"A Different Arsenal"

, with the skipper in the "hole" and the young Frenchman occupying a defensive role. To be fair, with the success that had reaped in the Premier League, you might perhaps have forgiven Wenger for sticking to the idea. Not when we are in a Champions League semi final against the world's top team I'm afraid. This was always doomed to failure, particularly in giving the defensive role to such a novice in Nasri, and sticking Diaby, a player who is usually so inept in his own real position, out on the left wing!

This was not all as far as tactical blunders ago. Wenger opted for the "experience" of Silvestre in the centre of defence alongside Touré, and, although the pair improved as the match wore on, they were given a torrid time by Rooney and Tevez in the United frontline. Not only that, Wenger finally decided to play two strikers with Bendtner's introduction on seventy-seven minutes. Hardly all the time in the world to come back in such a crucial match is it?

With the manager making such costly mistakes at such crucial moments of the season, first in dropping Arshavin and Song for the FA Cup semi final defeat, and then on Wednesday, mistakes that any lay person can pick up on, it hardly does much to endear the underachieving Wenger to the success-starved supporters and the media's vultures, does it?

With regards to the players out on the pitch, well it doesn't need a genius to come up with the conclusion that we were second best throughout the ninety minutes. With the defence an absolute and utter shambles as the match began, exactly the opposite to what is required early on a European semi final, it was no surprise when John O'Shea (O'Shea!?) thumped the ball into the roof of the net with less than an eighth of the tie gone, with Ronaldo and Anderson queuing up for the finish too incidentally, and with our defence ball-watching, all at sea!

As the match wore on, we improved, and despite having the greater possession in the second half, it was United who threatened to score again, and we failed to create one meaningful chance. Interestingly, one stat that popped up late during the match stat pointed out that we had completed 295 passes to United's 200, a stat that, if anything, highlights our lack of functionality and inability to be potent when it counts. A stat that can be thrown right in Wenger's face by any laughing rival manager, player or fan!

In attack, Adebayor's publicised mare and the midfield's profligacy contributed to our lack of a cutting edge, something that we will surely have to improve on, and with the correct personnel come Tuesday.

After the match, listening to Wenger's post-match conference, I didn't know whether to admire his fighting talk or ridicule his nonchalant attitude to the press. Sounding almost triumphant, Wenger predicted that we would see "a very different Arsenal team" next week and make United "regret their missed chances". Now, whilst it is part and parcel of the game that every manager builds his team up or else there would be no point in turning up, Wenger's chat sounded more like a man desperate to combat his stubbornness and tactical naïvety; a ploy to keep his dejected supporters on-side.

On last Wednesday's viewing, many of the mistakes highlighted will have to spot on. A two-goal victory will do, and as it is not as easy it sounds, a clean sheet will probably be required. Not the easiest of tasks against a side as free-scoring and as powerful in attack as Manchester United are, but then again, and despite our known defensive vulnerabilities, 2009 is yet to see us let in a goal against European or Premier League opposition at the Emirates, and so we will hope to be fighting tooth-and-nail for that record to continue come Tuesday night.

The players will have to be up for it, realising that it is simply now or never. Time to prove that we are indeed back on the big stage, and that we will not lie down and give up in the face of every big match. Time to justify the manager's unwavering support and confidence to the whole world, the time to prove the doubters wrong. The time has come to show that Arsenal Football Club can fight for the biggest prizes and not simply be the nearly-men when it comes to the business end of every season, prompting the media to say that "now is not their time" and the fans craving success to predict that "next year is the year".

Enough excuses, enough "next years", this has to be our year!

A different Arsenal please, Arsène! A better, stronger one.

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