Although Arsenal have improved form-wise in the sports betting odds and confidence-wise beyond all measure since the start of the season, while the normally stubborn Arsene Wenger has also finally recognised some of his team's failings, the Gunners have still failed to learn a very simple yet crucial lesson: don't hesitate in letting go of players who are injury prone or quite simply past it.
With Kieran Gibbs having spent most of his Arsenal career wasting time in the treatment room, Andrey Arshavin now undoubtedly way, way past the peak of his career, and the likes of Manuel Almunia still picking up a significant weekly wage from Arsenal that would be far better spent elsewhere, the fact that Wenger does not know when is the right time to clear out the dead wood in his team is becoming more and more problematic every year as the Gunners look to move forward despite being lumbered by a lack of finances.
Sir Alex Ferguson and now Andre Villas-Boas haven't displayed any sense of weakness in taking the initiative to manage their squad by shipping out players at the right time, but Wenger has often seemed too keen to hang on to players for that little bit longer than seems necessary, leaving himself open to the charge of loving his players more than he loves upsetting the betting odds by winning.
Wenger has shown good intuition in the past by getting rid of the likes of Henry and Viera at the right moment, but he can't afford to lose his touch at the exact moment he really needs to see his side culled as ruthlessly as possible as quickly as possible.
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