Pleased with this signing. No way of knowing if he will have what it takes to make it in the championship but what we do know is that having come through at Arsenal he will be technically excellent and know how the game should be played. We've signed potential and Zac has all the ingedients to push on.
I seem to remember Arsenal letting Andy - Sorry, Andrew Cole go to Bristol City for a pittance. He didn't do too badly from there on. Good luck to the lad, he has an Arsenal/Charlton background and up bringing. What could be better than that?
Fact is its always a risk as was church and sordell. This will be a good signing IF it works. I really hope it does and that there are other up front early signings especially of young players . Its the young players that gave hope and delight to us all last season. Bring them on.
Don't doubt it Dave, as I said earlier he has been highly rated all through his development up to around 2yrs ago when he got his first serious injury. I think last pre-season he was training with Bristol City looking for a League One loan before he got injured again. He is 20 now and not managed to get any loan stint / first team exposure yet.
Could be a potential gem, but I'm not expecting him to be hitting the ground running
And if the stats I'm reading are correct, he played in just 7 u21 games last season, and only played 90 mins in one of them.
But if, and if is a big one with zac, but if he can stay fit then he has potential to be a complete player. Started as a forward but has shown he can just sit and play a pass and dominate a game from the center. Keep him fit and we've got a quality player.
Where's your knowledge of Zak come from Bangkok Dave , just wondered why you seem so keen on him ....is he family or do they show a lot of Arsenal youth/ reserve matches in Thailand , don't mean to sound sarky just interested
At least he's €700k cheaper than the last youth development striker we got in
Zak Ansah: My dad's delighted at my Charlton move Monday, 14 July 2014
By Richard Cawley ZAK Ansah’s recent decision to sign for Charlton is a move back home - in more ways than one. The striker, 20, penned a two-year deal with the Addicks at the start of last month. It means that Ansah, who had been on Arsenal’s books since the age of 10, is now with a club that he knows all about. He lives just five minutes from Charlton’s training ground in New Eltham. He was a season-ticket holder for three years during their Premier League heyday. And, more importantly, the switch has gone down a treat with his family. Dad Andy - a forward for Southend United and who ended his playing days at Dulwich Hamlet - is an Addicks fan. “He loves the club and is probably more happy than me that I’m going to be playing for them!” said Ansah. “It’s my local team and so it has been a bit surreal to then go into the training ground. I used to go to the games with one of my best childhood mates. “At the time Darren Bent was banging in all the goals - Jerome Thomas was decent back then too.” A Charlton move could have happened a decade ago. Ansah was playing for Sydenham Sports - now Cray Wanderers - as a central midfielder when both the Addicks and Arsenal made a move for him. The Gunners was too big a lure. “It was a great foundation footballing-wise to learn how they played the game,” he said. “Technically I improved a lot through the 10 years I was there. I’m thankful for that time. “I got on the bench against Olympiakos for a Champions League game but unfortunately I didn’t get on. That was a good experience in itself. It just made me hungry to want more. “Unfortunately I picked up a couple of injuries. Now I’m over it and I’m just buzzing for the season to get started.” Two major knee injuries impacted on Ansah’s ability to make an impression with the north London giants. At one stage he was playing for Arsenal’s U18 team at the age of just 14 - but could not realise his potential there. “Injuries are part and parcel of football - you can’t do anything about it,” said Ansah. “It makes you that extra bit motivated to prove that I can be a good player. Arsenal told me to get fit and that they were going to let me go. “To some extent I was happy, because it feels like it is time to kick on at another club rather than being tied down with the U21s and knowing that I’m not really going to be able to break through.” During his time with the Gunners, Ansah also played in the NextGen Series - the academy version of Champions League football. He played against the likes of Inter Milan, Chelsea and CSKA Moscow. Now comes a pivotal period in his still fledgling career. When Charlton announced his arrival they reported that he would initially link up with Jason Euell’s development squad. But new head coach Bob Peeters has had the senior and U21 players all together in the opening days of pre-season. “I’m looking to be involved in and around the first-team,” said Ansah. “It’s good because everyone is training together at the moment. It’s a new manager. Everyone starts with a blank canvas. It’s up to me to get in the team really. “I had three or four options but Charlton just seems right. And most importantly I can see a pathway into the first team. I want to get at least 15 first-team appearances under my belt and try and get as many goals as I can. I know a couple of the players already - Callum Harriott, I played with Jordan Cousins for England, Joe Gomez and a couple of the U18 boys. It’s been easy to fit in. “I like to play as a striker or a number 10 that links up play, to be involved centrally in attack.” So how big an influence is his dad Andy? “He just wants me to enjoy it,” said Ansah. “He doesn’t put any pressure on me. He wants me to be the best I can be. “Hopefully I can score some goals for his beloved Charlton. That should be good for me and the family.”
that is so underwhelming all this time we have been waiting for something to happen, then when it does it is this, seriously how will he improve our attack
A young kid who has come through all the academy ranks at Arsenal and made the bench in a Champions League game - don't you think he might, just might, be good enough to be an effective Championship player? Jase thinks so and that's good enough for me.
made the bench, never played loads of players have made the bench, when Arsenal had already qualified so Wenger did not want to take his key players to Greece and he still never played
Wenger paid a lot of money for Francis Jeffers and he turned out to be crap.
