So another week has come and gone and less and less makes any sense aboard the good ship Arsenal.

On the pitch Arsenal put in the kind of brainless limp performance under pressure that has been the team’s recent theme. The reaction to going three-one down appeared to be a collective “what’s the point?”

That’s certainly how it felt watching it: Rudderless, lost and de-motivated. 

The players’ collective lack of pride meant that Neil Swarbrick’s refusal to give Arsenal a cast iron penalty, and continued indulgence of the Pulis-patented ‘tackle to hurt’ which led to Sanchez’s injury, went largely unmentioned. 

Because, everything we saw at the weekend, we’ve seen before.

Apparently Bayern, PSG, Real, Chelsea, Man United, Liverpool and City have all changed managers since Arsenal last won away at a top 8 side in the league. Admittedly, that doesn’t count for that much time, but its still long enough to be a concern, and more importantly we seem to hit the same problems at the same time every year.

Only this time, with our poorest league run since pre-Wenger, its worse than it’s been in a generation.

For months the players have increasingly looked like a group of people uncertain regarding what they are trying to do and why, and who lack the gumption to formulate their own solutions in times of difficulty. 

Which sounds a lot like the current board.

Apart from the slightly less Hill-Wood-esque Sir Chips Keswick releasing a ‘holding’ statement that sounded as detached as his name would imply (and appropriately a little like a circa WWI politician), their silence has been deafening.

While one can understand a reluctance to comment directly on THE QUESTION of the manager’s future (despite that being what everyone wants), now would be a very good time to release some sort of comment about long-term strategy, structural evolution on the sporting side or succession planning.

However, they seem, not only just as much in the thrall of Arsene as the players, but even more willing to hide behind him.

It’s one thing a few guys in their mid-20’s whose professional careers have been gestated in the Wenger bubble making bland comments when pressed. It’s quite another for such spectacularly wealthy, experienced and successful men as our board refusing to say anything.

Again.

Of course, quiet jurisprudence is a merit when the the seas are calm and the ship is still on course, but none of these things apply now. 

In the vacuum of silent uncertainty, something will fill the void. With large sections of the fanbase increasingly disillusioned and angry, and with the hitherto respectful press scenting blood, sensational stories and conspiracy theories are taking hold.

If the farce of the competing plane banners at West Brom wasn’t embarrassing enough, there are now wildfire rumours that the pro-Arsene plane was organised by someone connected to Arsenal’s press office or boardroom. While this strikes me as a rather unlikely story, the fact that such a political own-goal is seen as plausible tells people all they need to know about where the situation currently stands.

Uncertainty and conflicting information seems to be filling the vacuum with regards to the playing staff as well. Quite apart from the rumblings of the Alexis Sanchez story (which makes him look like a prima donna, the rest of the squad look soft and touchy, and the manager look weak and indecisive), we have rumours that Oxlade-Chamberlain has lost faith in both the club and the club’s desire to keep him (quite understandable with the contract situation). There is also wildfire speculation about the limited availability of Mesut Ozil of late. 

With so many leaks, counter-leaks, and, the proliferation of entirely made up news (see the Boro Primorac story and Wenger to PSG), it’s almost impossible to know what to believe. Which inevitably leads people choosing to believe whichever stories echo their fears, hopes or prejudices.

Meanwhile the club, in their attempts to appear in control by not dignifying speculation with comment, are doing nothing to counter a situation that is festering.

Of course, all this comes back to the manager, and the uncertainty around his future. Until there is some indication beyond the purely speculatory, it’s impossible for the fans, players and indeed other club employees to resolve any of the above issues or fully commit to the current set up.

While it may appear to all external viewers that the manager calling it a day is pretty much a no-brainer, the comments of those closer to the situation would suggest that Wenger is not planning to go anywhere. The implication is that the club is waiting for a good time to deliver some news that won’t be popular. 

Certainly this would echo the flurry of news stories emerging the last few days, and would fit with Wenger’s quotes about the top-four not being a primary consideration when contemplating his future, which came after recent results. The specificity and consistency of the message almost simultaneously put out across multiple news sources would suggest that someone has been briefing the press. Is it the club trying to soften the blow of a decision already made? Is it someone trying to stir up more protest to put pressure on the manager?

We just don’t know. 

The problem with a postponement of announcing Wenger’s stay approach – in the hope of better days on the horizon – would be that the uncertainty and fan discontent has created an environment that isn’t conducive to improved performance any time soon. 

The reaction to a contract renewal would be bad now, but imagine how it would be received after another month of disappointing results, leaks of player discontent and protests. 

Of course, there are risks in announcing a decision now if he has decided to leave, particularly in maintaining squad motivation and unity and putting the club in a weaker position when it comes to motivating with potential candidates to replace him. However, with the team’s form through the floor and issues within the squad, perhaps these risks are less relevant.

Whatever the truth of the situation, either the manager or the board (or both) are doing the club and it’s support a massive disservice by not announcing what decision has been made pretty much immediately. 

As such it seems increasingly likely that the intention is for Wenger to stay. To do so under the circumstances might be seen as brave from both parties – certainly in their own eyes – or may be seen as cowardly from both parties – in the eyes of an ever increasing number of observers and supporters.

What I will say is that if the manager is planning to stay in place, both he and the board had better have some bloody good aces up their sleeves to prevent the next two years from becoming unbearable. Fan pressure would be enormous and constant and a repetition of the same mistakes would likely start hurting attendances in a major way, quite apart from the impact on the team’s fortunes.

Perhaps if a one year contract renewal was announced in tandem with some long overdue re-structuring and in the context of a clear long term plan (and perhaps an impressive pre-arranged summer signing), the more optimistic members of the fan base may show some patience.

If not, I might avoid the Arsenal online world for a while…and many will start avoiding the team as a whole.