With Tim Krul and Rob Elliot both out injured and third-choice goalkeeper Jan Alnwick also a fitness concern after damaging his shoulder during a 4-0 defeat to Tottenham yesterday evening, Newcastle could be forced to request an emergency loan from the Premier League ahead of the Tyne-Wear derby on Sunday.

Currently, Alan Pardew is left with teenage shot-stopper Freddie Woodman, but the Magpies boss has already stressed his concerns about throwing a 17 year-old into the most important fixture on both the Toon and Black Cats’ calendars.

Resultantly, it’s believed Newcastle are considering an emergency loan move – which can be granted by the FA if a club only has one fit professional goalkeeper – but there’s not much time to consider the options.

Thus, being the ever helpful bunch we are at Football Fancast, here’s FIVE for Pards to mull over.

MARK SCHWARZER

Boasting arguably the strongest goalkeeping department in world football through Thibaut Courtois, Petr Cech and Mark Schwarzer, parting with the experienced Aussie for a few games certainly wouldn’t impact Chelsea’s first team plans too much.

Yet to make an appearance in any competition this season, ring rust could be an issue for the 42 year-old.

But he performed well towards the end of last season when called upon to step in for Petr Cech, particularly against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final, maintaining the impeccable consistency shown throughout his 19 seasons in English football.

With 508 Premier League appearances under his belt, Schwarzer certainly won’t be overawed by the intensity of the Tyne-Wear derby. Here’s a clip of the veteran ‘keeper in action:

Chelsea rejected a loan offer from former club Fulham for the 6 foot 5 Australian back in October. But with Petr Cech confirming that he’ll say on at Stamford Bridge until the summer and Schwarzer’s loan spell likely to consist of just a handful of fixtures, the Blues may be more accommodating to the Magpies’ unique situation.

JACK BUTLAND

Jack Butland is currently Stoke City’s second-choice goalkeeper but the England prodigy will be keen to get some more Premier League experience under his belt, even if it’s just the one outing against Sunderland.

Indeed, the Potters snapped up the 21 year-old for £3.5million in January 2013 following his incredible form at Birmingham City. But he’s gone on to make just three appearances in the top flight, continually stuck behind Bosnian international Asmir Begovic in the pecking order.

He’s undoubtedly talented however, making England’s Euro 2012 squad when he was still a teenager and already amassing over 100 appearances in the Football League. Here’s a clip of Butland in action:

Mark Hughes was happy enough to let Butland join Derby County for a month-long loan spell earlier this season, calling upon 38 year-old veteran Thomas Sorensen to fill his void on the bench. That suggests Stoke could part with the young goalie for a few games without significantly damaging their squad depth.

The Tyne-Wear derby will constitute one of the biggest occasions of Butland’s career thus far however, so it remains to be seen if he’ll thrive or crumble under the pressure.

MICHEL VORM

Another second-choice keeper in desperate need of game-time, Michel Vorm can’t be happy with his current situation at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Netherlands international more than proved his quality at Premier League level with Swansea City, amassing 89 appearances as the Welsh club’s No.1 before moving to White Hart Lane this summer. Here’s a clip of the 31 year-old in action:

The assumption at the time was that the Lilywhites would be forced to sell Hugo Lloris, but the French No.1 stayed on, leaving Vorm still waiting on his Premier League debut for the north London side.

He has however, amassed five outings in the Europa League and League Cup combined this season, bagging two clean sheets.

A short stint with the Magpies would help Vorm keep of the ring-rust and Tottenham player-coach Brad Fridel is a more acceptable stand-in.

The Dutchman’s a dab hand at saving penalties too – which could make all the difference in the Tyne-Wear derby:

Shay Given

Who better to rescue Newcastle in their desperate time of need than an club icon Shay Given?