We need first teamers, not development squad players.
Ian Wright was an absolute nobody before signing for Palace and went on to be brilliant for Arsenal... which was a gamble by Arsene.
Wenger didn't sign Wright
Oops #showingmyage
George Graham signed him...................the guy that apparantly applied for the job when Curbishley left. All water under the bridge now but he should have taken us over.
Someone just said to Zak Ansah that he should go back to Arsenal this was his reply Anss @ZakAnsah · 1m Loool tbh I'm more den happy where I am @DejiCNO
Comments
Welcome and good luck Zac. Knock em cold son.
http://arsenalyouth.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/arsenals-ansah-set-for-another-lengthy-lay-off/
Could be a potential gem, but I'm not expecting him to be hitting the ground running
Clearly had something for Arsenal to keep him for so long but we don't know how much the injuries have affected his ability.
Let's hope for his sake and ours that he can get back to the level he was at because if he does we've got a bargain.
But it might take a while which is why I guess he's going to be with the U21 to start.
At least he's €700k cheaper than the last youth development striker we got in
*did mean to sound sarky then
Monday, 14 July 2014
By Richard Cawley
ZAK Ansah’s recent decision to sign for Charlton is a move back home - in more ways than one.
The striker, 20, penned a two-year deal with the Addicks at the start of last month.
It means that Ansah, who had been on Arsenal’s books since the age of 10, is now with a club that he knows all about.
He lives just five minutes from Charlton’s training ground in New Eltham. He was a season-ticket holder for three years during their Premier League heyday.
And, more importantly, the switch has gone down a treat with his family. Dad Andy - a forward for Southend United and who ended his playing days at Dulwich Hamlet - is an Addicks fan.
“He loves the club and is probably more happy than me that I’m going to be playing for them!” said Ansah. “It’s my local team and so it has been a bit surreal to then go into the training ground. I used to go to the games with one of my best childhood mates.
“At the time Darren Bent was banging in all the goals - Jerome Thomas was decent back then too.”
A Charlton move could have happened a decade ago.
Ansah was playing for Sydenham Sports - now Cray Wanderers - as a central midfielder when both the Addicks and Arsenal made a move for him. The Gunners was too big a lure.
“It was a great foundation footballing-wise to learn how they played the game,” he said. “Technically I improved a lot through the 10 years I was there. I’m thankful for that time.
“I got on the bench against Olympiakos for a Champions League game but unfortunately I didn’t get on. That was a good experience in itself. It just made me hungry to want more.
“Unfortunately I picked up a couple of injuries. Now I’m over it and I’m just buzzing for the season to get started.” Two major knee injuries impacted on Ansah’s ability to make an impression with the north London giants.
At one stage he was playing for Arsenal’s U18 team at the age of just 14 - but could not realise his potential there.
“Injuries are part and parcel of football - you can’t do anything about it,” said Ansah. “It makes you that extra bit motivated to prove that I can be a good player. Arsenal told me to get fit and that they were going to let me go.
“To some extent I was happy, because it feels like it is time to kick on at another club rather than being tied down with the U21s and knowing that I’m not really going to be able to break through.”
During his time with the Gunners, Ansah also played in the NextGen Series - the academy version of Champions League football. He played against the likes of Inter Milan, Chelsea and CSKA Moscow.
Now comes a pivotal period in his still fledgling career.
When Charlton announced his arrival they reported that he would initially link up with Jason Euell’s development squad.
But new head coach Bob Peeters has had the senior and U21 players all together in the opening days of pre-season.
“I’m looking to be involved in and around the first-team,” said Ansah.
“It’s good because everyone is training together at the moment. It’s a new manager. Everyone starts with a blank canvas. It’s up to me to get in the team really.
“I had three or four options but Charlton just seems right. And most importantly I can see a pathway into the first team. I want to get at least 15 first-team appearances under my belt and try and get as many goals as I can. I know a couple of the players already - Callum Harriott, I played with Jordan Cousins for England, Joe Gomez and a couple of the U18 boys. It’s been easy to fit in.
“I like to play as a striker or a number 10 that links up play, to be involved centrally in attack.”
So how big an influence is his dad Andy?
“He just wants me to enjoy it,” said Ansah. “He doesn’t put any pressure on me. He wants me to be the best I can be. “Hopefully I can score some goals for his beloved Charlton. That should be good for me and the family.”
He's certainly saying the right things..
His Oldman is having superb time doing what he does with the football choreography
Deserves to have his son and a charlton fan do well for his club
this was his reply
Anss @ZakAnsah · 1m
Loool tbh I'm more den happy where I am @DejiCNO
9 months on and he was sub for the U21s today.
Not gonna happen for him, is it? Shame