Correspondent's Column: The Gunners manager is not solely responsible for his side's shambolic summer, while Van Persie represents the Fergie gift that keeps on giving
When Arsenal players danced on the pitch at St James's Park in May, having edged their way into the Champions League, it was supposed to be the start of a summer that would bring the Gunners back to the big time.
Fast-forward to Saturday and Arsene Wenger's side are being booed off the pitch on the first day of the season to the anguished cries of "spend some money" following a humiliating defeat to Aston Villa.
The anger is not just restricted to the supporters, with honorary vice-president Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith taking to Twitter to express her "regret" at selling her 15.9 per cent stake in the club to Stan Kroenke in April 2011.
It has been a disastrous, incompetent summer for Arsenal and, frankly, they paid the price that they deserved this weekend.
The responsibility for the shambolic window to date, with free transfer Yaya Sanogo the only arrival, lies with Kroenke, the board, Ivan Gazidis and, of course, Wenger.
After a weekend in which Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich broke his silence for the first time in 10 years with a message to supporters in the Blues' matchday programme, Silent Stan continues to show zero leadership or ambition in north London.
We know Arsenal have money to burn. Gazidis arrogantly boasting about the club's spending power earlier in the summer but their £70 million-plus warchest remains untouched despite 17 players leaving.
Wayne Rooney, Luis Suarez, Gonzalo Higuain and Luiz Gustavo have all been summer targets but they are either staying at their clubs or have moved elsewhere. Now Arsenal, forced to cope with an untimely injury crisis, are restricted to panic buying between now and September 2.