The Republic of Ireland centurion made 354 Premier League appearances for the Magpies during his twelve years at St. James’ Park before leaving for Manchester City in 2009, twice making it into the PFA Team of the Year. Some of his performances for Newcastle, as shown in the video below, verged upon world-class:

The 38 year-old may no longer possess the talismanic shot-stopping abilities of his younger years but he’s still going strong, currently serving as Brad Guzan’s deputy at Aston Villa.

Whether Paul Lambert would be prepared to weaken his bench remains to be seen, considering third-choice goalie Benjamin Siegrist has only ever made three appearances at club level, from a loan stint with then-Conference side Cambridge United.

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But the Villains would benefit from strengthening Newcastle on Sunday – they’re currently just three points above Sunderland in the Premier League table and will likely be jostling with the Black Cats for final league standings come the end of May.

Ben Amos

A forgotten man at Manchester United, Ben Amos would give anything for a bit of Premier League action right now.

The 24 year-old fell afoul of Louis van Gaal on the Red Devils’ preseason tour for his involvement – or rather, lack of – in this 60-yard lob from Roma’s Miralem Pjanic:

The 24 year-old’s shown more positive glimpses of his potential before however, enjoying productive loan stays with Oldham Athletic, Carlisle United and Hull City in the Football League.

This athletic save from a Leandro Castan bicycle kick, in the same friendly as Pjanic’s lob, wasn’t too bad either:

A decent record with the Junior Lions, boasting 17 caps for England from U16 to U21 level, further underlines Amos’ pedigree.

Throwing him into the Tyne-Wear derby would be a real case of sink or swim however, so Alan Pardew may prefer a less risky option.

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Jason McAteer lauded the work of Brendan Rodgers as Liverpool manager when speaking at the Ladbrokes #ForTheFans Transfer Deadline Day party.

Ladbrokes invited Ian Wright, Chris Kamara, Peter Reid, Jason McAteer and 50 fans to a North London pub to take part in the Ladbrokes #ForTheFans Transfer Deadline Day party. Fans were treated to free bets, the latest reaction to transfer moves and news by our panel of legends, a singing Kammy and a free bar to keep the night flowing.

The ex-Liverpool midfielder, naturally synonymous with the club through his broad scouse accent and over a century of appearances for the Reds, is excited for the future at Anfield.

“They’ve put themselves in a great position to finish fourth,  something we probably weren’t talking about twelve weeks ago,” McAteer said.

“It was a disappointing start, losing Suarez and Sturridge, when you lose 51 goals it’s going to be very difficult to replace them. Then he (Brendan Rodgers) started searching for a different formation, playing personnel in different roles, there was a lot of players brought in during the summer.”

Rodgers faced stern critics this autumn but has ridden the storm out, though McAteer suggests these voices of discontent did not emanate from supporters.

“You could say that (he has been a victim of his own success), but Liverpool fans are clever fans. They know when you start the season again last season’s gone you’re now looking back your looking towards the future,” he added.

“Suarez has gone, he (Rodgers) brought a lot of players in, it was always going to take time for them players to bed in, not only that but to learn the system.”

McAteer suggests that, faced with these difficult changes, Rodgers has shown his managerial qualities in re-building Liverpool after a challenging autumn.

“I think he has done a fantastic job. Brendan had to find the answers, Brendan had to find the system, that’s why I am a fan of Brendan,” continue McAteer.

“He has worked hard in finding a way of playing, finding a way of getting those players in team, enjoying themselves and playing good football.”

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As a wholehearted Liverpool fan, McAteer talks with the palpable enthusiasm about how Rodgers has improved the Reds across this season.

“Liverpool are back where they belong in playing the kind of football we expect to see they are creating chances, they are not conceding goals. Twelve weeks ago they were never contenders for fourth place now you’re looking at them as the real deal, they’re going to hopefully nick into the fourth position.”

McAteer also explained his belief that Tottenham signing Delle Ali was the most important signing of the recently shut January transfer window.

“I think it’s a great signing, probably one of the hottest prospects around – he could probably go straight into the Tottenham team and enhance them, make them better,” McAteer added.

