I cannot remember a time when the officiating for football matches was as poor as for this season.

Quoted from ED

"Today is the first day of Lent... many people give up various things; Arsenal seem to give up winning.

Despite the rights and wrongs of the outcome - there is an awful sense of Deja-Vu hanging over the Gunners following their Champions League exit.

In 2007, they exited the Carling Cup, FA Cup and Champions League to Chelsea, Blackburn and PSV respectively in the space of 11 dismal days during Lent.

In 2009, Arsenal were dumped out of the FA Cup and Champions League in the space of 17 days at the hands of Chelsea and Manchester United.

Now defeat at Old Trafford in the FA Cup on Saturday would see the Londoners' four-pronged assault on silverware reduced by 75 per cent in the space of a fortnight.

The bloke who has got the contract to paint the trophies into the facade at the Emirates has already sent off his CV, he's got mouths to feed - he can't go a sixth year without work.

Losing to Barcelona is no crime, but after three Champions League exits in six years to the Catalans, the pressure is mounting and the disquiet amongst the Arsenal faithful - they do have a faithful, just a quiet one - is growing.

Wenger knows this - he upgraded his Carling Cup team from the YTS and the stiffs of former years to a full team as he hunted down that elusive silverware, only to lose at Wembley.

There is so much to admire about the Wenger way, which even draws grudging respect from rival fans, but for half a decade it has proved lacking in one department: TROPHIES.

Until Sepp Blatter decides to hand out titles on artistic merit, essentially Wenger has failed and you have to ask the question: would any other top four manager still be in work after such a barren spell?"

@Mwenza, get your facts right, last season's winners (inter Milan) had worse statistics than Arsenal yet they still managed to knock them out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sp...tball/europe/8645184.stm

Inter won the trophy not Barca.....have you checked the match statistics on the link ama umepitia tu.

When SAF came around from his dumb state cum media blackout,his first word was ARSENAL.Interestingly,the interviewing media has been instructed by Man management to take down the interview.....Panic!!

http://www.telegraph.co....ents-since-blackout.html

Please look at the ball possession in both matches and not what you think you saw. Inter lost the match, Mourinho had to bring in all his defensive players to avoid that one goal which would have put Barca through....Arsenal don't more than 5 defensive players.

Ok. So you guys had 7% more ball possession. So what? While it will be said Inter was resolute in their defence, the same cannot be said of Arsenal. If Arsenal dont have the players to put a defensive show, blame your coach!

@Miaich then was the score 4-0 or 3-1?

In all honesty I approached this game with a sense of trepidation, knowing that Man U could NOT afford a third succesive defeat. However, the Gunners had their own problems as well and it is obvious their season just got progressively worse as they were comprehensively beaten by a somewhat understrength Man U team that will be on Champions league duty next week. I am now a lot more confident that United will just pip Arsenal to the Premier league title.

What Arsenal lacks is mental strength and a desire to win. Half the players on the pitch look disinterested and conservative. Wenger needs to get players who have passion, a fighting spirit and a winning mentality always. Denilson, Diaby, Bendtner, Chamakh, Rosicky need to go. The nonchalance has to end.