There are stories circulating about Jay Simpson being told to find a new club. Although Jay has been in the Carling Cup squad for the last couple of seasons when he hasn't been on loan but there was never any real hope of him becoming an Arsenal first teamer. You can tell by the way they are integrated into the first team.


A direct comparison between he and Bendtner can be made. They were both considered bright hopes, admittedly Bendtner was brought in and Jay was an academy player and they were both sent on loan early to pick up experience, they both played similar numbers of games and yielded similar returns but Bendtner was part of a victorious promotion winning side at Birmingham City and Jay slumped with QPR. I think the winning spirit has really been drummed into Nik, obviously he is not short on confidence and just had a more successful World Cup than Wayne Rooney!


The trouble with our young and talented squad is that it will mean only a couple of academy players even face a chance of being offered a senior contract and even then it will be a life of reserve league and maybe a game if there are lots of injuries. There is a pecking order at Arsenal and it is something like this.


First Teamers (Cesc, Arshavin, RvP)
Benchwarmers (Merida(I know he has left), Vela, Traore)
Carling Cupers (Wilshere, Watt, Gilbert)
Shipped in foreign players (Barazite, Coquelin, Nordtveit)
Academy players (Freeman, Murphy, Hoyte)


However it is a sustainable model and it also helps promote players for the Premiership, if you look at the English talent Arsenal have provided, there are the likes of Bentley, Sidwell and Muamba.


I predict that the only current crop who are likely to make it are Deacon, Afobe and Wilshere, maybe J-E-T. It is the fault of the Premiership, not Wenger or Arsenal.