“I think you look at the £5million now but that could be a lot more come five years’ time. The scouting system at all clubs is there to find that kind of talent and I think it’s a good bit of business by Tottenham when everyone else is looking at big players and big money.”

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One club doing that was Manchester City, though McAteer feels £28m signing Wilfred Bony will, unlike previous signings, not gain sufficient first-team opportunities.

“I think he’s more experienced than these players, obviously he has played plenty of international football, and I think he’s more of a finished article than them. He’s is proven and he has scored all types of goals for Swansea, his movement was very good, he is physically built for the Premier League and Manchester City need strengthening in that department – I think he is the ideal player for them.”

Jason McAteer was speaking to Football FanCast at the Ladbrokes #ForTheFans Transfer Deadline Day party.

What impact did the January transfer window have on your team’s odds for the title, relegation, or European qualification? Head to Ladbrokes.com* or download the app and bet NOW #TheLadbrokesLife

‘Download the app to back Liverpool at 9/10 or Tottenham at 3/1 at Anfield. New customers only, terms apply’

Nurturing young players is about balance. They need to be allowed to work hard and play hard. But the most important balance to strike, especially for particularly talented youngsters whose clubs rely on them, is between experience and rest.

If anyone knows this, it is Mauricio Pochettino. Just look at all of the young players he has brought through the ranks during his time at Southampton and Tottenham. And now Pochettino fears that Harry Kane will face fatigue and a loss of form if he is to go to the U21 European Championships with Gareth Southgate’s England squad this summer.

It is physically taxing for any player to play a full season of league games, cup competitions (both domestic and European), and international games, let alone having to do all of this in a World Cup or European Championships year.

Yet this must all be balanced with the experience that young players get from playing as many games as possible. Especially if they are crucial to their club team, as responsibility at such a young age, coupled with lots of playing time, generally makes young players better when they are in their prime.

This is why lots of the current crop of England youngsters, including Harry Kane, need to go and represent their country this summer in order to progress as far as possible. This isn’t about winning the Euros. Far from it. It is just a very important chance to gain good experience.

Winning it might be a good thing for the country and for English football, but if it is, the goodness doesn’t come from the glory of winning. It would come from the taste of blood in the mouths of the young lions who will represent England in the future. As we are told time after time, winning is a habit.

So how should England balance this?

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After Raheem Sterling told Roy Hodgson he was tired, the youngster was left out of the England squad for the qualifier against Estonia in Tallinn in October. Brendan Rodgers later gave him a rest from Liverpool duty in January too.

Sterling has been criticised for this in some quarters, with some saying he should front-up and play for his country when asked, while others have been sympathetic and said that he should be given a break if tired. This shows how much we’re torn, and how no one knows the right answer.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez has also tried to take the pressure of mounting appearances off the shoulders of one of his England starlets, Ross Barkley, as Martinez has stated his desire to see Barkley left off the plane to the Czech Republic this summer.

Both merseyside managers, like Pochettino, were worried about burnout. And on balance, it does look like Barkley (injuries aside) and Sterling have played enough football over the last year to merit a break this summer. Even to the detriment, perhaps, of the Under-21 team.

Kane, however, is in a different position, even if Pochettino is worried about tiredness. This is actually about more than just tiredness. This is also about his progress at international level.

England’s chances in major tournaments over the next few years depend on players like Kane.  Barkley, Sterling and Kane will likely all be playing a big part in the national side in just over a year’s time in the build up to Euro 2016 in France.

These youngsters need to find out what it’s like to be cooped up with 22 other young lads in a hotel room for 3 weeks, unable to do anything ‘fun’ lest the media jump on it. As though living in fear of a media backlash wasn’t conducive in itself to poor preparation.

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There is a difference in the developmental stages of Harry Kane and players like Sterling, Barkley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, for example. These players have all played at a World Cup, and have all experienced the pressures and peculiarities of tournament football.

