Another game, another poor defeat and Arsenal fans are in meltdown on social media – with Arsene Wenger taking the brunt of all the criticism. Personally I think this is misguided and not for the first time the supporters have got it all wrong.

One of the worst traits of modern football is the way players hide behind their manager when things are going wrong, safe in the knowledge that the fans will always aim their fury at the manager as the first port of call – failing to realise that they are equally if not fully responsible.

An overriding memory of last season was the capitulation of Arsenal at Crystal Palace. Whilst the result and performance was shocking to the say the least, what was interesting was that it was that the away section at Selhurst Park aimed their verbal assault at the players and not the manager in this instance. Who can forget the abuse Hector Bellerin got as he stepped up to take a throw-in and the chants of ‘your not fit to wear the shirt’ reverberated around the stadium.

The sheer shock on the look of the Arsenal players as they trudged off the pitch that night acted as a stimulant and the proverbial ‘kick up the arse’ that the players needed – who rallied themselves and went on a fantastic run at the end of the season that saw them lift the FA Cup. It is so frustrating that players can turn it on and off like that and it must be driving Wenger crazy.

So my message to Arsenal fans is to wake up and smell coffee and start to realise where the true problem lies. Blame the manager as much as you want, but it is the overpaid players who are ultimately responsible for this shambles on a weekly basis….it is about time you let them know too!