2. I take the liberty to skip the discussion of the various minor points.

3. “Lack of character” is an unsettling notion. It has been used so often that it seems devoid of meaning by now. I thing it is more about a lack of real backbone to the team. Between the 25 players there are many fantastic talents. The problem is – these are parcelled and you can only start 11 of them. Rarely adds up. The players are incomplete, and here you could wonder whether it arises from the lack of maturity or inherent lack of skill. Namely, if you put together Song, Diaby and add a bit of passing proficiency, then you roughly arrive at Vieira. The complete players in the suqad are perhaps Walcott, Van Persie, Sagna, Rosicky, Arshavin. The rest are incomplete. Bendtner lacks the edge in the sprints. Chamakh lacks killer confidence and die-hard’edness. Nasri, brilliant as he is, is yet to develop real hunger of a leader and a skill of commanding passing. Fabregas is very nearly there – but he desperately lacks defensive edge, and his weaker foot makes him a single sided player. Also, how often do you see this glimmer of conviction in his eyes? So die-hardedness again. With such players the game becomes paper, rock n scissors. The opponents now, and are able to pick. No all-rounders, no strong backbones, no box-to-box players. In chess that would be knights and bishops against the queen. Any of these players will finally get it. But when? Wilshere will be strong, 19 he is now and very resilient. But again – needs to come from inside the field providing bursts of energy, not commanding from the cockpit, like Fabregas aptly does. With exceptions for Fabregas and Rosicky (n fingers crossed for Ramsey!) there is hardly a midfield player, who really excells in the locked game around the opponent box. With the team coming so high up, it is difficult to gain any real depth and speed, which makes Nasri and Arshavin (and Walcott) look obsolete – like much less appealing players than they really are. So Arsenal jam themselves, and it is only the question of time before a counter occurs. A deeper game is not possible due to a) defensive midfield problems, b) lack of efficiency on Bendtner and Chamakh’s side. Arsenal is truly dangerous when they can use both options – to lock the opponents and to use depth for attacking. When some key strikers are not efficient, opposing teams just drop back and laugh, because no one will strike from outside. Manchester can do this, and yes – they succeed. Normally that should not happen. Bullet A) means that the team lacks a commanding presence that can fight the battle and link the game. The current answer is evasive – solving the problem by putting the game more up front, where Fabregas can feed Van Persie. Sounds decent, when you play Premier Leagues thugs. But effects are tearjerking, when one cannot fight another high midfield, who are smaller and quicker (mind Barcelona). Lack of efficiency by Chamakh and Bendtner add to that – in this situation you have to ask your midfielders to score goals. They can only do, when they get that high up field. But then it gets jammed.

So investment is required in defensive midfield, a strong, commanding presence, who can link two games, sweep behind the proper midfield line, can keep the ball and pass more ingeniuously than song. Felipe Melo? Xavi Alonso? Mascherano? Cambiasso? Alex Song having pumped up his technique?

And investment is required up front, with one more strong striker at Wenger’s disposal. An addition to Bendtner or a classy player that replaces him. Diego Forlan and the like. While the 4-4-2 is not likely as an option, because half of the midfield squad would have to be erased from the pay slip, a new striker needs to be versatile, but a striker proper – even if Chamakh picks up on form. You cannot run the whole seaons on 2 real strikers (be it Robin and Marouane) plus faux strikers like Andriey and Theo.

A solid centre back wouldn’t go amiss either and perhaps a bustling centre forward who appropriately compliments Van Persie in the Arsenal attack.

I’m not an Arsenal fan, so this may not sit well with those loyal to the Emirates, but I think Arsenal should consider letting Fabregas go and in an ideal world, use the cash to bring in the required strength and depth they are lacking.

Arsenal possess a quality in midfield and it is possibly the only area of the pitch where losing a prized asset wouldn’t be so evident.

In Wilshire and Ramsey, Arsenal have two of the finest young midfielders in the league and when you add Song, Diaby, Nasri, Ashavin, Denilson, Rosicky and Walcott to the equation then there is plenty of diversity and ability to match any top flight midfield in the game….except for Barcelona of course!

The problems for Wenger have always been at the back and up top.

Losing Fabregas (in my non-expert opinion) wouldn’t be so damaging for the Gunners. With £40-£50 million from a Fabregas sale, Wenger would have eilte goalkeepers, defenders and Van Persie compliment at his mercy.

Wenger is the man for Arsenal, there is no doubt about that. With an addition here or there, then perhaps they would have the cutting edge to go that little bit further in the Champions League and perhaps the frailty that catches up with them around spring time, won’t be quite as pronounced.