I'd certainly say it is as big a mistake as he's made in some time. Generally I don't blame him for our failure to win trophies. Our inability to match Chelsea and United and now City in the wages stakes and in the market, means that we constantly have a young side and whilst we have still competed to win things we've ultimately fallen short and don't forget he's made the Champions League spots in the last 5 seasons whilst building a new team AND making a profit in the transfer window. When you look at how much even the other "contenders" without including Chelsea and United who've won titles in that time, have spent....... City, Liverpool, Villa, Spurs have all outlayed millions and I believe we are the 3rd best team in the country.

But because of the frailties of the top 2 we had a real chance this year. Okay, he couldn't legislate for the injury to Van Persie who at the time was in the kind of form that Rooney is in at the moment, but he had the chance in Janaury to go and bring a replacement in. The money is there - we know it is even the club admit it is. Okay he said in a press conference the other day that "David Villa and Chamakh are not for sale in January." But we've got a half fit Bendtner...... that's it. I can't believe that there was NOBODY (other than Huntelaar who he rightly didn't go for) available who would have improved that. There were rumours that we wanted to take Loic Remy on a loan with an option to buy, but lets be serious for a moment - what club will let their top striker go out on loan in January?

I'll defend Wenger on countless other issues, because (as Souness quite rightly pointed out after yesterday's game) he is one of the top few managers in the world and the job he's done of making us a top level club that is genuinely self sustaining is amazing. But on his failure to add a centre forward in Janaury I can't defend him. It was a mistake.

I know J-Axe says "isn't the defence more of an issue?" I take the point but the fact is goals change games. Chelsea at home when we dominated the opening half hour, if we've got a centre forward on the pitch to give us a cutting edge and we go 1-0 in that period, it's a different game. We missed two decent chances at 0-0 last weekend and the chance at 1-0 down yesterday. If they go in the games take on a different shape and our defence isn't forced to try and make the play and push on, meaning we are less likely to get caught.

Look at the game at Liverpool as a clear example, we were all over the place at 1-0, we get a bit of luck and then a goal out of nothing and from then on our defence was solid. I just feel against the top sides without a striker our only chance of scoring is a goal like that Arshavin one at Anfield. A moment of magic.

Terrible. Sign a f**king striker. The whole system attacking wise relies on their being a striker suitable to play as the focal point of the attack, we play 4-2-3-0. 2 weeks and 2 days ago we were joint top, still in the FA Cup and the window was still openr. Now our season is over. Will we sign any one in summer, probably not.

We've been unlucky with injuries at the same time.

If United lost Rooney and Berbatov for the time we've lost van Persie and Bendtner I'm sure they'd suffer a bit. And I think we expected more from Eduardo, Vela and Walcott this season as well as Arshavin. It's the system that's also helped the missing striker be such a problem. Why didn't we switch to 4-4-2 with no van Persie or Bendtner? Especially when Song was away as well. We stuck with putting Eduardo up top alone, or Arshavin to no real avail and relying on the likes of Eastmond & Denilson to anchor the midfield, to no real avail and in most instances it became a bit of a disaster - particularly with Eduardo & Denilson. We could have played a flatter midfield with Cesc taking up his old role in the middle and a 'worker' alongside him.

To see a half-fit Diaby chucked into a 5-man midfield with only Arshavin up top just seems stupid to me. And I know Chelsea & Man U play five in midfield, but we could cope with that and Arshavin could have played alongside Bendtner on Sunday in a 4-4-2 shape only to drop off and provide that link from the midfield as he does anyway.

But I still think we're seriously naive overall at times and some of our defending is laughable. We certainly need a Keeper, or maybe a psychiatrist for Almunia & Clichy who seem to have lost their minds. Sagna has been below par for me as well and everytime the two CBs go forward it's a free-for-all for the opposition on the counter.

Even with Bendtner slotting into the central role now as he's regaining some match fitness.... it won't really tick. He's not a player who enjoys playing with his back to goal or being used for his height & strength - his best form was pre-injury this season when he played wide right. It will be a better option than current but I still think we should revert to the 4-4-2.

--------Sagna, Gallas, Vermalaen, Clichy
Eboué/Walcott, Cesc, Song, Rosicky/Nasri
---------------Bendtner, Arshavin

And with Arshavin & Bendtner proving able 'wide' attacking midfielders can drop off and switch with Nasri, Cesc & co. There'll still be the options from midfield and we'll still be fielding the same men only giving more presence up front and protecting the fullbacks better with two wide midfielders rather than two wide attackers like current.

Something has to be changed. It's not just one or two players that are off.

I agree that the system hasn't really worked without Van Persie and therefore there is a strong argument for changing it. I think he stuck with it because it was giving Cesc to freedom to go and win us games - but you can't rely on him doing that every single game, especially against the top sides.

That's been my point - since Van Persie's injury we've been relying on individual moments from players to win us games. I'd have gone 4-4-2 as well and I said as much after the first Chelsea game in November.

But some individuals have been way off it as well, Almunia, Clichy, Traore, Eduardo, Denilson (who doesn't look fit to me I wonder if the back problem is properly sorted), Walcott..... Sagna has been up and down as well as have Nasri and Rosicky.

To me only the two centre halves, Cesc, Song and Diaby have been genuinely consistent even during the run where we closed the gap up.

But to not go and buy was ridiculous, because as you say, even with Bendtner back, he doesn't bring everything that a Van Persie does.

That old chestnut, just imagine if United had lost Vidic and Ferdinand and had to play their best midfielders as defenders as well, Arsenal's injuries have been no worse than United's really have they.

