Arsenal FC: Wenger Gets What He's Paid for Against Manchester United

For months Arsenal supporters have urged their club to spend money on new players. For months they have been neglected. Now, with only days remaining before the transfer window slams shut, their words ring more true than ever.

Yesterday's defeat to Manchester United was the worst the club has suffered since the 1800s. If that does not wake up Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal board to the club's desperate need for new players, I don't know what will.

The result was all to predictable, however. Entering the match without eight first team players, bookies were offering to refund all bets if Arsenal won--such was the neutral's level of confidence with Wenger's current squad of kids.

Missing three first-choice defenders, three first-choice midfielders, and Gervinho for the match at Old Trafford would make the going tough for any team. But their absence was both avoidable and predictable.

The suspensions to Frimpong, Song, and Gervinho were all avoidable. Song's stamp on Joey Barton was unbelievably stupid. Frimpong's two yellow cards against Liverpool resulted from a lack of experience and composure when we needed it most from the young lad. And Gervinho's slap on Barton, while defensible only because Barton initiated the tussle with the Ivorian, was a similar lack of professionalism and a moment of madness that has cost the team dearly in these early weeks. 

We'd seen the team blow a four-goal-lead at St. James' Park just one year before when Abou Diaby reacted similarly to Barton after Barton wound him up. Barton's intentions against Arsenal have always been clear: he tries to get under the Arsenal players' skin.

He succeeds. It not only costs us points against Newcastle (and it may continue against Barton's new club QPR in the near future) but it also costs us because our players are missing through suspension in the matches to follow.

We should have learned from our past lessons. We should not have let Barton get under our skin yet again. It has cost us dearly two years in a row now.

In past seasons we have not had the strength in depth at key areas (mainly the defense, but also defensive midfield) to put forth a genuine title threat. Injuries and suspensions have derailed our past campaigns as we've relied on young kids to fill in when needed and they have, more often than not, failed to do so.

Yet again we are failing to learn from past mistakes. This summer Wenger and the board have taken a squad that already wasn't strong enough to win the league and made it considerably weaker. The effects are plain to see. 

The injuries to Jack Wilshere, Thomas Vermaelen, Kieran Gibbs, Abou Diaby, and Bacary Sagna should have been foreseen and accounted for by bringing in proven cover in these areas. Gibbs and Diaby have never been able to stay fit for long periods at a time. Vermaelen was out nearly the entire season last year.

Wilshere played so many matches at such a young age last season we knew he was at risk of a serious injury. This is why we fought so hard to keep him out of the England Under-21s this summer. And yet the squad remained paper-thin.

Injuries and suspensions happen every season, to every team. The best teams have the strength in depth (not to mention competition for places) to deal with the hurdles that are thrown at them and respond when the chips are down. United were missing both of their first choice center halves and their best right back. They had cover in those areas. We did not.

These are an enormous three days for Arsenal Football Club. If quality additions are not made in the next three days, we will not have the strength in depth to reach our ambitions. 

Now Arsenal are refunding the traveling Arsenal supporters their money. While these fans deserve all the credit in the world for supporting the team as we were getting destroyed and singing out loud for all to hear, this action by the board is nothing more than another slap in the face, as the club continues to ignore its fans. 

We don't want a refund, Wenger. Spend that money on players. That's what we want.