Here is Dale’s latest article.

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Arsenal’s artistic style of football has striking similarities to Van Gough, a genius at what they do but a product of their own downfall. The gunners are yet to see silverware since 2002 and there’s only so many “end of the seasons” that Wenger can be judged on. As a manager, it is admirable that he has taken the moral stance on financing the team but how longer does he have before the North London faithful start jetting out of the Emirates. There are 2 departments to the Arsenal team that have to be addressed if they have any realistic ambitions of reaching the heights of the “invincibles”.

Goals and Power. Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba and Wayne Rooney. Frequently found in every tabloid readers fantasy football team at the start of the season (to the expense of having a Titus Bramble-esque defence as a large amount of the £50m was gobbled up by the front 3). They cost money but they score goals. The correlation is simple yet too complex for Arsene Wenger “the talent spotter” to digest.

Goals. Wenger prides himself on producing the best young, exciting and talented players to ever grace the premier league and beyond. Snapping up players for a fraction of their worth and selling them on for tens of millions of pounds. His uncanny ability to develop players is unmatched by anyone in the business since Ferguson’s Beckham, Neville, Scholes and Giggs era. However Wenger MUST break the bank and sign a proven world class goal scorer to compete with the superstars strikers of Rooney, Drogba and Torres. Van Persie looked to fill that void until getting injured on international duty during Holland’s friendly against Italy back In November. Wenger should have addressed the problem during the transfer window with Marouane Chamakh the obvious signing. Instead he has chosen to wait for the summer to sign the Moroccan hit man as his contract expires allowing him to join on a free. In doing so he has kissed goodbye to any hopes of winning their first premier league title for 7 years. Two successive defeats against United and Chelsea made sure of this.

Power. Arsenals visit to Stamford Bridge was a demonstration of how power is everything in the toughest league in the world. Down the spine of the Chelsea machine stood Terry, Ballack and Drogba. Three powerful, commanding and authoritative figures up against the tipy-tapy trio of Gallas, Denilson and Nasri. The appropriate and yet tired cliché of boys against men has seldom being demonstrated with as much evidence. Arsenal were not without their own spell of pressure and had enough possession without reward. The difference in the two teams, on the day was the physique and clout in a Chelsea side that simply bullied Arsenal off the park. It seems Wenger has developed a seemingly dismissive approach to a vital element of the English game, disrespecting it almost. As a neural it would give me great pleasure in seeing an Arsenal team as talented and skilful as the current one lifting the evasive premier league title. Yet there are no points earned for style of football and for this reason the best opportunity Arsenal had for the past few seasons is slipping from their grasp.

Until Wenger learns that pretty football is simply not enough to win a title, Arsenal will be part of a cycle that starts with anticipation and promise but ultimately ends with disappointment and failure.

Dale Moon