BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes reckons Arsene Wenger is building a new dynasty at Arsenal to rival the one Sir Alex Ferguson created at Manchester United a decade ago.

The Gunners are going through a transitional period after losing experienced players like Robert Pires, Sol Campbell, Dennis Bergkamp and Ashley Cole during the course of the last six months.

But while some claim it's the end of an era for the Londoners, Hughes believes Wenger is skilfully laying the foundations for another by following the Fergie blueprint for success.

The Rovers chief, whose side face Arsenal at The Emirates Stadium tomorrow, was a Manchester United player when a similar revolution took place at Old Trafford during the 1990s.

After losing the Premiership title to Blackburn in 1995, Ferguson decided it was time for change at United, so he ruthlessly dumped three of his most senior players that summer in Hughes, Paul Ince and Andrei Kanchelskis and placed the emphasis on youth instead.

Suddenly, young tyros like David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt were thrust into the limelight, but a faltering start the following season quickly prompted Alan Hansen to say you never win anything with kids.' Ten months later, however, the Match of the Day pundit was left with egg on his face as United regained the title, and Beckham and Co went on to dominate the Premiership for the next six years.

Now Hughes can see certain parallels between that golden generation at United and what's happening at Arsenal, where Wenger is beginning to blood his own crop of bright young stars.

Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Eboue and Johan Djourou are the face of the new' Arsenal, and while they may be trailing in United and Chelsea's wake in terms of this season's title race, Hughes can see exciting times ahead for Wenger's class of 2006.

"In one summer at United, myself, Paul Ince and Andrei Kanchelskis all left the club, but I knew what was coming through," said Hughes.

"I knew my time was up. I knew they had some fantastic young players that you hoped would hit the ground running.

"They had the right quality, but you never know how they'll go until you throw them in.

"It was a big decision (to do that), but that is why Sir Alex is the manager he is.

"He's prepared to make the big decisions that other managers aren't prepared to make, and he stands and falls by them.

"I think Arsene Wenger is always trying to evolve his team, too.

"Sir Alex has done it, not once, but on numerous occasions when he's changed the outlook of the team and still continued to have the success that the club strives for.

"The test for other managers is how you deal with that period of transition when it appears on the horizon."

With Arsenal already out of the title race - they are 14 points adrift of United with almost half of the season gone - Wenger has looked a frustrated figure at times this term, none more so than at West Ham, where he was involved in a heated touchline spat with Alan Pardew.

However, when you place your trust in youth like the Gunners boss has, it's inevitable those young players will struggle for consistency on their way to becoming the finished article, hence why Arsenal are where they are in the table.

"At the top clubs you have to make sure that if you're going with youth they have the capacity to fill the shoes of the senior players they are going to replace," said Hughes.