Just imagine the scene. You're in the North West of England. You're into injury time and you need to defend a corner to save your life. It's beginning to snow. Who do you call up to do the job? Arsenal? Yeah, right. "Cremation or burial, sir?"

A couple of things about Arsenal are abundantly obvious. Firstly, we can't concentrate for 90 minutes, let alone 93. Secondly, we can't defend set pieces for love nor money. Hansen, Lawrenson et al, would have you believe its simply down to lack of experience. Get some older players at the club and that will make all the difference.

Really? I've just watched a game where two seasoned internationals, Ljungberg and Rosicky, might as well have not been on the pitch. All "experience" has taught Freddie, is that if you haven' t got the legs to go past a player, your next best strategy is to sit on your arse and look imploringly at the ref. A sure sign that you've lost it, if ever there was one. That really must inspire our forwards to go galloping into space looking to receive the ball.

Apart from the quality of our youngsters, the one thing that struck home during our Carling Cup run, has been how ordinary and inconsequential the senior players look, when they're been pitched in with them. Is experience all that it's cracked up to be? In our case, probably not. When Kolo and Mad Jens start a scrap when there is a game to be won, do you stand back in awe at their professionalism?

Would have Henry made any difference to the Everton result? Try and remember back to those lost days of innocence, when all he had to do was run out on to the pitch and win games all by himself. How long ago was that? What has "experience" done for him, apart from making him look listless and sullen? The one thing that always comes with experience, is a hefty wage bill. Money well spent, when you haven't got any?

It seems to me, you can either play or you can't. You either want to win or you're not that bothered. If Wenger lacks anything, it is the courage of his convictions. If these youngsters are the future of the club, then put them all in now. What is the point in hanging it out with players that are well past their best, and are never going to make any difference?

Ah yes, experience! Everybody knows you have to have that. Just ask Alan Hansen. He knows,