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Arsene Wenger's comments in his interview in the news of the world today revealed the truth which most gooners already knew but did not wish to hear. The Frenchman proclaimed:

"The strategy of the club is to sell every year and to buy less expensive players."

"The club's strategy is to favour the policy of youngsters ahead of stars and to count on the collective quality of our game."

"We manage at Arsenal to maintain all our football ambitions - national and European - while having to free up - for 17 more years - an annual surplus of £24million to pay for our stadium."

The last few years will no doubt provide valid evidence to Wenger's words, the sales of Vieira, Henry, Pires, Campbell just to name a few were certainly made with a view to help balance the books and prepare for life in debt at the Emirates.

Another 17 more years says Wenger, will that disrupt continuity? Will it disrupt team spirit, confidence? It most likely will. In my opinion Arsenal can live without Hleb and Adebayor, but my worry is for when the gem of all gems, Cesc Fabregas is surrounded by vultures in Real Madrid colours, circling around him hungrily with Arsenal no way near to back him up, thus caving in to any high offer the spanish club propose.

The third Arsenal generation is on the verge of breaking up, with the two mentioned set to follow Flamini. That's three first team players who were part of the spine last year. A new generation already awaits around the corner. I wonder exactly how many generations will we see for the next decade.

In a few years there will be no Wenger to attempt to attract the best young talent the world has to offer and if the clubs policy for the next two decades is to favour youth, selling on established stars will the quality of youth be the same as it is now while Wenger is here? Wenger is clearly building a team for beyond his time at the club, but there is no guarantee they will all shine and come through.

Was the Emirates stadium worth this? What are your thoughts?