I’ll start with the texts received at the end of this afternoon’s defeat to Wigan…

‘Amateurs’
‘Not Sure They Care’
‘We have the spine of a jellyfish’
‘Showoff Virus’
‘Utterly disgraceful and unacceptable. I would not be surprised if we fail to keep third. If we lose to City, we could even lose fourth. Wenger has a lot to explain.’
‘A manager who cannot motivate, players who can’t put it in for 90, players who have to save themselves – but for what? Unprofessional attitudes, sh*t keepers, over-age centre-halves. And how much are we paying for all this… too f***ing much. If Wenger does buy he will turn that player into a lazy f***er too. He has to go. See you all next season, have a good summer’

That last one was sent by a mate who sits in the row in front of me at home games. It looks like his ticket might just be going spare for the Manchester City and Fulham games. In fact the Fulham game attendance will not be unlike that against Everton in May 2008, when you could more or less pick your seat, such were the number of non-attendees. By then, people had seen enough. It was the same against Stoke last season. Arsenal’s season promising something and then tailing off completely after defeats at the business end of the campaign has become something of a familiar habit. And it’s not one that anybody seems to have learned from, least of all Arsene ‘Judge Me In May’ Wenger.

The Arsenal board have some hard decisions to make. Do they continue with a man who has given them packed houses and rude health on the balance sheets, but is obviously incapable – tactically and motivationally – of managing players to honours any longer, or venture into the unknown with the club’s first new manager for 15 years. One obviously assumes Wenger will be allowed to see out the final year of his contract, but to this observer, you have to wonder if it really is a case of better the devil you know come the summer of 2011.

Arsène Wenger’s judgment needs calling into question in certain areas. The goalkeeping situation is rather an obvious one, and the notion that Manuel Almunia has a wrist injury is laughable. The man was dropped in favour of Fabianski so that Wenger could finally persuade himself that the current second choice couldn’t make the grade. Job done. This clown, along with the Spanish waiter, should be dispatched from the club this summer. If Szczesny isn’t ready, make him the back up and buy someone decent. That the manager failed to address this area both last summer and then in January, when it was even more obvious strengthening was required, is gross negligence, dereliction of duty.

I did not blame Almunia for punching the ball away from the corner that led to Spurs’ goal last Wednesday. Why? Because if he’d tried to catch it, exactly the same would have happened as did to Fabianski for the Wigan equaliser. The alarming thing about Wigan’s comeback is that in fact they had ample chances to score earlier in the second half on several occasions, as Arsenal demonstrated they have no idea how to close out a game. Sound familiar? At least against West Ham and Birmingham, they managed to hold on for a draw. Denilson was dropped due to the poverty of recent performances, but ultimately, Craig Eastmond was found wanting, through a mix of inexperience and – at times – a lack of assistance from older colleagues.

The glass half full brigade will argue that too many first choicers were missing, but this is Arsenal. The culture of the club – historically – was resistance and solidity. Not collapse. This continued in the earlier years of Wenger’s reign – even when teams were weakened – because of the presence of players like Adams, Bould, Keown and Vieira. However, it’s now gone. Leading 2-0 to a side fighting relegation, at no point did I feel this game was won. I thought at times, this is why the Gunners have fallen behind on goal difference. It’s the kind of opponent they should, on occasion this season, have put four or five past, but they have so rarely done that. Where was the drive? Where was the desire to bury a team on the rack once and for all – as Wigan were after they conceded a second goal?

Unfortunately, they lack the killer instinct, and that is why many believe that the club will never win another trophy under the current manager. Sometimes people can achieve a great deal in one place, but there often comes a time when their powers wane, and they are trading on their reputation. They go stale. Not so Alex Ferguson, and however much opposition fans may dislike him, you have to hand it to the man. However, I get the feeling now that Arsene Wenger is like the smell of fish that has started to go off. A guest you simply can’t get rid of. He has done great things for the club, but honestly, can you see him turning things around?

The huge worry is that he has changed the culture of the club into something I used to associate with Spurs. Pretty football, but with the solidity of a sponge. They will, ultimately, always let you down. There were signs of tremendous character in the late wins against Stoke, Hull and Wolves. But look where these sides are in the table. They should have been beaten out of sight long before injury time if we’re being honest, if Arsenal were good enough to be champions. Manchester United may have scored a similar late winner yesterday – but look at the opposition – a team pressing for a Champions League spot.

Arseblogger raised the point in his Saturday morning blog that the Invincibles team had been broken up a little too quickly, in Wenger’s anxiety to build a completely new team, his third great one. And yet, if you look at the sides that won the double in 1998 and then five trophies in four seasons from 2001-02, there was an element of continuity. Adams, Keown, Vieira, Seaman and Parlour all played a part in handing the baton on. However, from the Invincibles, we have Gael Clichy – very much a bit part player that season anyway – and latterly Sol Campbell. Everyone else is now a distant memory. So there are not enough players for newcomers to turn to in learning the Arsenal way, just a bunch of overpaid won nothings for the most part. History will record 2006 onwards as the Walcott years, in the way that older fans now recall the early 80s for such players as Lee Chapman. Yes, Arsenal are finishing higher these days and constantly taking part in the Champions League. But then, as now, do the supporters really believe the team have what it takes to win something? If a first choice eleven was constantly available, then maybe. But that isn’t going to happen and additionally, the quality of even those players is not guaranteed. The keeper and full backs for starters. Not great at preventing opposition goals on all counts. The midfield is almost there if at full strength, but still liable to indiscipline, costing goals in key matches as the holding midfielder is caught on the edge of the opposition penalty box when possession is lost.

Even Wenger has as good as admitted that this group of players have failed him. Here’s a list of recent results –
Birmingham 1 Arsenal 1
Arsenal 2 Barcelona 2
Arsenal 1 Wolves 0
Barcelona 4 Arsenal 1
Spurs 2 Arsenal 1
Wigan 3 Arsenal 2

All this says to me is chickens coming home to roost at the point of the season where the questions are really asked. Arsenal have unravelled at ‘squeaky bum time’ and the immodium can’t come quick enough. The concern now is whether the collapse is so total that third place might be sacrificed. Another serious worry is that the team have become accustomed to failure in key games as the season nears its climax – three years in a row. Granted, a similar thing happened in 1999, 2000 and 2001, but at least that side was stuffed with players who had won things in the past, either at Arsenal or elsewhere. They knew they were capable of doing it and never shrunk, leading to the pots that followed. Not so many of those around now.

Arsene Wenger will probably not resign, but will presumably attempt to rebuild his squad this summer, as even he cannot dispute the evidence in front of his eyes. His team have lost eight league matches this season, and were taught a footballing lesson in Europe. The domestic cup exits were measures of convenience to clear the way for the two competitions he values. Fat lot of good the sacrifice of that pair of potential trophies has achieved in recent years. The question is how long it will take him to rebuild his first failed Arsenal side, and whether or not the fans or the board are prepared to wait. His contract renewal has not been finalised yet. The two men who own the majority of the club between them presumably realise their asset is worth more if it wins trophies. Only one of them is in a position to influence this at the moment, but someone has to do something and fast. Let’s hope that in the first instance, this summer sees a lot of deadwood cleared out, and some knowhow brought in.

If Wenger – having made a lot of changes - can show us a different Arsenal next season, then think about contract renewal. If it’s same old same old, give me Jose Mourinho or a manager that knows how to win big matches both when it’s expected and against the odds. United won yesterday because of a player called Paul Scholes. Zero resale value, on the wrong side of 35. Arsenal have got Denilson. Therein lies the difference. One of these players will win you titles.