Arsene Wenger faces calls for sack after latest defeat

Arsene Wenger might be taking the blame for Arsenal's sixth season without a trophy, but the Arsenal boss looks unlikely to change his footballing philosophy. The Frenchman cut a forlorn figure on Sunday evening after Bolton's 2-1 defeat of the Gunners finally put an end to their faint hope of pipping Manchester United to the title. Instead, Arsenal now face a battle with a resurgent Chelsea for second spot.

"Blame me," said Wenger in the wake of the Bolton debacle, but then on Monday he appeared to say that another barren campaign won't make a blind bit of difference to how Arsenal approach next season.

In an interview with Arsenal.com, the man they used to call the 'professor' was asked if he would ditch his principle of playing pretty football in favour of a style that might bring some silverware to the club. "If you can convince me that the principles are wrong, then I am ready," Wenger replied, adding: "But I feel we try to play football the proper way.

"When you don't win, your principles are questioned. You always have to take the right distance to see what is right and wrong in what you do. I think if something is wrong in our team, it is not the principle of playing our football."

Though Wenger took the rap personally for the events of the past two months which have seen Arsenal falter in their chase for four trophies, he did admit the Gunners' back four had underperformed. "I am convinced we are a very good footballing side," he said. "We have not been stable enough defensively. The numbers are the numbers, we have conceded six goals this week at a moment where you cannot afford to concede six goals in three games and win the championship. We were too frail defensively during the season."

Though Wenger was reluctant to go into too much detail about possible summer signings - saying only that "We have to strengthen the squad where it needs it" - he must be aware that patience among the Arsenal fans is wearing dangerously thin. On weekend phone-ins and blogs, many were calling for his head.

Wenger might have revolutionised the way Arsenal play in the 15 years he's been in North London but six years without a trophy for a club of the Gunners' stature is simply unacceptable.

Some clever fellow on one of the English broadsheets told Arsenal fans to cheer up, that before Wenger came along the club had finished in the top four in only 23 out of 92 seasons; since Wenger took charge it's been 14 out of 14. In other words the boy's done all right.

There's some truth in that stat, but then how does it explain Arsenal's capitulation in the Carling Cup Final, or the fact that Alex Ferguson and the other canny managers constantly outwit Wenger tactically?

The fact is, Wenger has been found wanting this season not only on the tactics board but in the transfer market, and it's his pig-headed refusal to accept the need for a more balanced squad that most infuriates Arsenal fans.

Samir Nasri, Jack Wilshere and Cesc Fabregas are three of the most creative midfielders in Europe but none could be described as hard men. It's too easy for opposition teams to intimidate Arsenal in the centre of the park, knowing that they have little to fear from wee Jack or petit Samir.

There's a similar problem at the back – as Bolton showed on Sunday – where the Gunners have frequently conceded goals from set pieces. One wonders what Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Steve Bould must think as they watch Arsenal's defenders being out-jumped at corners.

It was reported last week that Stan Kroenke, the American tycoon who earlier this month became the controlling shareholder at Arsenal, will ensure Wenger has £40m to spend on strengthening his squad in the summer. How Wenger invests that sum will determine whether he's still at the Emirates a year from now.

He needs a couple of big defenders used to the hurly-burly of the Premier League for starters, followed by a holding midfielder in the mould of Patrick Vieira (arguably the player more than any other who was the driving force behind Arsenal's double–winning sides of 1998 and 2002) and finally a goalkeeper who doesn't flap or fumble every cross that comes his way.

If Wenger buys in those players, then Arsenal might finally have a team who can play beautiful football but who can also win ugly. And Gooners might stop calling for his head.

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