Vermaelen out for 2-3 weeks!

All we need is our best defender to be out - just when we were clawing back some lost ground on the other teams in Europe. Wenger said he'd only sign a loan signing though...

I thought Arsenal were poor against QPR. I can't see them getting in the top 4 playing like that. Arshavin used to be a good player, now he looks lazy and disinterested. When is Walcott actually going to become the finished article? He flatters to deceive all the time. Gervinho looks a really good player but has the finishing skills of a Heskey. Arteta really is the poor mans Fabregas. A decent player but think back to recent Arsenal midfielders. He doesn't come close. Ramsey works hard and Song is the pick of the bunch but always looks like a red card is likely. No attacking full backs to help either at the moment. I don't think the future looks as bright as Wenger keeps saying.

I wouldn't have said this at the start of the season but I don't think Arsenal's problems are that bad to be honest, it has been exaggerated by injury problems particularly to full backs.

Clearly some major reshaping has to be done, Arshavin, Chamakh, Rosisky, Squillacci, Almunia and Diaby all should go, they offer nothing, not even as squad players, the only one I'd consider keeping out of those is Diaby. Chamakh just lost whatever spark made him good at the beginning, probably it was just defenders spotting his game early on.

The foundation or spine of a good team is there, Van Persie, Wilshere, Vermaelen and Szczesny is a good, young spine of a team. Players like Gervinho, Walcott, Arteta, Song, Ramsay and Sagna make that spine a bit better. The things Arsenal really lack is somebody who can finish other than Van Persie, Gervinho and Walcott are very similar in that they're great at getting into the positions but not so great at finishing the chances off.

Then Arsenal need better squad depth, this means spending money. Wenger cannot just hope that his young players come good, when you look around the league and Manchester United when they're down can bring on Welbeck or Berbatov or Valencia, or Chelsea could bring on Torres, Anelka, or Lampard or Manchester City could bring on Milner, Johnson or Dzeko or Tottenham could bring on Defoe, Pavlyuchenko or Kranjcar or even Liverpool could bring on Gerrard, Kuyt and Maxi where as Arsenal could bring on Miquel and Arshavin, it's just not the same at all. This is then shown in an injury crisis.

The solution to Arsenal's problems right now is to spend a bit money now, not after they've sold their best players, but now and bring in some squad depth.