In this case, England can prioritise rest for these players. But for Harry Kane, Eric Dier, Jordon Ibe and many others, even though it’s only an Under-21 tournament, they still need to go in order to further their development.

A balance must be struck for the good of every party involved. But this doesn’t simply mean resting young players. It sometimes means giving them experience over and above club football.

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West Ham’s Aaron Cresswell is enjoying a successful season. His side got off to a strong start in the league, and Cresswell himself has been a strong addition to the Hammers. He has 29 league appearances under his belt, but is rarely mentioned by the media.

Cresswell also missed out on an opportunity to play for his country under Roy Hodgson.

Aaron Cresswell signed for West Ham from Ipswich in July 2014. He scored his first goal at Upton Park back in November. This goal was the difference between the home side and visiting Newcastle, with Cresswell being named Man of the Match for his winning performance.

Following this clash, West Ham boss Sam Allardyce referred to Aaron Cresswell as ‘Mr Dependable’. He has been a constant in his side despite the fact he had no experience in the Premier League before August. Yet as he is not one of the higher profile debutants, he has been overlooked over the last season.

When Roy Hodgson released his selections for the Euro 2016 qualifiers, Harry Kane getting his call up was big news – unsurprising, given his season – but Aaron Cresswell was omitted from the squad selection.

Talk had began of an England call up for the West Ham player earlier in the season but it amounted to nothing. Is this down to the side he plays for? Leighton Baines and Luke Shaw were included in the selection, despite the injury woes they have faced this season. But both play for clubs who are further up in the Premier League table.

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Hodgon’s side has come under scrutiny for potentially being chosen on their team’s merit, rather than individual performance.

Cresswell’s debut season has not gone completely unnoticed though. It is being speculated that Manchester City are monitoring the 25-year-old, with intentions to bring him to the Etihad in the summer transfer window.

Manchester City are looking to bring English talent to their side and Aaron Cresswell would be a great addition if he can maintain his momentum from this season. Or could he just be another Scott Sinclair, signed off the back of a good season yet ends up rotting on the substitutes bench?

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He may not be the biggest name in the league, but Cresswell has put in some great performances for a Premier League newbie. His exclusion from the England squad can be considered more of a reflection of the manager rather than the individual.

He has established himself in his club squad and received some great praise from his own boss. He is even tipped to be awarded Player of the Year for the Hammers. He may be underrated for now, but he won’t be for long.

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This time last year Raheem Sterling was a young star who was bringing a fresh talent to the England side ahead of the World Cup in Brazil.

Fast forward 12 months and Sterling has once again been hitting the papers, but this time the stories all seem to be negative. The Liverpool winger has been making headlines because of his excessive contract negotiations at Anfield, as well as pictures showing him inhaling both nitrous oxide and smoking a shisha pipe.

Sadly, these negative stories have completely overshadowed the fact that the 20-year-old has been Liverpool’s standout player on the pitch.

Former England and Arsenal star, Sol Campbell has spoken out saying that Sterling has been too badly treated by sections of the media and it could destroy his career. He said: “He’s one of the most talented English players coming out of this country – Do not destroy him. Wake up. PFA, wake up, press wake up and protect this boy.”

All too often we hear stories of young stars, whether they be actors, singers or footballers, who found fame at a young age and have struggled to cope with the pressure. In 2007, Britney Spears suffered from a nervous breakdown and started shaving her head, Canadian pop-singer Justin Bieber has been arrested for numerous offences and now it seems Raheem Sterling has become the latest youngster who cannot handle the pressure of fame.

Savio Nsereko was once one Italy’s brightest prospects. At the age of 19 he made a big money move to East London to join West Ham United and everything went wrong from there. He was shipped back to Italy after only 10 games where he went AWOL. He hasn’t scored since he was a teenager and spent a stint in a Thai prison for faking a kidnapping in order to extort money from his family.

