Arsene Wenger recently said that Arsenal had always planned to go into the new stadium with a bunch of kids. That the plan was constructed in 2002-2003, not in the summer of 2005. However as we approach the end of an era at Highbury and look forward to the move around the corner to the fabulous Emirates Stadium, things are not perhaps as rosy as Wenger thought they would be. The squad that Wenger has at his disposal is talented but the balance is wrong. We have a lot of players under 23 but we also have five players over the age of 30. Due to this the team spirit and togetherness of the unbeaten run is not there. As Thierry recently said, the young players are playing for themselves because they are too scared to take the risks needed to be successful. Obviously the like of Reyes, Van Persie, Clichy and Fabregas lack the maturity and experience to carry the team at the moment but the quality is there and Wenger is doing the right thing by playing them and sticking with them.

However the major worry is that the other young players who Arsene has put his trust in are, in fact just not good enough. Philippe Senderos was superb towards the end of last season and was instrumental in our good end to the season and the F.A. Cup triumph. However, being mauled by Didier Drogba twice in a month has shook him to the point that he may not recover. He has looked shaky every time he has played since the Chelsea games and in the Carling Cup game at Doncaster he was awful. Mathieu Flamini just isn’t good enough. He works hard and will run all day but his passing is poor and has no real physical presence. Not replacing Vieira has been discussed enough but it’s hard to believe that Arsene could actually think that Flamini could make up for the gap left by Patrick. This is an area that needs considerable strengthening. As Gilberto has shown, that without Vieira by his side he isn’t as good as we thought.

Emmanuel Eboue looks like he has potential but as to whether he will be better than Ralph is anyone’s guess. Against Ajax in the Champions League he was poor and the right back slot is one that definitely needs a change. Lauren is consistent at right back and is a threat going forward but he gives away too many silly free kicks and when up against a tricky player he is often exposed to easily. You can’t argue with Lupoli’s scoring record in the Youth and Reserve teams but he is of a slight build and that is a worry. Quincy is skilful but erratic and he needs to learn when to use his tricks and in what area of the pitch. As for the likes of Song, Gilbert, Djourou and Bendtner it’s up to them to prove their worth. Wenger believes in them and they play the Arsenal way as shown in the Carling Cup run but making the step up to the first team is a totally different proposition. Thierry says he will stay and Wenger vows to make us the ‘best team in the world’ but with the questions as to how and when that will be achieved, the prospect looks a long, long way away.