It’s time for a change, Arsene

ARSENAL'S failure to defend a lead took on a new dimension at the Emirates yesterday.

Only the Gunners could go ahead in the 98th minute - and still not win. They got exactly what they deserved. A solitary point which is of no use to them at all.

Now Manchester United need only a dozen points from their last six games to be champions - even if Arsenal win all theirs. So there was a silver lining to a weekend in the capital for the watching Alex Ferguson - even if United's Treble dream was ended the day before by Manchester City. 

In the end, Arsene Wenger was told to "p*** off" by Kenny Dalglish after the Arsenal boss advanced on him, moaning about the injustice of it all.
Do us a favour, Arsene.

The 102nd-minute penalty conceded by Emmanuel Eboue for bundling over Lucas in the box was what you would expect from Arsenal's madcap full-back.  And another example of the errors that have littered Arsenal's season.

As it was, Wenger's team had to rely on a penalty to break the deadlock - their 16th of the season.  So the Frenchman can hardly moan about the breaks going against his boys.
The lack of character that has been the hallmark of this Arsenal side has been there for everyone to see over the last six weeks.

Just one win in five Premier League games.

And just two in nine overall - against Orient in the FA Cup and a Blackpool team in freefall.
It must be eight seasons since Thierry Henry spoke about the need for "a fox in the box".
And yet, along with his failure to sign adequate goalkeepers and centre-halves, Wenger has also done nothing to buy an orthodox, proven goalscorer. Since Henry netted 27 goals in the 2005-06 season, only one Arsenal player has scored over 20 in the league - Emmanuel Adebayor in 2007-08.

If you can't put the ball in the net when it matters most you won't win a thing. As ever, when the season comes to the boil, Arsenal go off it.

They cannot even beat strugglers like Sunderland, Blackburn and West Brom. Or a Liverpool team, already without Steven Gerrard, that then lost Fabio Aurelio, Jamie Carragher and Andy Carroll.

How much longer will Arsenal fans put up with all this?

How much longer before Fabregas and Van Persie realise they are wasting the best years of their careers chasing their manager's dream?

How much longer before Wenger's vanity and stubbornness starts to cause damage to a club he has served so brilliantly?

Arsenal's majority shareholder, American Stan Kroenke, was there yesterday. He may not be a football expert but even he can see this team is heading nowhere.

If Wenger doesn't want to make the marquee signings that can turn things round then, perhaps, someone else should be given the opportunity.

source: Steven Howard, Thesun.co.uk