Untouchable Wenger ignores Arsenal's weaknesses

The transfer window has closed and Arsene Wenger has bought no-one. Most Arsenal fans will treat this news with contempt, the rest - probably 10% of the club's supporters - believe Wenger knows what he's doing and there's nothing to worry about. I'm in the 90%, although I'm not worried, just pissed off.

Wenger seems to think the Fulham debacle was a one-off, a bad day at the office. I don't. If Arsenal put exactly the same team out against Fulham tomorrow, I wouldn't be confident of an Arsenal victory - and if you have pretensions of challenging for a domestic title, you need to be confident of beating Fulham.

The title race will be won on the road, not at the Emirates - Arsenal are very strong at the Emirates, but it doesn't take much foresight to imagine how many points Arsenal will pick up on the road this season should a couple of key players get injured. Enough to make the top four perhaps, but unfortunately not enough to challenge for the title. If Arsenal can't even beat Fulham when Fabregas is not there, I don't fancy Arsenal beating anyone outside of the bottom three when Fabregas is not there. If you believe in God, Pray that Fabregas stays fit.

Why didn't Wenger purchase a defensive midfielder? I'm completely baffled as to why as I don't see anyone in the current squad who can do a satisfactory job there. Some rumours floating around suggested the Frenchman made a last ditch attempt to prise Xabi Alonso from Liverpool - but why would Liverpool strengthen Arsenal's midfield and weaken theirs? Makes no sense. Barry was the key to that deal, and when that died Arsenal's hopes of signing Alonso died. Anyone else on the radar? Who knows. No-one saw Silvestre until it happened, the media have no moles.

To compound Wenger's lack of foresight in not buying a defensive midfielder, Arsenal's defence is not in title-winning shape either. Silvestre is what I would call, scaffolding. Arsenal still do not possess a centre-half that can dominate the area, and that will cost Arsenal key goals in big games.

Question. What usually happens when a long ball is flung into the Arsenal box? One of two things - either Toure heads it straight up in the air, then two Arsenal defenders go for the same ball, or Gallas headers it five yards out straight into an opponents path. Last season, the industrious Flamini would have picked up some of those loose scraps, now nobody will - except maybe Diaby. But Diaby tackles like Paul Scholes and spends most of his time with his leg in the air with bandages round bits of it.

Will Silvestre make a better job of clearing Arsenal's lines? I'm not sure, I didn't watch him closely enough at Man Utd to make that call. By all accounts that's not one of his strengths, but we'll just have to hope and pray those accounts are wrong.

And now there's more bad news for Arsenal. There's a new superpower on the block. A new Chelsea going by the pseudonym Manchester City, and the takeover of the club by Abu Dhabi United Group makes Wenger untouchable. You might think Wenger is in a weaker position now that another team can emerge and remove Arsenal from the top four, but it doesn't, it actually strengthens his position.

Why? Because if Wenger left tomorrow any new manager coming in would have to spend to compete. Even Ferguson has to spend to compete - he couldn't do what Wenger does, no chance. These days, for other clubs, spending to compete with the top four doesn't mean splashing out £40-50m over an extended period, it means splashing out £100m or £200m - or for an emerging club outside of the top four £500m! Wenger keeps Arsenal in the top four and makes a NET PROFIT! Extraordinary. Arsenal cannot afford to lose Wenger because they cannot afford to compete without him.

The £32.4m sale of Robinho to Man City tells you everything you need to know about modern football. It tells you Man City will be a Chelsea-like super power within 2-3 years. Mark Hughes won't be there long, next summer it could be Mourinho or Hiddink or Van Basten in charge, and their forward line might consist of Robinho, Villa and Huntelaar, with an equally illustrious team of mercenaries playing behind them. Robinho has proved beyond reasonable doubt that when you flash pound signs in a players face, they will play for practically anyone, anytime, anywhere. Why else would a player with the world at his feet move to a club that has only won two domestic titles in 128 years?

David Dein was right, Arsenal need a big investor to bankroll the club. Love him or hate him, Dein had foresight and knows his stuff. And before you all start slating me for wanting Dein back, I don't - not in his current capacity at least. But Dein was right. Whether Wenger would spend a billionaire's money is another question, but without Wenger Arsenal would be financially exposed and in real danger of dropping out the top four within the next 2-3 years.

So the big question is, how long will Wenger be around? Arsenal need him for as long as Arsenal have debt. It's no longer a case of Arsenal will always be a top four club immaterial of whether Wenger stays or goes. Since yesterday the ball park changed. Maybe that's why Wenger bought no-one on deadline day - because he's untouchable now, and knows it.