TEMPLATE ANALYSIS

Arsenal are fifth in the Premiership, four points behind third placed Spurs and two behind Chelsea. Neither of these two sides are better teams than Arsene Wenger’s men – but can that be said of the Manchester sides that sit in first and second place? And there is the root of the problem, for the manager who once set the standard finds himself playing catch up by a long way.

In Europe, they were taken apart by a clinical Bayern Munich side that made it look ridiculous easy despite being away from home.

Theo Walcott who recently secured another highly lucrative contract is still a yard short when he comes up against world-class opposition.

Nothing new in seeing Premiership sides fail in the Champion’s League – all  English sides have struggled in Europe, even Chelsea’s victory last season was more down to luck than their superior football skills.

But if the board at Arsenal are serious about a replacement – then there needs to be credible alternative.

Celtic’s Neil Lennon wouldn’t be a bad choice – his Celtic team failed against AC Milan because of a lack of word class firepower up front – something a rich club like the one based at the Emirates would be happy to oblige him with.

Of course, even now with Arsenal twenty-one points behind Manchester United in the Premier League and a humiliating FA Cup defeat to Championship side Blackburn Rovers behind them, no one is seriously talking about letting go of the great man.

And that’s that.