Wenger's stubbornness is costing us dearly.

Here is the problem, Wenger has been with us for over 10years.  During that time he hasgiven us new training ground, new training methods, new football philosophy,new scouting system, new backroom staff, new this, new that and of course thenew stadium, which he, of course, personally built.  In fact, he decided to do so after making so much profit onhis transfer dealings that he knew that he would be able to meet the banks andpersonally secure us the best loans available.  We got this only because the bankers wanted to meetArsene.  And by meeting I meanhaving a business lunch with him, because these bankers could see the loomingcredit crunch wanted his advise on how to deal with dark clouds that weregathering over the mortgage markets. Wenger is a mastermind, a magician.  He has transformed the Arsenal Football Club into ArseneWenger FC.  Everything that we seeis Arsene.  Arsenal has becomeArsene in disguise.  Wenger hasbecome untouchable – beyond reproach, not just within the game, but within theclub.  He is, according to many,beyond criticism.  And here is theproblem.

Meanwhile we Arsenal supporters have become like lemmings,daring not to criticise him in-case he packs his Louis Vuitton’s and buggersoff.  Because such is his powerwithin the club that if he were to leave then the Arsenal castle might justcome tumbling down.  And what aload of ballacks this is.

Without a doubt Wenger has transformed the game in England,he has made Arsenal into the club that we are today.  But the mastermind of our transformation has aweakness.  Arsene believes in hisproject so much that he does not see frailties in his plans for world domination.  Because, after all, to be a championyou have to have the medals, and that is what we are lacking, medals,silverwear, titles.  And what makesthis so painful is that we are so close, yet so far.  Wenger has assembled a great puzzle, he has put all thepieces together and tried to make them fit together.  Yet it is with the squad where we are loosing and oddlyenough where it matters most.

While we were the proud inhabitants of Highbury Wenger’spurse-strings were cut.  Money waslimited and we punched above our weight. So Arsene and his scouting system set out to find the brightest talentand shape-them to bring us silverwear. Many came and went, but others made name for themselves.  His philosophy focused on gettingplayers that had character to succeed. In those times, not so long ago, the focus was to think long-term, toremember that this was a project and that Wenger and the club were shapingdiamonds for our future.  Up torecently we could deal with not winning trophies because we ‘were’ a developingyoung squad.  But that excuse haslost weight.  The young playersthat we were told about now have experience, they have international caps.  They have a good wage and someattitude.  Yet, what they aremissing is what we want, medals.

Wenger’s excuses are wearing thing and his inability toaccept responsibility is starting to look like the behaviour from someone whois close to their day.

Wenger is a magician. A great strategic builder. He has made us, but, he needs to realise that his project was followedto the letter to ensure that we took over the world.

Financially we are sound as a pound, thanks to, - youguessed it, Arsene.  But Sponsorsand corporates want to associate themselves not just with beautiful football,but with winners.  And at themoment, it is the one thing that we are missing, and it isn’t for the lack ofmoney.

The club, the board the directors have repeated on numerousoccasions that there is money to spend. In fact, money that would have made Mourinho’s jaw drop.

In the last three games against Liverpool we have seen inevery game why we are just not stepping up.  The reason is that the squad is thin.  We have suffered with numerousinjuries, players, vital being injured and there not being experienced playersthat can step-up.  Van Persie hastalent, but he also has glass ankles. And talent is nothing unless you realise it.  And the same goes for the young Mozart, who continues tohobble around.  The youngsters thatwe expected to deliver haven’t. They looked lost. Oppositions could see this and have exploited it.  But let’s blame them for playing dirtyand rough, something that we’ve known for years.  Lets blame the referees for pointing to the spot.  Let’s just take no responsibility.

Wenger is so committed to his project and to developingyoung players that we have become his personal game, his personal subuteo.  A game made for one, with 60,000 plusstarting through the shop window and hoping for a positive result.

Disquiet is developing in the ranks and the expectations issuch that Wenger needs to put his feet back onto the ground and listen to whatthe troops have to say.

Yes, we all know what to do, but does he?  After all, we only owe something toplayers that perform, and at the moment many are not.  Many are undermining Wenger’s project.  Surgery is needed, and experiencedneeds to be brought in to nurture the so called young players.  Arsene needs to wake up.  By brining us so close he needs todeliver.

I said sometime ago that I felt that it would be 2009/10when we’d see his work bear fruit, but coming so close this season has made usexpect success sooner.

Arsenal expects. We expect.