It's better to finish at the peak or soon after it, than to wait until the audience notices a decline - Eberhard Weber
In 2008 a Cesc Fabregas inspired Arsenal team laid waste to the great AC Milan side which won two champions league titles. Four years on and and the current Milan team have inflicted the same fate upon this Arsenal outfit.
Arsene Wenger is truly at a crossroads in his managerial career. Seven years have passed since they battled their way past Man United in the 2005 F.A. cup final. Despite a brave and gallant performance against Barcelona in the 2006 Champions league final, proceedings have gone rapidly downhill ever since.
They have struggled to mount a real title challenge in the intervening years and to rub salt into the wound their local rivals Tottenham have now surpassed them as the best team in North London. Inevitably underachievement has sadly left too many of his past stars disillusioned.
When looked at the names who have left over the last number of years Arsenal are almost doing well to be where they are this season. In the summer just past the Gunners lost the services of Fabregras, Samir Nasri as well as Gael Clichy. Added to that the likes of Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Adeyabyor, Matthieu Flamini and Ashley Cole as well as other have all left over the last number of years. They will probably now lose their goal scoring machine Robin Van Persie in the coming summer.
However as well as losing those multi-talented stars they also lost some inspirational leaders. Arsenal were always noted for their beautiful football but at their peak they were never given enough credit for grinding out tough wins when the going got tough.
Indeed Arsenal have never replaced the grizzled and uncompromising generals like Sol Campbell or Patrick Vieira. In particular their defence has been a shambles for years. All of Wenger's championship winning sides boasted irremovable defenders as well as scintillating attackers. That is clearly not the case with this current Arsenal team.
Yet even the current teams attackers remain too inconsistent at this level. The likes of Theo Walcott and Andrei Arshavin frustrate more than they set the league alight. Not one of Arsenal's attacking midfielders are a patch on the likes of the sensational Robet Pires or even the wily Freddie Ljungberg.
The mentality of that Arsenal side was also impeccable. In the 2006 Champions League group stages Inter Milan destroyed Arsenal at Highbury 3-0. Arsenals chances of qualifying were slim. With two games to go they had to go to the San Siro and win to keep their hopes of qualifying alive.
Thierry Henry put on a masterclass as Arsenal won 5-1 in what was arguably one of their greatest performances under Wenger. A similar scoreline won't happen in the return leg at the Emirates. The mentality of this side is as fragile as a cube of ice in the desert. They have always capitulated when a setback was presented in front of them. Twice against Birmingham they have thrown away winnable positions in key games whilst last years defeat to Barcelona left Arsenal in a shattered state.
If nothing else Wenger's great sides oozed class and confidence. The likes of the magical Pires and Henry as well as the commanding Vieira walked onto every pitch as if they owned it. It is hard to think of any current Arsenal player who would have the audacity to attempt the "penalty pass" Henry and Pires tried against Man City in 2005. Their attempt may have failed but they showed ambition and a fearlessness that this particular team do not possess. Now the current crop, Robin Van Persie aside, seem timid and nervous when they face a tough challenge.
What is more integral for Arsenal and Wenger is that this team must battle through this barren period or else one of the Premierships great managers will no longer be in a job and he like many others will wonder how the invincible years have declined so quickly and dramatically.
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