However much pain it causes - I want Arsene to see the youth policy through... (to the end)

Tonight if, as expected, the average age of the team that takes the field is that of the average GCSE student then most Arsenal fans will be happy. It's the Carling Cup you see and the game is sold out due to low prices, fewer season ticket holders, better atmosphere, the chance to get to a game for many and, possibly more importantly for some, the opportunity to see the next generation - the same generation that saw off a hard northern Sheffield United 6-0 in the previous round. From previous experience we've learnt two main things from the Carling Cup: firstly, many of the kids that make the grade learn from playing in this competition and secondly, it normally goes tits up when we play the experienced players during the final stages. So let's stick with the kids whatever and, tonight, we have a tough task against a Wigan side who have played good football this season with little luck (let's hope they don't get that tonight). 

The other, more controversial, side of Arsene's youth policy is his belief that buying in an experienced player at the expense of the youngsters currently in the side actually harms the development of the younger player. In a recent Guardian piece he is quoted;

"It's not easy. You need strength because the easier part is to take a player of 28 and play him. But we went for this way. You build a player like Fábregas and when he's 19, [if] you put a player in front of him who is 26, maybe in the short-term he will do better but you will lose the player. That's why in this policy we have taken, what you say for one, you have to say for two."

I can really see this point and though there are some contradictions in terms of buying in Silvestre and also the fact that young players would not be harmed by one or two senior, experienced players around them, it's admirable even if it has split Arsenal fans. If, for example, you can beat the current Premier League and Champions League holders with a midfield of players aged 19, 21, 22, 20, & 21 then it can work but we get the inconsistency argument. The hardest part, I believe, is not the manager's or fans' patience but the fact that these days it's so hard to keep a group together for long enough to see the fruition of the development they go through together. We are already seeing the rumours of Cesc leaving if we don't win anything and I even saw some rubbish about Theo being targeted. Whether rumours are true is irrelevant because we all know many other clubs can't be bothered to nurture talent but like it ready mixed and will pay the price.