Arsenal may mathematically still be in contention for the Premier League title. But the prospect of a sixth season without any silverware looms large. The cupboard remains bare. The clamour from the supporters is reaching a crescendo.
Arsene Wenger's philosophy has been called into question once again. But the script was written at the start of the season. Thomas Vermaelen was ruled out of the campaign, but a world-class centreback wasn't forthcoming. Even though goals seemed to dry up, a world-class striker was nowhere on the agenda. Mooting for a goalkeeper with proven pedigree still echoes around the Emirates. Nothing much has changed since 2005. It's not to say Wenger's policy is a failure. But there are flaws. And those flaws have come at a price. Sadly, the only person on the planet to disregard the evidence is Wenger himself. It would be a shame to see him leave. And he shouldn't. But then, this must be the time he owns up his fallibility and rings in the changes that are to create the blueprint for Arsenal's quest for silverware, going into the new season.
Arsenal's woes that have surfaced lately haven't been any different from six seasons ago. When Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry walked out the door followed in tow by Gilberto Silva, Arsenal lost the soul of a team that strolled through a Premier League season unbeaten. Dennis Bergkamp's retirement signalled the loss of another leader. The reinforcements – if any – didn't measure up to the credentials of the departed, and the signs were ominous. It was almost as if Wenger tried to fit a Ford engine into a Rolls Royce. Sooner than later, the frailties would be brutally exposed. The litany of failures that followed only confirmed that fear.
Arsenal caved in at Bolton on Easter Sunday with more to suggest that the team was running on empty. Fleeting passages of brilliance for long periods but displaying the threat of a shark in a sand-pit has been the drift for the last few games. Wenger must now cast a cursory glance in the direction of the Board Room after yet another season laid bare the case for fresh investment in the squad. And while inquests are to be encouraged, it's hard to imagine Wenger will move away from his principles even in the face of regressing credibility. He holds his head up high with only glowing reviews for his underperforming team. But the smoke is there for all to see.
