Arsenal: A Team Digging Their Own Grave

The reasons as to why William Gallas launched that astonishing tirade against his own team-mates when the team is in the deepest abyss will probably remain unknown.

Perhaps, Gallas believes that he can mimic Roy Keane and give his lads a kick up their bottoms to get things going again.

Perhaps, Gallas just wants to take advantage of the current situation at Arsenal and use it for his own selfish reasons. This is especially so as his comments in midweek coincided with the launch of his autobiography.

Perhaps also, Gallas is just true to what most critics claim—a temperamental individual prone to emotional outburst, totally unfitting of that captain's armband.    

But it doesn't really matter doesn't it?

As Wenger said in the post match interview after last night's game, "He [Gallas] is a player who did not play today, so what can he do? Nothing."

Like it or not, there was a certain element of truth in Gallas' claims. And it was evident with Arsenal's shambolic performance against Manchester City last night. 

That defeat took Arsenal to their first back-to-back losses in 58 outings. 

And five league defeats in the league.

Throughout the week, many Arsenal fans in this community and elsewhere have commented that Arsenal is not in a crisis. 

But after last night's defeat, this claim is getting more ridiculous by the day. 

Arsenal is a good team. Take nothing away from it. I remembered earlier this season when Arsenal strolled to a 3-0 victory over Newcastle, the match commentator stated that there cannot be a better time to be an Arsenal supporter, just sit back and enjoy the football they dish out. 

Yet, with the season merely a third gone, this is really a bad time to be an Arsenal supporter. 

How did it go so wrong? 

I am still sticking to my belief that the root of the problem in this Arsenal team is not the manager nor the lack of experience. 

Instead, the team is just purely suicidal. 

What do I mean by that? All too often this season, this Arsenal team has been undone by their own arrogance. 

Throughout this season, this Arsenal team has been capable of some really outstanding football. 

For such a young team, lacking a capable leader on the pitch, their ability has led to arrogance. 

Consider why this is so.

Arsenal remarkably finished third last season. In a season where everyone expected them to fail after the departure of talismanic striker Thierry Henry, this bunch of talented youngsters defied all odds to lead the pack for most of the season before finishing a credible third. 

This season, Arsenal started the same way and picked up wins. Barring a lost to Fulham, it was a confident start from the Gunners.

But it all went wrong when Arsenal played their London rivals, Spurs. 

With Spurs wallowing at the bottom of the league, Arsenal went into the match with so much arrogance and confidence that would put even Jose Mourinho to shame. 

Some of the pre-match talk was also similar to something which Mourinho would say.

Fabregas told the press that the current Spurs side were incapable of even beating the Arsenal Ladies team.

On the pitch, after Van Persie scored his goal, his celebration with Adebayor in front of the Arsenal fans bordered on outrageous.

There was even time for Gael Clichy, ever the reliable defender, to taunt Jermaine Jenas with some fancy footwork.

Alas, everything fell apart with aplomb when Spurs snatched a sensational 4-4 draw.

This scenario repeated itself again after the win against Man United. After confounding critics with a remarkable win, Arsenal were again full of themselves and lost the subsequent game to Aston Villa at home.

In between all this, Adebayor and Gallas took turns to blast the attitude of this Arsenal team. 

Undoubtedly, being young and rash meant that this Arsenal team will not be too welcoming of criticisms, especially from their own captain, William Gallas. 

The truth is this Arsenal team is arrogant and pompous. But it doesn't like to be told that it is so. When Gallas told the press that there were younger players in the Arsenal ranks rising to speak up against older players, you could imagine that there was a level of arrogance belonging to petulant youngsters. 

And like a principal disciplining the rowdy school boys, Gallas' comments were aimed directly at the root of the problem. 

Indeed, Gallas is the victim of his own frankness. 

His stirring tirade in midweek could work if the team was filled with experienced heads. However the same speech, on an Arsenal team that is filled with youngsters who believe that they are "accomplished", falls flat. 

And we are now back to square one again. 

This is a young side that needs no strong words but compliments to boost their fledgling egos. 

To call this Arsenal team arrogant may be a bit too much for some Arsenal fans. Yet, I cannot help but point out that this may be the reason why Arsenal is failing this season.

As such is the nature of this Arsenal squad, a character like Gallas will only undermine the team's aspirations. What they need is someone like Wenger, who doesn't rebuke but find only the positives in their play. 

Only this method will motivate the Gunners and spur them to scale greater heights. 

However, a lack of such an individual like Wenger on field is causing this Arsenal squad their title. 

If this problem is not rectified soon, Arsenal will continue to dig their own grave.