Whilst this is an extreme example of a young footballer who could not handle the pressures of fame, it is good as a warning. Every time we come round to the European Championships or the World Cup we complain that we do not give English talent enough support and Raheem Sterling is a clear example.

Many young footballers go through a spell of bad media attention – Wayne Rooney had it when he left Everton but it isn’t the way forward.

While he hasn’t been acting perfectly off the pitch, his performances on it haven’t changed. He is still showing the skill he possesses, having a better goal to match ratio than he did last season. This year he has scored 11 goals in the Premier League with seven assists and hasn’t been sent off all season. With a pass success rate of 80.5% it shows that amongst all the media hype about the 20-year-old his football has actually improved rather than got worse.

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Raheem Sterling is one of England’s brightest talents and he has become the latest media scapegoat. It is time to take a step back from the pitchforks and start giving him the support any youngster needs at that time in their life.

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A free transfer that will cost £8m? Eh? Well Liverpool, according to the Daily Mail, may have to pay up to that for Danny Ings, despite the 22-year-old being out of contract soon.

Due to him being under the age of 24, the Reds will have to reimburse Burnley for their contribution to his development, while Spurs’ cheeky £12m offer may serve to increase the fee needed due to the figure they could have received.

Although a good player, 11 goals in his maiden Premier League campaign is impressive, such a figure for a largely unproven player is a bit of a risk. So, what could the Merseysiders do with the sum should they opt to use the funds in a different way?

Well, here are a few options…

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Bridge the gap for Mateo Kovacic…

Reports suggest Liverpool are willing to pay £12.9m for Kovacic, but with Inter Milan holding out for around £18m, there’s some gap to be bridged.

Taking the Ings money and putting it in the ‘Kovacic kitty’ would close the void between the sides, and allow Liverpool to get in a player to help ease the blow of losing Steven Gerrard.

Sign Yevhen Konoplyanka & Andre Ayew

With £8m in the kitty, moves for free duo Konoplyanka and Ayew could be funded.

The pair are set to be out of contract soon, so without fees the figure it could take to land Ings may be enough to pay off signing on bonuses and large chunks of the players’ salaries.

Okay, neither can play up front, but their additions would give strength in attacking midfield and free up funds to push for a genuine top class centre-forward.

Pay off Brendan Rodgers…

Pay off Rodgers and get in Jurgen Klopp? Sounds tempting, doesn’t it.

Although the Northern Irishman is safe at the minute, his end-of-season review with the club’s owners is looming large, and it’s entirely feasible that the outcome of the meetings could be enough to see the ex-Swansea man ushered out.

Sacking him would command a fee, but £8m would surely be enough to cover that and provide Klopp with a new challenge…

Fund a move for Carlos Tevez

Despite being out of Fenway Sports Group’s desired transfer zone, 31-year-old Tevez is a target for Liverpool, according to reports.

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The Argentine has little in the way of sell-on value, will command massive wages and sizable transfer fee, but getting him in would surely give the short-term boost the Reds need. Just a little more cash than is needed for Ings would likely be enough for the former Premier League champion.

Pay some of Mario Balotelli’s salary to get rid

Reports suggest that Balotelli is wanted by Sampdoria, but his massive £100,000-per-week salary is an issue for the Serie A side.

Although they’re believed to be open to the idea of paying a respectable fee, Liverpool may have to help fund the 24-year-old’s wages to get him off the books, which will command a bit of a fee.

So taking half the Ings figure and giving Divock Origi the nod when he comes back could clear up the Mario problem…

Mesut Ozil is a mutant. Half man, half fly, he buzzes around and floats wistfully over the game. Now and then he comes into life and does something that no mere human could do.

Over the last two seasons, though, Ozil hasn’t sparked into life as much as people thought he might. For such a hefty £42.5m price tag, explosive and great things were expected of the German former Real Madrid man, but he hasn’t reached those heights yet. Alexis Sanchez’s first season at the Emirates showed exactly how you settle in a new country, and Ozil didn’t match that standard in his debut season.

