Thierry Henry has warned that reports of Arsenal's demise have been greatly exaggerated, claiming that The Gunners have only deserved to lose two games all season and that the club's youngsters will ensure a successful future at Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal have endured their most frustrating campaign to date under Arsene Wenger this season, with a second trophyless year in succession being exacerbated by a series of wasteful displays, both domestically and in Europe.
With the emergence of a talented crop of youngsters has come hope though, with those resident in North London underlining that this season has been very much one of transition, with the Frenchman's next 'great team' just waiting to emerge.
Henry has furthermore highlighted the cyclical nature of success in football, claiming that the young vanguard of players under Wenger's gaze have the ability to restore the club to the summit of the English game.
"Have a look at Manchester United, they dominated in the 1990s, then they have a break and now they have returned as the champions," Henry told MF Dnes
"Or Liverpool. They have been waiting for the league title for almost 20 years.
"You know, if we knew why we are so great one year and so bad the next, football would be too simple. It would not be entertaining any longer.
"Arsenal has talent, desire, ambitions, we have got a really good young team which will grow up. It just needs time.
"Why [is that] risky? The boss does his best for the club, for its future, and everyone has to respect it. Arsene Wenger is a genius in finding young players.
"Remember Ajax 12 years ago, [Patrick] Kluivert, [Edgar] Davids, [Clarence] Seedorf, they were hardly 20 and at that age won the UEFA Champions League. Our youngsters have played the Carling Cup final this year and the boss must be proud of them.
"[Theo] Walcott, [Abou] Diaby and Denilson and others, those lads are 18, 19, they have the best years ahead of them.
"When I came to Arsenal at the age of 22, I was among the youngest ones. I played with [Tony] Adams, [Lee] Dixon, [Martin] Keown, [Nigel] Winterburn, all of them legends."
Moreover, Henry has insisted that Arsenal have only truly deserved to be on the losing side in two of their eight Premiership defeats this season.
The Gunners skipper has also blamed a substantial number of injuries to key players for Arsenal's inability to keep pace with Chelsea and Manchester United in recent months.
"Without disrespecting our opponents, this season we have only deserved to lose two league games," Henry added. "Only two, at Bolton and Liverpool.
"Unfortunately we have been beaten more times, the reasons? Injuries.
"There has not been a series of three games in a row played with the same line-up. How many times have I played alongside Gallas? Not many times. Or with Van Persie? We were not in full strength.
"And then, we have lacked effectiveness. We had loads of chances, whilst our opponents only had a few of them and we did not manage to win. In football, only wins are important.
"Nobody will remember after five years that Arsenal played attractive football this year. Everybody will remember that we were eliminated from the Champions League and that we did not win any trophies."
