Arsene Wenger Talks Arsenal Youngsters and More After Sheffield Wednesday Loss

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger aimed a scathing attack at his budding stars on Tuesday after proclaiming none of the youngsters who featured in the 3-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday are ready to play at the top.

The Gunners started with a mix of second-string stars and reserves in the Capital One Cup loss, after which the French tactician told Sky Sports those he selected were underprepared (h/t Uche Amako of the Daily Express):

"

It was a very bad night for us. We lost two important players in the first part of the game and then we were not at the level we needed to be. Congratulations to them, they were faster, sharper and more decisive than us. We could not create anything. We were very naive when defending. We cannot master how people will react. I left six players at home and I still lost two to injury.

The level was too high for the young players tonight. They are not ready to play at this level. We are short now with the injuries. It is a big blow for us.

"

Per Mertesacker and Petr Cech were the only players in Arsenal's starting XI on Tuesday with at least five Premier League starts to their name this season, showing how unwilling Wenger was to risk his best players.

Alex Iwobi and Glen Kamara—both 19—started for the away team and struggled to have the impression Wenger was looking for, but Match of the Day's Gary Lineker rightly noted it was the manager's decision who started:

The night began dismally for Wenger as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was forced off after just four minutes of play and replaced by Theo Walcott, whom Arsenal might have hoped to rest with Olivier Giroud up front.

However, Walcott then had to be withdrawn barely 15 minutes later after pulling up with an injury of his own, with James Masters reporting both England internationals had picked up muscular setbacks:

Along with Iwobi and Kamara, who made his senior Arsenal debut against the Owls, Krystian Bielik and Ismael Bennacer—both 17 years of age—also gave Arsenal fans a glimpse of their play.

The Premier League giants may lament a fourth-round League Cup defeat to their Championship opponents, but it will be difficult for Wenger to aim blame at those who clearly looked out of their depth.

Even with a host of youngsters on display, the Gunners may have thought the senior ranks of Mertesacker, Mathieu Flamini, Giroud and Mathieu Debuchy to be more capable of leading the team against Wednesday.

To make matters worse, Sky Sports reporter David Craig suggested Wenger committed a managerial cardinal sin by not making time for Walcott to warm up before substituting him on:

The absence of key stars such as Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil was painfully obvious, and Wenger's side have paid the price for their incompetence, whether that be from players young or old.

The irony now is that with Oxlade-Chamberlain and Walcott sidelined with injury, Wenger is closer to being forced into calling upon his emerging prospects more in future should he require them.