But let’s be fair to Ozil. He came into the club with big expectations on his shoulders, not only was he the club’s record signing, but he was arguably Wenger’s only ‘big’ signing at Arsenal, at the time at least. And Ozil has had some fairly large personal issues to deal with in the meantime too, including being sued by his own father.

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And with all this on his shoulders, it’s not like he’s been bad. He’s just not been awesome. But I think that might change this season.

There’s a lot of optimism around the Emirates this summer, and Arsenal feel they have their best chance in years of challenging for the Premier League title. If Wenger can add another big signing, as he has done for the previous two summers, then optimism will rise again.

And Ozil should be optimistic too. He started to approach his best towards the end of last season when Arsenal themselves were in magnificent form on their way to lifting the FA Cup and nominally challenging Chelsea for the title. He’s played well in pre-season, too.

And with confidence high at Arsenal, Ozil will thrive. Everyone knows that forwards thrive on confidence, but confident forwards make confident runs. They run into positions they feel like they can score from, and if there’s one man in the Premier League who can pick out a runner, it’s the not-quite-human Ozil. With his fly-eyes he can see things on a different frequency to everyone else.

It must be wonderful for a forward like Giroud to know that if you make a clever run and outfox defenders, you won’t outfox your own teammate too. But seeing the run is one thing, getting the ball there is entirely another thing, and Ozil is pretty damn good at that too.

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So even if he hasn’t matched his price tag just yet, with personal problems behind him, a few seasons of Premier League football under his belt and a plethora of exciting and confident players playing around him, this could be the season for Ozil to really show everyone why Wenger paid so much money to bring him to London.

This could be the season that Ozil stops wistfully buzzing around the game and starts actually taking control of it. If he does, Arsenal could be a team to fear, even if they don’t manage any more signings this summer.

It is funny how quickly things can change in football.

Luke Shaw looked certain to be leaving Manchester United in January earlier this season, but the left-back appears to have turned the corner in recent weeks.

Indeed, Antonio Valencia’s injury and Ashley Young’s recent suspension has seen Shaw enjoy his best run in the first team for some time.

The Englishman has now started each of United’s last three Premier League matches, and he has begun to show signs of his best form for the Red Devils.

Shaw, who is rated at £16.2m by transfermarkt.co.uk, was again impressive in United’s 2-0 win at Everton on New Year’s Day.

Rampaging down the left, the defender caused Everton a host of problems when he linked with Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial in the final third of the field.

Shaw has always had the support of the United fans, and many were on hand to hail his performance in the win at Everton on Monday afternoon.

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A selection of the best Twitter reaction can be found below:

As reported by The Daily Mail, Rangers are battling with Ligue 1 side Marseille for the signature of West Bromwich Albion prospect Tyler Roberts.

What’s the story?

Rangers have had a busy transfer window so far, signing the likes of Jamie Murphy and shipping out faltering summer signings such as Carlos Pena.

However, they’re also planning ahead to the summer and are eyeing a move for West Brom talent Tyler Roberts.

That’s according to The Daily Mail, who say the Light Blues have  been watching his progress closely this season and are planning to scout him again next weekend.

However, they face competition from Ligue 1 outfit Marseille, who are also showing heavy interest in picking him up for a £300,000 compensation fee when his contract expires at the end of the season, say the paper.

Who is he?

Still just 18 years of age, Roberts already has over 50 professional appearances to his name after loan spells at League One sides Oxford United, Shrewsbury Town and currently Walsall.

This season he’s scored five goals in 15 league appearances for the Saddlers, also contributing four assists. That’s a fair record for a player so young and a potential that could be further enhanced with regular football at Ibrox.

With Kenny Miller injured, Eduardo Herrera flopping and Josh Windass not a natural striker, the Light Blues are lacking options and landing Roberts could give the squad a big boost.

It would also follow a similar signing model Celtic have employed in recent years, taking players like Moussa Dembele north of the border on compensation deals, only to see value rise to be sold on for a profit later on.

