Arsenal's faltering challenge not down to Henry's departure alone

This article is absolutely pointless. At the beginning of the season did you even expect Arsenal to have a title challenge? The answer is no. Thierry Henry wasn't a big player for us for a long time, he has had very limited playing time this season at Barca and even there, he is a talent in decline. Everything has come a season to early for the Arsenal team, this experience will serve them well next year, when they will officially come of age. We have overachieved in everyone's book, from will struggle to be fifth to third and still potentially involved in the title race, is a massive achievement. I don't even know why you wrote this. Hasn't this topic been discussed to the hilt?

Over the past two years we lost a huge amount of experience, craft and guile with the departures/retirements of pires, lundberg, henry, bergkamp, reyes, campbell, lauren, etc....... but the biggest issue this season has been the failure of the rotation policy - we sang the praises of 'the kids' who came up to the mark so well in the carling cup last season, but since then, and for whatever reason, players like diaby, walcott, traore, denilson, bendtner, djourou, haven't emerged as viable long term replacements for the 1st XI. In fact it could be argued that only Flamini and Almunia have 'come on' in the past season, while Gilberto has slipped out of contention, and RVP and Rosicky have had too many injuries to make any real contribution. Both new summer signings - Sagna and Eduardo have been real successes ......... and if AW can do similar business and pick up a centre half, proven wide player, and wing back, things would look that bit healthier.

Like most "commentaries" about the Gunners' bad run of form, this writer's is divorced from reality. He wishes Wegner would have bought people last summer. What were Sagna and Eduardo, chopped liver? Sagna gives Torres a run for best purchase of the season. Of course, most purchases -- at Arsenal or elsewhere -- take a year to settle in. So he must not have bought anyone in 2006. Well, what about Adebayor, Gallas, and Rosicky -- so that comment is shite. Next, he cites "experience" -- really, what a load! Experience compensates for lack of pace, skill, and talent, but iut really is not the first choice in looking at a player -- except maybe the English players who, for the most part, have only experience to recommend them. I'd say fatigue has been the prime reason Arsenal has faltered, combined with injuries which left the side depleted. Yes, I know, January Januray January -- since January, Kolo has been poor, Song, Eduardo and Sagna have been injured. Arsene is not clairvoyant. Finally, there is luck. Now the critics like to claim Arsenal is bad when beaten by bad luck, and not good when the luck goes their way -- can't have it both ways, lads, unless you're Spurs fans.

Arsenal's poor run of form came not long after drawing against Birmingham & Eduardo's tragic injury. Although they raised their game in their CL match against AC Milan at midweek but they failed to win against Wigan at the week end. Although Eduardo's shocking injury somewhat affected the team, the main cause was probably due to their fragile state of mental toughness. Adebayor & Fabregas chose a wrong time to go missing during this stage of the season while Gallas' petulant display towards the end of the Birmingham game did the team no favours but instead revealed a mental weakness when things don't go their way in a young Arsenal team. It points to a lack of maturity & mental toughness. Their thin squad unlike Manyoo & Chelski were not equipped to challenge for both Premiership & CL once injuries & loss of form decimated their squad. Although Thierry Henry was not missed but Arsenal did lack a proven goal scorer. Van Persie was too fragile to last the distance in the Premiership while Theo Walcott seemed to be forever in the development stage, leaving Adebayor to carry the team in scoring goals. Once he suffered a loss of form, Arsenal's scoring stuttered. No one could make up for Adebayor's goals. Walcott would score but only in patches meaning he would go missing for long periods after scoring. Fabregas went missing after playing so well in the 1st of the season. Arsene Wenger needs to strengthen the squad mental toughness as well as fill up some of the holes in his squad i.e. by using professional & experienced, role-playing squad players who could performed when called upon. Wenger shouldn't be too idealistic with his youth developmental philosophy to the expense of relying on good, experienced professional players who could come in to perform a role & get results. Just look at Manyoo last season when they brought in Henrik Larsson on loan in the January window to add some firepower during a critical period.

Many gooners critise AW because they want Arsenal to have more ambition. At the beginning of the season, everybody know about Arsenal's lack of depth and experience in challenging big squads like MU and Chelsea. Everybody know it, so does AW, but he is stubborn and has done nothing to strengthen our squad, esp in midfield and defence. If we don't have ambition, don't talk about titles

Yes, the loan of Henrik Larsson has proved the clairvoyance of Alex Ferguson. And also the case of Tevez

Do you think that whole contract issue about nearing 30 is a load of nonsense.Surely teams with lots of kids in it need a couple of experienced individuals to show them the way.

sportingo make my headlines therefore perhaps you should have read the article a little more carefully.So you quite happily began this season thinking that you would/could not challenge for the league? What did you expect? Wenger should have supplemented his youngsters with some experience and then you yourself would not be brainwashed with the idea that everything will happen next season ala Benitez at Liverpool otherwise you,ll be chasing nothing for years...........

sportingo make my headlines therefore perhaps you should have read the article a little more carefully.So you quite happily began this season thinking that you would/could not challenge for the league? What did you expect? Wenger should have supplemented his youngsters with some experience and then you yourself would not be brainwashed with the idea that everything will happen next season ala Benitez at Liverpool otherwise you,ll be chasing nothing for years...........