It wasn’t that long ago when teams were heavily fined for fielding under-strength teams, no matter what the competition. Somehow along the way in the 1990s, the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal re-wrote the rules in their favour as far as the Football Association were concerned, arguing that the future development of theirs and the national team depended on their ability to throw reserve players into League Cup, FA Cup or European matches in order to preserve first team players for their more important fixtures at the weekend.

Purists argued that it devalued the various competitions – which it did and still does – but now, the rest of us face a much more annoying myth: The so-called ‘young kids’ of Arsenal.

Since Arsene Wenger took charge at Arsenal in 1996, both the media and Gooners fans all over the world have been drooling over the quality of these ‘youngsters’ as they enter the cut-and-thrust of Premier League football and pit their wits against their more experienced and often big-name opponents.

But it’s time to put the record straight. These aren’t kids, they’re the reserves, and they’re no more likely to make the Arsenal, England or even Senegal first teams than any other youth team player at any other club. Probably less likely, in fact.

After Wednesday’s narrow Carling Cup victory over an equally under-strength (but less hyped) Liverpool team, Arsenal’s ‘kids’ were at it again and remained on track to claim a trophy (Arsenal’s first since the 2005 FA Cup, let’s not forget) by booking their place in the quarterfinals. However, when you look at the starting XI, only Aaron Ramsey (31 appearances), Craig Eastmond (Arsenal debut), Kerrea Gilbert (81 pro appearances) and Fran Merida (from Barcelona, nine appearances for Arsenal) were not regulars in the Gooners line-up.

Even Arsene Wenger, when prompted in his post-match interview by Sky Sports’ Andy Burton (himself known within the industry for hyping up ‘non-stories’, especially on transfer deadline day) acknowledged that “the experience of the centre backs was important in the vital moments of the game.”

Those centre backs were World Cup heading Swiss captain and experienced Champions League player Philippe Senderos, and French international and four-time Premier League winner Mikael Silvestre. Throw in the likes of Eduardo and long-time sub Nicolas Bendtner, who got the winner, by the way, and it wasn’t such an inexperienced team after all.

Liverpool themselves had plenty of non-household names looking for the club’s first victory at the Emirates stadium – Cavalieri, Kyrgiakos, Degan, Spearing, Plsessis – and fielded a team captained by Dirk Kuyt without the likes of Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina or Jamie Carragher.

But Liverpool aren’t a story these days unless they’re losing, and listening to the commentators, this game was all about Arsenal’s ‘kids’. Aaron Ramsey was given the Man of the Match award, just to give everyone another reason to rave about the youth team at Arsenal, but these guys have been around for a while now. Surely Arsene could have thrown them into a big game by now if he thought they were ready? Why haven’t they featured against the likes of Manchester United, Spurs, or even Hull?

The reason is that Arsene probably has no intention of ever playing them for Arsenal, just selling them on like he did with the likes of David Bentley, or the fact that he knows they’re fine when there’s no pressure on them (ie in the Carling Cup), but not good enough to cut it when there are real trophies at stake.

It’s about time everyone started to come to terms with it.