Jamie Redknapp, Thierry Henry Slam Arsenal Performance in Loss vs. West Brom

Jamie Redknapp and Thierry Henry slammed Arsenal's performance in the Gunners' 3-1 loss to West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns in the Premier League on Saturday. 

Speaking on Sky Sports (h/t Tom Doyle of the London Evening Standard), Redknapp called Arsenal "shambolic" and suggested it was the kind of performance that may get beleaguered manager Arsene Wenger sacked.

Meanwhile, Gunners legend Henry chided his old club for wasting their dominance of possession.

Arsenal were beaten after conceding two headed goals to Baggies defender Craig Dawson. His strikes bracketed a finish by substitute Hal Robson-Kanu, who capitalised on confusion at the back.

However, it was Dawson's goals from set-piece situations that had Redknapp riled, per Doyle: "That was shambolic from Arsenal. I have never seen a team at the top level, defending against a team we know are great from set pieces, defend like that."

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Redknapp also focused his ire on the apparent lack of organisation and leadership among the Arsenal squad (h/t Luke Gardener of the Daily Star): "Surely somebody has told them before the game you need to be very careful, McAuley, Dawson, they are monsters at set pieces. You need leaders in the dressing room, somebody has to be organising, but it was a parting of the ways."

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Redknapp expressed sympathy for Arsenal's travelling support, whom he felt were let down by the players: "I have not seen such shambolic defending. I feel so sorry for those Arsenal fans that have come up in their droves. I thought there would be a performance but that was diabolical."

Redknapp even called on Wenger to take his failing players to task: "Arsene Wenger has taken a lot of stick, I hope he’s in that dressing room telling those players exactly what he thinks of them because they have let him down and let the club down."

Wenger has been the subject of fan protests for weeks, with the complaints aimed at the possibility he will sign a new two-year contract when his current deal expires this summer.

However, Redknapp believes Wenger may not have the choice if his team suffers through more performances like this (h/t Doyle): "That’s the sort of performance that gets managers the sack."

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Improving performances won't be easy considering the way they are playing at the moment. Certainly, their dominance of possession yielded no joy at the Hawthorns.

Henry was critical of how Arsenal struggled to make the most of their relentless passing, per Doyle: "It is not enough to have 77 per cent possession and you don’t do anything with it. You play against a team with 23 per cent of the ball and they create more chances, have more shots on target. What is that possession supposed to say?"

More than style of play, though, Henry concluded the Gunners' focus and application weren't up to the desired standard: "You have to do something with it and they had nowhere near the desire, commitment and attitude required to win a game in the Premier League."

It's true Arsenal have appeared a fractured and unhappy squad for weeks. The apparent tensions have led to disjointed performances on the pitch, where the Gunners too often lack fluency and direction.

It's also fair to argue, as Redknapp did, that Wenger is being let down by his players. Key figures such as forwards Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott both disappointed against the Baggies, despite being counted on to carry a threat.

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Yet these are still players the manager has kept faith in, and the pressure will only increase on Wenger, while his team stumbles toward the end of a dire campaign.

Arsenal stay outside the top four and could miss out on qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for a rare time during Wenger's more than two decades in charge.