Arsenal's Season Over As Inconsistent Gunners Lose To Bolton

Wrong tactics, wrong mentality, wrong game plan and an entirely wrong approach.

Arsene Wenger has long been considered predictable, but the game against Bolton was one proof too many that, as long as Wenger remains Arsenal manager, Arsenal might not win another league title.

This isn't an attempt to piss off the Arsenal faithful, but they need to abandon their optimism and face the facts. Two crosses, two goals. They don't get more predictable than Wenger—but to fail to fix a weakness for over three years in a row is atrocious to say the least. The Arsenal manager never changes his ways no matter how many times he's proven wrong.

Is it a coincidence that the Frenchman was never able to beat Mourinho during his tenure as Chelsea manager? Of course not, Mourinho is a tactical genius, whereas Wenger is a one-trick pony.

The game against United in the FA Cup was proof of such claims. Ferguson deployed six defensive outfield players due to lack of personnel and the end result was Arsenal losing two goals to nil.

It's not just that, but the manner in which Arsenal's season crumble is outrageous. Every season the Gunners crumble in the final stretch of the campaign, and every season Wenger claims how mature his side has become, only to collapse in the same manner. This is becoming situ rather than coincidence, it has become an un-welcomed tradition. But the Arsenal manager is like a bus driver who sees the broken bridge in the distance, yet keeps driving towards it as if everything will be alright.

The game against Bolton was proof. He made his substitutions late and it was amazing how wrong they were. Arsene Wenger plays names, Walcott has been uninspiring in the past few weeks, but Wenger always plays him ahead of Arshavin. Fabregas has been inconsistent, yet he'll always stick by the Arsenal captain. Perhaps playing Ramsey instead of Bendtner when the Gunners needed the win more than the Trotters was the criminal act on the Frenchman's behalf.

Meanwhile, Anchelotti had no problem benching the most expensive player in the history of English football, and all for the greater good of the team. The result of Anchelotti's tactics? Chelsea is miraculously still in it, where as the predictable Wenger and his team are out of the title.

This season was as close as Arsenal could get to winning the EPL title, with Manchester City expected to spend big, and Man United and Chelsea splashing the cash as well. It's not a surprise to see Arsenal edged by their rivals.

The optimistic fans will reply with the same old replies,  of how Arsenal don't spend yet are always competing, but this is no longer the case. How many seasons did Arsenal collapse at the final stretch? Almost every season for the last five years.

Wenger stated that should Arsenal fail to win a title this season, then he would've failed. Well, he needs to admit it, but he failed in the same old fashion and he failed the fans of the club, not just the board of directors.

The five-year plan is over, it's time for a better one—one that doesn't involve waiting a few seasons to taste silverware once again. Gooners need to understand this, but the longer Wenger stays at Arsenal, the sooner names like RVP, Arshavin and the rest will leave. Unless the Frenchman spends on world class players, he will do more damage as time passes by.

This article isn't an attempt to thwart the Arsenal fans, but you don't go five seasons in a row without winning a single trophy and having your team collapse in the same manner—and end up stating it's a coincidence.

True, Arsenal was unlucky in some games: The referees were biased at times and the FA as always comes up with a fixture list that favored the Red Devils, but these are minor road-bumps and they didn't stop Chelsea from winning the double last year. The major problems are the ones from within Arsenal's walls—not outside them.

The truth usually hurts, and as things stand, this is not a team that deserves to lift the EPL trophy, for they lack a champion's mentality. Apart from RVP and a select few, the rest were a disaster waiting to happen—most notably Djourou and Koscielny in their game against Bolton.

Wenger will most likely refuse to change his ways. As always. But the fans can see that the pressure of having a new owner and a bigger transfer budget (not to mention the unused transfer budget from last season) will force the Frenchman to buy world-class players. But gambles like Squillaci do not win you silverware, proven players do.

Arsenal needs two or three world-class players—old players that can get physical when the need arises, for as things stand, nothing will change next season.

Will Wenger admit his shortcomings? Highly unlikely; he hasn't done so in the past despite the fans pleading him to. Will Wenger be forced to change his ways? Maybe. With the pressure mounting and other teams spending large in the summer transfer window, one things is certain...

It will be a very interesting summer.