I'm not sure I know entirely where I'm going with this, but I've been trying to work out quite where Arshavin fits into the Wenger game plan. And I still don't quite get it. But if you look at the squad in such a way as who can play where we are seemingly well covered in quantity. However the cover is mostly potential. In fact we have more potential than the average whinging supporter can hurl abuse at.

But if you just go by the ages we are quite clearly alarmingly lacking in experience, especially in midfield. If you forget about the injured Rosicky and take Ebooue out of the equation, and we all wish Wenger would, then Diaby becomes our senior midfield player aged just 22. The balance between older players and youths has gone from our squad almost entirely.

Keepers
Almunia 31 Fabianski 23

Fullbacks
Gallas 31 Silvestre 31 Toure 27 Sagna 25 Eboue 25 Clichy 23 Gibbs 19 (Traore 19)

Central defenders
Gallas 31 Silvestre 31 Toure 27 Sagna 25 (Senderos 23) Djourou 22 Song 21

Midfield
Rosicky 28 Eboue 25 Diaby 22 Fabregas 21 Nasri 21 Song 21 Denilson 20 Walcott 19 Vela 19 (Traore 19) Ramsey 18 Wilshere 17

Front men
Eduardo 25 Van Persie 25 Adebayor 24 Bendtner 20 Vela 19 Walcott 19 (Simpson 20)

Bubbling under, apart from the more obvious Gibbs 19 Ramsey 18 & Wilshere 17, we have Bischoff 21 Mannone 20 (Simpson 20) Randall 19 (Traore 19 Hoyte 19) Fonte 18 Lansbury 18 Sunu 18 Merida 18 (Barazite 18) Murphy 18 Wojciech 18 Emmanuel-Thomas 18 Bartley 17 Watt 17 Coquelin 17.

I figure there are two ways of looking at this, either the whole youth thing has got totally out of control and we are in desperate need of some experience. Or if this little lot stay together and come through as a unit then we have a whole load of ugly ducklings whom are about to blossom into swans and take over planet football. Or whom can be flogged off to collectively earn enough money to purchase Kaka.

But I still don't see where Arshavin might fit into the scheme of things as he'll be the one learning about English football, not teaching the yoofs. But it could at least explain why Ebooue retains a place in the team – it’s his vast experience, albeit a vast experience of missing open goals, failing to read moves and passing to opponents.