GRADE A WENGER TO FLUNK

And if anyone can topple the top two of Manchester United and Chelsea then it’s him.

Or should I say COULD topple the top two.

For times are a changing. Wenger’s pedigree is unquestioned.

He has over-achieved at Arsenal and done it working on a fraction of the mega-budgets enjoyed by their keenest rivals.

Irresistable

But has even Wenger now hit the wall?

The Gunners haven’t won a trophy since they beat Manchester United on penalties in the 2005 FA Cup final in Cardiff.

And their last title triumph was the season before that.

So even ‘The Professor’ is finding it harder and harder these days.

Yes last season Arsenal produced some remarkable and irresistable football.

Even more exciting and exhilirating than a Cristiano Ronaldo-inpired Manchester United.

But they couldn’t stay the course. The squad wasn’t strong enough in either numbers or physique.

There was plenty of beauty but not enough beast.

And while title rivals United, Chelsea and Liverpool have all strengthened this summer, Arsenal are undeniably weaker.

They have shed the expertise and experience of midfielders Gilberto Silva, Alexander Hleb and Matthieu Flamini as well as goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.

While in come promising youngsters Samir Nasri, Amaury Bischoff and Aaron Ramsey.

Now we all know that Wenger is the ultimate expert in realising the potential in young players.

Think Patrick Vieira, Nicolas Anelka, Cesc Fabregas, Gael Clichy.

All virtual unknowns when they arrived. Now household names.

But think of it like this.

Lagging

You are trying to pick a school for your child. It’s a massive decision in every parent’s life because we all want the best for our kids.

So what do you do? Compare the league tables over the last few years.

And the one in North London is lagging way off the pace.

It’s public record, though, that the Emirates University has a rich reputation for bringing the best out of youngsters and helping them express themselves magnificently.

You have no doubts it will be a joyous and fulfilling experience.

But the bottom line is this.

The scholars studying at Stamford Bridge and being tutored at Old Trafford are far more successful and far more frequently.

So what do you do?

Do you back your child to flourish under the tutelage of wise old Wenger and buck the trend?

Or do you play safe and go with the tried and trusted formula of the Ivy Leaguers in Manchester and SW6?

I think I know what most people would do.

And that’s exactly why most folk, me included, reckon Arsenal will be also rans when the big prizes are being handed out again this season.

A top four finish is still surely within their grasp but this time Liverpool look better equipped to put the real pressure on the top two.

Arsenal will start the season top of the table but they won't finish there — or anywhere near.

They got off to a flier last year as United and Chelsea stumbled out of the blocks but don’t bet on that happening again.

United are bubbling confidence after being crowned champion at home and in Europe.

And Chelsea are re-focused and re-energised by new bos Luiz Felipe Scolari who is keen to make his mark in the English game.

Buckled

That early burst of success saw Arsenal full of assurance and looking like champions in the making.

However, the true character of a champion is not discovered in the ascendancy but in adversity.

When the body-blow was landed Arsenal buckled.

A 4-0 defeat against Manchester United in the FA Cup saw Arsenal’s seemingly impregnable fortress breached and subsequently over-run.

For although Wenger had fielded a weakened side the move backfired spectacularly.

The ramifications of that thrashing reverberated around the Emirates and ripped the belief out of the club.

The proof of that manifested itself in a 2-2 draw at Birmingham the following weekend.

It was the match that will always be primarily remembered as the day Arsenal’s Croatian international striker Eduardo broke his leg so horrifically.

But it was also the day that Arsenal's self belief was broken into pieces.

Skipper William Gallas demonstrated it perfectly with his out of control antics as Birmingham seized their last-minute lifeline.

And that was it — Arsenal were done for.

After that trip to St Andrews, they managed just one win in eight league games.

Draws with Villa, Wigan and Middlesbrough were bad enough.

But then came defeats to Chelsea and United with a draw against Liverpool sandwiched in between.

And that’s the trio that will finish ahead of Wenger and Co this year — genuis or not.

KEY TRANSFERS

IN: Samir Nasri (Marseille) £12m; Aaron Ramsey (Cardiff) undisc; Amaury Bischoff (Werder Bremen) undisc.

OUT: Alexander Hleb (Barcelona, right) £11.8m; Gilberto (Panathinaikos) £1m; Mathieu Flamini (AC Milan) free; Jens Lehmann (Stuttgart) free; Kerrea Gilbert (Leicester) loan.

SCORE PREDICTION: 4th

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