott is struggling to break into the starting XI and Aaron Ramsey continues to infuriate despite mightily impressive showings at national team level where he plays in a no.10 role for Wales.

Arsenal's British core has failed to deliver miserably!!!