Arsenal Were Never Going to Win All Four Competitions in 2011

I, like any other Arsenal fan, is just about digesting the loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup q.

In two weeks, Arsenal went from competing in four competitions to one. The only target left for Arsene Wenger is the Premier League, and that will be difficult to win, especially with the confidence in the Gunners' dressing room.

But realistically speaking, Arsenal were never going to do the quadruple. It is a near impossible task unless you had Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Vidic and Cech to the current Arsenal team. It is just fantasy for the Gunners to think they can win everything.

For the first time, a majority of Arsenal fans looked at the Carling Cup as a good trophy to win. Everybody is so eager for the team to finally pick up a major trophy after six years. And the way Arsenal played their way to the final made them firm favorites. But then they fell at the final hurdle and lost the cup to a dogged Birmingham City.

In my opinion, there is much more hard work to be done to break the trophy cabinet wide open. Not only do Arsenal have to face the challenge of getting to a final, but that game itself becomes a whole new challenge for the players. It seems that at cup finals, the players' performance stutters and they become fragile mentally.

If you look at the past six years, Arsenal played in the final of the Champions League against Barcelona in Paris, and lost 2-1. The Gunners played Chelsea in the Carling Cup final and lost 2-1. And finally the Carling Cup final against Birmingham City ended in a 2-1 loss.

It' s a mental challenge that can only be overcome when the current team win their first trophy. Winning the Premier League is different because 38 games makes you champions, not just the one.

When the Champions League draw paired Arsenal and Barcelona together, nobody looked at that and gave Arsenal a real chance. To have any chance against the Spanish giant, the first leg needs to be played at the Nou Camp, hoping not to lose by a big margin and then win the return leg.

And of course, you need all your top players to be fit for both games. Van Persie and Fabregas were off pace, and Walcott's speed was missing. He caused all sorts of problems to their defence in the first leg.

Okay, the referee made a controversial decision. But Barca had Arsenal pinged back for most of the game, you just have to admit that you lost to the best team in the world. There's no shame in that!

The FA Cup was a realistic goal. But the loss against Manchester United today derails our confidence a little bit. The players did create chances, but Van der Sar was amazing. He really turned the years back to keep the Gunners reeling, and United punished Arsenal with their blistering killer instinct in front of goal. The two Brazilian brothers, Fabio and Rafael, impressed the most during the match.

Arsenal have to pick themselves up and somehow find a ruthless streak for the last few games in the Premier League. If they can oust United at the Emirates and win all their remaining games, Arsenal could end the six-year drought for a trophy. This may well open the door for more cup glory for Arsene Wenger's men in the future.