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It’s a model that could prove successful for Rangers too.

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Arsene Wenger’s first decade at Arsenal gifted him a reputation.

Coming into an old-school Premier League side in Arsenal, he changed things around and extolled the virtues of broccoli and clean living. That’s what you’ll probably find in his obituary, alongside his many achievements and trophies, it’s the fact that he ushered a new age of professionalism to the English fame which will stand out. It was era-defining.

Then again, perhaps it wasn’t. When you’ve been around as long as Wenger has, and have been as successful as he’s been – certainly at the turn of the century when such changes were taking place – a few myths might find themselves attached to you; a few quotes might be misattributed to you if they sound like you might have said them.

In this case, English football might well have been transformer from a binge-drinker’s paradise to a haven for health on its own and without the French sophisticate. But then I guess we’ll never know.

Another such myth is Wenger’s prowess for youth development and sniffing out a star.

He built a reputation, and of course reputations can only begin on a cornerstone of some sort of truth. It would be unfair to say that Wenger did absolutely nothing to transform the game or bring through young players – that would be patently untrue and a mean-spirited rewriting of history just as painting him as a man who almost single-handedly brought English football from the dark ages would be, too.

But it would be equally unfair to overstate Wenger’s eye for a player too much.

By 2010, Arsenal were five years without a trophy. That drought would continue, but at the time their position didn’t look as precarious as it probably was. With Manchester City coming up on the rails, and with Manchester United and Chelsea consolidating their positions at the top of the table, Arsenal were drifting but still very much top four stalwarts.

But there was an enormous trust in Wenger as a man who had the managerial skills to bring the Gunners out of their years in a transitional wilderness and back to the very top. He could see a player after all.

Years of finds like Thierry Henry, Robert Pires and Patrick Vieira had shown his ability not just to bring players through but to find them and develop them further in North London. Especially French players, it seemed.

That narrative might have been something of a downfall for him. Since then, Wenger has been dining out on it, with Arsenal development teams being seen as breeding grounds for exceptional young talent who will become superstars in the not too distant future. Meanwhile players who are brought in have been heralded ones to watch – young or unknown players who will be hits when they are taken under the Wenger wing and turned into superstars.

You have to wonder whether Wenger himself believed the hype. Years of purchases you might not regard as flops because they played many games, but who never grew into the players we all thought they would followed. Theo Walcott makes for a great example. By now the phenomenon has faded as we now know what to expect from such purchases.

Another of the most vivid examples is perhaps Marouane Chamakh, who came to Arsenal from Bordeaux. Another player from France – a Moroccan international born to North African parents near Bordeaux – much was expected of a new striker who had performed well in Ligue 1.

Wenger still had his reputation, and Chamakh was thus expected to turn into a top player in England, making the step up under the tutelage of a French boss who seemed to have a canny knack of helping his foreign imports to thrive.

Except, just like with so many other players whom Wenger was tasked with developing over the years, nothing happened. Chamakh may not have settled particularly well, but he certainly didn’t progress. Jeremie Aliadiere, Sebastian Larsson and Nicklas Bendtner are some of the names who fall into a similar category: players who stood out as youngsters and may well have gone on to greater things had things turned out differently.

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Who knows where the blame lies for that. Is it with the players themselves, who just weren’t good enough? With Wenger, whose reputation preceded him, but who had long since lost his ability to take modern young players to the next level under his leadership? Or somewhere else entirely?

Either way, there came a point – probably when we realised Chamakh wouldn’t make it as a top player – when we stopped waiting for Wenger’s proteges to come good. The players who were either brought into the first team from the youth academy or brought in from clubs a rung or two below Arsenal in the food chain.

After Chamakh’s bright start at the club, and after he faded in the second half of his first season, we stopped waiting for him to make the step up, and we stopped waiting for Wenger to work his magic. We knew it wasn’t coming.

Now we know the reputation didn’t stand the test of time.