Let's begin in Sunderland last Friday night. FA Youth Cup 5th round against the Mackems, who are top of their regional academy league. Final score: Sunderland 0, Arsenal 4. Strange that, according to the Arsenal website, only 1,207 turned up to watch in this supposedly football-mad city. I've business colleagues in Plymouth so, if they beat the tiny Totts, I hope to make the quarter final trip. And if it's a hop to Sh*te hart Lane, so be it. That was the best recent footie news for we Gooners; these lads are the future. But most eyes have passed over our developing youngsters as our instant society's baying for immediate solutions - which normally involves spending "loadsamoney", rather than demanding value for money - has focused all attention on Zenit's Andrei Arshavin.

In a bygone age, the initials AA may have disbarred the target. The will he, won't he saga continues as I write. All I really want is "closure". And this brings me to an aside, for I disagree with Arsene about the transfer window, about which he disapproves. Sky love their meaningless countdown clock and pictures of Big Ben chiming and signalling the passing of another precious hour. Other than that, the window is bad news for journalists as it restricts to a few months twice annually conjectures they would normally foist upon us the whole year round to sell copy. What is, on balance, bad for journalists must, surely, be for the greater good. But back to Andrei. The expectation is unfair and unreasonable. Even the genius Bergkamp took some considerable time to settle in. Hopes that Arshavin will power us to our presumably rightful top 4 position - thus saving us the horror of a season in the UEFA Cup, or whatever it's to be called in future to increase its appeal - by May are naive. Please don't get me wrong. I'm all for augmenting our very young, mainly home-developed squad with experienced world-class additions, but not to the exclusion of all else.

For all the scouring of news sources for the latest scoop, I wonder if people don't actually miss the more important utterings that can be relied upon far more than the latest hearsay. This reminds me of the old saying: if you want to hide something, put it where everyone can see it! As an example, go back to the Wigan programme and our last game at Highbury. Read again the captain's notes. Henry was Barca-bound, according to many sources. Yet in those notes he effectively told us that he was staying by voluntarily commenting on his important equaliser in the previous home game, the 1-1 against Totteringham. He said (I paraphrase) he'd never lost to Tottenham, "... not yet, anyway". He did not need to add that, and surely would not have done so if his heart was veering towards Camp Nou. Perhaps Barca's Eboue-like antics in the final were the final confirmation he needed in deciding to stay.

I repeat this because Arsene has made a comment in the last week that must not be overlooked. He compares the 21 year-old Samir Nasri to a 27-year old Robert Pires, saying that people forget how young Nasri is. In fact, people forget just how young so many of our players are, Cesc included. This bunch are only going to get better.

Only just 20, Jay Simpson is currently our seventh-rated striker, yet is getting rave reviews and crucial goals at his new, temporary home at West Brom. (Last year, while at Millwall, he was voted the best player in League One.) Manager Tony Mowbray describes him as possessing the quality needed to keep the Baggies in the Premier League. I think and hope he may help rescue them in what must be the most exciting race-to-the-bottom relegation tussle ever in the top flight.

To ManYoo. Carrick's tumble in the Everton box was one of the most comical home penalties awarded at Old Trafford for quite some time. The ex-Tott ended back to goal, appealing and pleading to the referee for a decision, as a bowler would appeal to an umpire for LBW. Game over. But look back to ManU's recent form. Apart from the 5-0 at West Brom, when the home side went a man down at 1-0 down in the first half, ManU have now scored just ten goals in 10 league games: the dodgy Everton penalty, a last minute only goal at Bolton, 1-0 home wins against Wigan and Boro, an injury time winner at home to Sunderland, a late winner at Stoke when, again, the home team were somewhat unfortunate to have just 10 men. They also drew 0-0 at Tottenham and Villa and won 1-0 at Citeh. Only at home to Chelsea did they impress, winning 3-0. And all this from a team assembled at a cost of hundreds of millions with supposedly the most potent strikeforce in the country.

I think our forwards are better but, rather than continuing to ramble, I'll think nice thoughts and dwell on our team - rather than the rightly despised Mancs - next time.

Keep the faith but, above all, be patient.

PS - Open question for you. If Liverpool win the league - highly unlikely, I know - will Robbie Keane receive a medal? Surely he qualifies as he's featured in more than 10 games. He could even score an own goal at Anfield on 24th May that sends Tottenham down and Liverpool to the title, and at the end of the game he could show his newly-presented PL medal to both of his sets of fans.