Berbatov "a LOSS" good en

Is that the same Berbatov that has scored the same ammount of goals as Nicolas Anelka and two more than Craig Bellamy, not to mention the 5 assists, he may appear to be lazy but I dont think he gets the credit he deserves at all.

I had this discussion in the pub with a lad on saturday after he'd missed that sitter (which was no easier than the one Rooney missed the week before btw), I just sat there with a big beaming smile on my face when he put that ball through to Valencia and then scored himself.

Yes thats him. I know how many goals he's scored . Have they really missed him when he's been sat on the bench or not involved at all though? Not that often as far as i can recall .. I just think he could be on more goals if he stepped up his workrate a little bit thats all.

Red card for Pompey and the match had only started...they are really falling apart...

Chelsea, in a week where they play two high intensity league games, drop points. The longer they stay in Europe the longer the older legs will look weary, the less chance they have of winning the title.

Too many old bodies.

A further point, how well is Own Goal playing for United? In the current form he's up there with Rooney......

does anything think england will be undone by that donovan bloke who plays for everton? he outdid ashley cole. not to mention the stupid c**t injured him.

as for liverpool we may have lost but am confident we can still get 4th place come the end of the season. chin up, lads

Wasnt it you taking the piss when Everton signed him.

Some shit yank or something like that

Slotted into the Everton sid very well, its as though he's been there ages. Dont think ive seen a player settle that well so soon for a long time. He'll cause us problems no doubt about it

Didnt see our game just highlights but happy with a point considering the circumstances. Nani's red was very harsh IMO. A shame as he was hitting very form.

My point still stands. In that if you lost your two main strikers you'd struggle to replace them over the same time period, like us.

And of course you've suffered without your CBs. I've made the case many times that we've been lucky that you've also been unlucky and slipped up so many times, adding to that we've been very lucky that Gallas & Vermaelen haven't missed a game.

For the record, that was a sending off for Nani in my book. All studs showing, right foot went over the ball and hit Petrov. Regardless of how he won the ball or what contact he made, that's a red in this day and age.

Not a sending off for me, a few years ago it wouldnt even have been a foul ffs, he won the ball and on the follow through caught Petrov, if that was a sending off the challenge by Young on Valencia towards the end should have been as well, foot off the floor, coming in from the side, no contact with the ball, caught Valencia just above the ankle, resulting in a throw in to United.

Inconsistent refereeing again.

Ten man United were the better side by a country mile, Villa didnt seem to go for the jugular to me.

Made of Glass scoring a couple and missing a pen made it a good night though, I'd have taken a draw before the game hoping Everton could get one as well, city looking good for fourth now though is the downside.

United have been very impressive lately, starting to think they may be the team to beat after all.

Spurs didn't even use Corluka (the only right back in the squad now) last night, instead had Dawson, Bassong, Kaboul and Monkey Boy in the back four? Who was right back?

Also had Jenas in the middle instead of Palacios. Bad call, bin JJ now. Pal came on in the second half, so did Crouch and Modric for Gudjonsson and Krancjar. In an away game to a side who have already beaten us???

Jesus Christ 'arry! Put yer best team oot!

Nani was a baltent red. Both feet are off the floor. That's dangerous play, get the ball or not. And all this b*ll*cks about 20 years ago.... I remember Tony Adams getting sent off at Crystal Palace in about 1992, for the exact same tackle. Two feet off the floor...... but played the ball. Two footed tackles like that have always been straight red cards.

Alan Hansen doesnt think Nani deserved to go last night. He said what ive said loads of times depending what side your tackling on and the angle your going in at sometimes you cant help but go in with studs showing unless you have the abilty to turn your ankle into a place its not supposed to go. Off how the rules are he was always going to be in danger of getting a red card for it.

Both Hansen and Lee Dixon said back in their day that sort of tackle was fine

Anybody who says you can go in WITHOUT studs showing 100% of the time is talking shit and that is a FACT
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oh fair play to Wolves last night aswell, if that goal had been scored by Utd or Arsenal they would have been raving about it. Involved about 18 or 19 passes before Jones stuck it away. Sends Burnley back into the bottom 3 though. Along with BOLTON would LOVE it if they comedown with us


John Terry had a let off when he let the ball go over his head the first time, second time Saha punished him and Chelsea bigtime. People blamed the keeper said he could have done better, maybe so but i thought it was a tidy enough finish by the Frenchman

If you're slide tacking, your are horizontal to the floor, so depending on the angle of your foot, you can turn your ankle so that studs are not "showing" to the player being tackled. Nani came in from a 45 degree angle, no control over his tackle at all, the bawbag.

And ex-defenders LOVE claiming the game was tougher in "their day". Grass always greener, modern life is rubbish, the "good old days" etc. We must bear in mind that Hansen and Dixon played in an era when men were expected to wear tiny shorts and have long hair. Is it a coincidence that this fashion went away round about the time of the TV show "Baywatch" first aired.

Yes, I did just compare Lee Dixon to Pamela Anderson.

Some angles are impossible to turn your foot so far that the studs done show at all. Well unless your double jointed of course. He got sent off, wont get it over turned tough shit really

Ref was poor for both teams, I thought we had a good shout for a penalty either the Carew tug back or the rooney handball in the first half.

Then towards the end, he just stopped giving fouls for both teams full stop.

We played better 11 v 11 as United were fantastic with 10 men so credit to them and still dominated our midfield.

I thought the Carew one was nailed on, even if he did go down a bit easy and theatrical, the Rooney one I'm not so sure.

Did you see the Young tackle at the end, if so what was your view on it, any better or worse than Nani's?

Who's this OG fella who keeps scoring for Man Utd anyhow. Only player ahead of him in the goalscoring charts at Utd is Rooney.