Arsene Wenger, Arsenal Can't Afford Another Trophyless Season

Although the last time Arsenal FC won some silverware was six years ago, that title is certainly fresh in the minds of Arsenal faithful. Since that victory at Millennium Stadium for the FA Cup over rivals Manchester United, Arsenal fans have been left with very little to celebrate. 

Since that last title, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been under pressure to bring in big names as well as titles, something he has had some trouble doing. That 2005 squad had a mix of experience as well as youth. Since then, Wenger has been able to replicate the youth aspect in the squad, but the experience factor has been hard to come by.

Although it is more than clear that Wenger has helped Arsenal in many ways, when will the front office finally get fed up? Wenger came out publicly and said that last season was his most difficult season yet, but the way things are shaping up this offseason, could he be in for a surprise?

Last season Arsenal was battling in four fronts, only to see those dreams destroyed in a matter of a few weeks. The elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona FC may have been one of the more devastating blows for the Gunners. To add insult to injury, Arsene Wenger seemed destined to end the trophy drought in the final of the Carling Cup, but a last minute miscommunication between Wojciech Szczęsny and Laurent Koscielny ended the Gunners' aspirations for silverware.

With Arsenal almost certain to lose Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri before the start of the season, Wenger now has to worry about filling those voids as well as filling spots he already had to fill. Arsenal have pursued Spanish winger Juan Mata from Valencia throughout the summer but have seen their bids rejected by the Spanish club. With Fabregas and Nasri set to leave the Emirates, will Wenger step up his offer?

Unfortunately for Wenger, the fact that Arsenal is doing well financially doesn't really help his cause. We all know that he would rather spend money on youth, but when will he realize that in today’s game, youth most likely will not win you titles. Although he has done an outstanding job in developing young players, he needs to understand that Arsenal FC is not just a development school. 

Every season Arsenal fans are used to hearing the same story about how this could be the season for the Gunners, but in the end it finishes in heartbreak at the Emirates. If Wenger is unable to secure a Premier League center back along with respectable replacements for the probable departures of Fabregas and Nasri, Gunners fans could be in for a long season. 

If Wenger is unable to secure any big name transfers before the end of August, and he does lose Fabregas and Nasri, what will be the expectations of the team? Will Arsenal go from a team who wants a Champions League spot to a team fighting to at least get a Europa League spot? Realistically Arsenal has a squad to compete if they are all healthy, but losing two key figures could easily put them far out of title contention.

With Wenger under immense pressure to bring home some silverware to the Emirates, another trophy-less season could leave the Arsenal front office with a big decision to make.

The Gunners are set to take in a significant amount of money with the transfers of Nasri and Fabregas, allowing them some serious leverage in what remains of the August transfer window. Will Arsene Wenger finally realize that he needs to spend some money and win a title to keep his job safe, or will he continue on with his theory knowing what the likely outcome will be?