Time Up?

I've had enough. I can't bear this any longer. Seven years is a long time for any team, but another? No. I cannot envisage such a horrible, disturbing nightmare to happen to this team, my team.

So what do Arsenal do now? Over the years, talks of 'crisis' have been mooted around the Emirates, but this time, this most certainly is exactly that. Most clubs would've done what I still consider to be the unthinkable in sacking Arsene Wenger, but it is finally time for him to depart?

Cast your mind back exactly 2,752 days. Arsenal lift the FA Cup thanks to Vieira's winning penalty. None of us would have seen this coming - the mess we are in now. The next season was trophyless - our first for 5 years - but it was the last year at Highbury and we beat Spurs dramatically on the final day to celebrate in style, plus we came runners-up to Barca in the Champions League Final - we were all extremely proud of our team, no hard feelings.

But it has all been downhill from there. Since that fateful night in Paris, we had serious teething problems at our new home the year after, followed by a very strong and successful season until Martin Taylor's right boot destroyed our best hopes of League glory. 08/09 saw infighting with captain Gallas and average performances saw us only comfortably grab fourth spot once more, while too many late shows the year after saw our Premier League campaign fizzle out without a pop - it was all getting a bit familiar. 10/11 saw a brief glimpse of what could have been but misfiring Chamakhs and injured Van Persies meant that we could not even muster a Carling Cup when the draw could not have been hand-picked any better - our best chance since '05. Last season was the worst start under Wenger, until Kos saved our blushes at West Brom to get into the Champions League once again, but ultimately, it's never been enough for Arsenal fans.

This season's start, despite all the optimism (and betrayal) that preceded it, has been even worse. I've supported Wenger since day 1, but even I'm starting to wonder if it's gone on a little too long now. It's got to the point where even a Capital One or FA Cup - or both - wouldn't bring me enough satisfaction.

I know what Wenger has achieved. He took us from mid-table mediocrity to becoming the best in the land. The sad truth is, where are we now? Stuck in 10th. In December. That's not the Arsenal I grew up with. That's not the Arsenal that Arsene inherited 16 years ago and turned into champions. It is almost as if we are back to square one.

So where did he go wrong? The only logical explanation in my eyes is transfers. Both in and out of the club. Vieira seemed to open the floodgates in that respect - eerily just weeks after lifting the FA Cup. We replaced him with Fabregas but haven't ever since. Pires followed the year after, although the King left after another 12 months in totally different circumstances. Players like Flamini and Hleb left for no apparent reason, followed by Kolo, Adebayor, Fab, Nasri and Van Persie all for big bucks without sufficient replacements, and Wenger's reluctance to spend has been painful to endure. It says something about your team when your record signing is Andrey Arshavin. I dread to wonder what could have been if he had more guts in the transfer market.

My only problem, however, is who or how the hell do you replace Arsene Wenger. For me, there is only one man for that job in Pep Guardiola, and, whereas he can be a huge success and start us playing the passing football once again, my personal belief is that he is waiting for either Chelsea or United to offer him something once he finishes his sabbatical. But that can only be contributed to the fact that he does not see Arsenal as a meaningful force anymore, regardless of whether he could make us become one once again. All that aside, though, I would swap them now in a click of a finger.

And for that reason, I can't see what good sacking him will do. December-January is a key period for him and the club for sure with the transfer window re-opening, but the pressure will keep building the longer we stay out of touch from the top. But as we have seen over many glorious years during his reign, if there's one person who's going to get out of this mess, it's Wenger.

Come On You Reds!