Arsenal appear to be experiencing what Bayern Munich and AC Milan did in the past few years. The side has transparent flaws which from the outside seem quite easily fixable, with balance being the buzz word bandied around Arsene Wenger’s recent press conferences, along with the now-famous quotes such as ‘We lacked a little bit of sharpness’ and ‘We played with a little bit of a handbrake’. The imbalance in the side has meant neither priority of goals and clean sheets is fulfilled simultaneously.

Early in the season, creatively and goals were at a premium, unfortunately for Arsenal, at both ends of the pitch. The lack of a midfield shield or enforcer meant too many runners bypassed the ball-watching Denilson and Arsenal were conceding far too many chances. The focus shifted once Fabregas strained knee ligaments in the home clash against Liverpool, with Song the only viable option. The decrease in attacking potency catalysed a shift to a more defensive approach, with Clichy and Sagna reducing the frequency of their attacking forays, Song and Denilson breaking up opposition attacks but creating largely nothing. The pressure of creativity fell largely on the shoulders of Samir Nasri, a promising signing in his first six months of English football. To be fair to the former Marseille youth, he had largely adapted very swiftly, but on several occasions, he has opted to pass back to his full-back rather than attempt to put his marker on the back foot, ending any attacking momentum. The club was also reliant on Robin van Persie for goals and assists; he provided both through the whole of January. Such pressure on two players is in most cases ephemeral.

The injuries Arsenal suffer every year are not by chance. The players required by the club to play the attractive passing philosophy are generally intelligent, mobile, technically gifted, but often not wholly suited to the rigours of the English league, hence the increase in injuries to such players. Theo Walcott, Abou Diaby, Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and most obvious Tomas Rosicky have now all been injured for hefty spells of their Arsenal careers. Few of these are impact injuries but twists, tears and strains – and in the case of Rosicky, a separated tendon. It may be unfair to single out Andrey Arshavin, given the fact he was quite obviously Arsenal’s most effective player, but the difficultly to adapt to a new league is highlighted in the Russian’s game, as he was barely able to keep up with the play as the second half wore on. Technically gifted he may be, but physically, Arshavin may struggle for the rest of this season, needing a proper pre-season suited to the English league.

As for Arsenal’s style of play, the number of players that want the pass played in their feet, instead of making an off-the-ball run is huge. Very few players seem capable of making a well-timed run. The reduced movement means the fluency is lost in the side’s play. The game against Sunderland showed a common pattern, with Song and Denilson relentlessly playing predictable horizontal passes to the wide areas, with any forward ball cut out or lacking any real quality. The wide players would then progress a few yards, before passing backwards and the cycle would continue. Arshavin occasional changed this unsurprising pattern, but not to any great effect. Denilson, Diaby and Song all lack invention and urgency in their passes, hence other teams preferring to let such players hold possession. When the pass is played to the more dangerous Nasri, teams double up on such players anyway.

The idea of seniority is evident in a number of selection decisions. In a bid to appease Gallas, who criticised a number of his team-mates recently as he went along the fashionable ‘autobiography before you’ve retired’ route, and Toure, who has been out-of-sorts since being humiliated at the ACoN last year and even handed in a transfer request recently, Wenger has dropped an in-form Djourou. It is clear Djourou would have put more of an aerial fight against Bobby Zamora, who won every high ball against Toure and Gallas, putting Fulham on the front-foot time after time. Such decisions have occurred in the past and they killed the confidence and self-belief of Phillippe Senderos. A number of similar decisions appear to be hindering the side. Playing Abou Diaby and Denilson instead of Aaron Ramsey is another example of this tendency. The Welshman, despite his youthful inexperience and tendency to overplay, provides creativity that is rarely seen in the Brazilian, who typifies the workman-like ’94 group rather than the style of the ’70 side.

The idea that age is linked with experience is a flawed one and the young average age of this Arsenal squad means the more promising younger players may get fewer opportunities. The exceedingly high wage bill at the club as reported by many media outlets must surely be an exaggeration, in relation to the quality of the players regularly starting in the major competitions. The Sky Sports years have led to the suggestion that the increase in players’ wages causes a lack of motivation to try and fight for trophies. Some footballers are naturally attuned to the fight and have that desire; those currently on the books at Arsenal do not. Hence, if the club fail to qualify for next season’s Champions’ League, will the club be able to survive. With the new stadium loans being repaid and the property slump affecting the sale of the Highbury Square flats, along with the lack of television and prize money from the premier European competition, any rebuilding would as usual have to occur on a limited transfer budget.

Some players would most likely leave, with Adebayor and Gallas predicted names. Attendances may also fall, considering the decrease in quality of the product being sold (the football being played), the almost extortionate pricing of many seats around the ground may deter supporters, especially in this current economic climate, with less disposable income present. The fans will hope for the returning injured players to spur on a late drive for trophies and a top four spot, yet it is clear that the midfield deficiencies and attitude will prove far greater obstacles if Wenger is to turn the side’s current fortunes around.