In Martin Scorsese’s new hit feature film ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’, businessman Jordan Belfort asks his potential colleagues to “sell me this pen.” While three out of the four men shy away from explaining its practice, one man steps up to state a solution to a problem.

After almost nine years without a trophy at Arsenal, it’s time that the fans ask the club to “sell us this team.” While many pundits, players and journalists struggle to do so, there is one man who can outline the master plan as to how this team intend on winning honours this season; Arsène Wenger.

In the summer of 2013, there was an inquest at Arsenal. Yet another season had been wasted due to a shaky start that resulted in the side struggling to get near their rivals Tottenham in the race for top four by February. While a winning result in Munich lifted the spirits of a deflated side, the last minute scramble for a Champions League place was déjà vu for the senior players and their manager.

“Wenger out!” “Gazidis out!” “Sack the board,” cried the many pessimistic Gooners who, as paying and loyal customers, have the right to voice their opinion at home or at the ground. With a hostile aura suffocating the club and the media shunning any hope of a new season revival, many were expecting major changes down at the Emirates Stadium in the summer.

However, with hundreds of names circulated and pressed to the manager, the £100 million war chest touted resulted in two “major” signings before the start of the season; free French footballers Mathieu Flamini and Yaya Sanogo.

As expected, Twitter went into raptures while the loyal supporters looked on in horror as the unexpected happened. A new dawn, a new day, but same old story, Arsenal started the new season to a 2-1 loss at home to the hands of a Christian Benteke led Aston Villa side.

What would be the disappointing factor in the grand scheme of things wasn’t the loss of three points at an early stage, nor the sub-par performance that the team subjected their paying customers to. What would really hit the side hard is the fact that while Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud were brought in the previous year to soften the blow of Robin van Persie’s untimely departure, their distant showings for the side gave strong justification for the club to sign a striker.

“We are looking” “At the moment, no,” “If we find anything exceptional we will do it.”

Time and time again the manager was bombarded with questions as to whether he would sign a forward that would lead the line in style for Arsenal. “But we have Sanogo,” Le Professeur would try to reply honestly, how genuine he was we will never know. With an unknown teen hampered with injury problems and a disgraced Nicklas Bendtner staying at the club with his tail between his legs, this was no squad to compete with the rest of the league.

Rumours circulated throughout the summer in regards to Arsenal’s pursuit of Liverpool striker Luis Suarez. Somewhat coy to state their intent of signing the controversial Uruguayan forward, their sneaky and insulting bid of £40,000,001 hit a nerve with the Liverpool hierarchy, resulting in a collapse of any potential deal and John Henry’s infamous Twitter comment.

“What do you think they're smoking over there at Emirates?” Wouldn’t we all have liked to know…

However, the unthinkable happened. Transfer deadline day came around yet again, the Arsenal faithful all quietly confident but uncertain of any activity surrounding the club. Wenger’s reserved approach to the media led to much ambiguity as to whether any business would actually be completed. But this time, everything was different.

11 o’clock struck and the Red Army had changed the game, opened up the competition, struck gold. The £42.5 million signing of Mesut Ozil acted as a huge statement of intent from the manager and the board that this season was going to be different. Big money had been spent and the buzz that had been missing since previous record signing Andrei Arshavin’s arrival four years earlier was back.

Inspiring the players around him, Arsenal went on to take the league by storm, top of the league for 130 days, the most out of any side this season, while a strong cup run and Champions League berth still await Arsène’s cavalry.

They say that all good things come to an end, the turn of the year providing the team many questions that could have been answered in January. As pointed out by fans consistently, Ozil’s arrival was overshadowed by the reluctance and inability to sign a forward on deadline day, something that has had to be compensated by Olivier Giroud’s erratic form.

Unable to hold up the ball in difficult situations, the need to have at least a dozen chances before firing into the net and his ability to go missing in big games, the ex-Montpellier star has been the target of much criticism aimed at the club over their slight stumble this calendar year.

After a 6-3 master class by Manchester City before the turn of the year, they bounced back magnificently, winning seven out of their next eight games in all competitions. Top of the league and looking like a team of champions, January was the time to strengthen. With the strikers struggling to score and major injuries to the likes of Theo Walcott narrowing the manager’s options up front, the transfer window was an opportunity to go that extra mile.

Manchester City have Aguero, Liverpool have Suarez, even Everton have Lukaku, but the forward pretender in Giroud for Arsenal is just not good enough. Fans raved over all-time top goal scorer Thierry Henry’s Sky Sports appearance in the Champions League, many believing that a media career is imminent for the club legend. But what may be difficult for some fans to comprehend and conceive is that Henry could probably still do a job for the Gunners.

By not signing a striker, Wenger is playing with fire, relying on a stretched squad coupled with a creative midfield that need a world class player leading the line to complement their play. Ozil’s unpredictable showings on the pitch have led to questions over his morale, a concern that is clearly having an effect on team dynamic.

Following the 5-1 demolition in the critical game against Liverpool, the men against boys quip has been labeled on them once again. With Chelsea taking the lead in the title race and Manchester City grabbing on to the pair with both hands, many fear that this was the start of a domino affected run which may result in yet another barren season in North London.

While in any other year a 0-0 draw against Manchester United would be celebrated ferociously, their poor performances this season made the game a must win. But the stubborn striker song rang in everyone’s ears yet again. Giroud looked nowhere near the standard necessary to lead a side to glory, the bench giving even less hope for where to find goals when needed.

What has also caused bother around the community is the awarding of a new contract to Wenger. The anger vented at this decision can be explained very simply. Last summer, the fans were ALMOST unanimous that things had to change. If the team didn’t win a trophy this year, it was time to seek pastures new. But as the team rides high, the board somehow believes that now is the time to secure the Frenchman for another two years.

It is somewhat naïve and ignorant from the higher powers and fans to assume that the season has already been won. Nothing has been decided and while pessimism is not a trait worth pursuing, if the season does end in disappointment, it’s hard to see what has changed and why the fans on their high horse could justify such a bold and expensive decision. It’s progress, but until May 11th, nothing has changed.

To echo the words of Arsène Wenger, it is not all doom and gloom. One point off top of the league, in the last 16 of the FA Cup and Champions League, this season could be special. Nevertheless, one can’t help but fear that the lack of that extra goal machine could be the difference this season.

While Belfort was “ ****** off” that he was three off a million a week, let’s hope that Arsène’s mistake doesn’t mean that the Gunners end up three competitions off a trophy at the end of this season.

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