Wenger's 'Invisibles' are the real problem - they can't tackle, shoot or create

Laying Down the Lawford – Yahoo Sport’s Mark Lawford on the real guilty men at Arsenal

In the boxing match of football management, Arsene Wenger is a minute into the 11th round and well behind on points.

He only has enough energy to swing two more punches, one with his left, one with his right.

Like a punch-drunk former champion he is lurching from blow to blow, no longer a contender but living on hazy memories of times when he used to be a contender.

Incredibly, after such a long career, he is still there fighting, but now he needs helps from his seconds.

But they are nowhere to be seen, blending in with the baying mob and staring at their feet as they look to abrogate the responsibility of yet another failed attempt at the ‘big one’.

Wenger is all alone, blows raining in on him from opponents and supporters alike. He has nowhere to hide. His tactics have been found wanting again but when he does try and rescue the situation, the ones he pays to put things right don’t have a clue.

The man that created the ‘Invincibles’ has now created the ‘Invisibles’.

Defeat to a Chelsea team sweeping aside just anything in their path is no disgrace but the manner of the reverse bodes ill, coming as it did hard on the heels of a home defeat to Watford.

Milky midfielders and clueless defenders don’t help but when you have megastars like Alexis ‘the strop’ Sanchez and Mesut ‘the shrug’ Ozil to call upon, there should be a lot more presence and a lot less presents.

Instead even they faded to grey, failing to muster even a spark of a fight, while Wenger was forced to look on in the company of celebrating Chelsea fans in the stand.

Sanchez and Ozil’s much-publicised failure to tie themselves down to long-term Arsenal deals is well known but they are now starting to look players going through the motions – and the effect on the rest of the team is staggering as they follow their talismen beneath the cloak of invisibility.

Wenger will drag himself to his full height and swing a left at the FA Cup. Surely even they cannot lose to non-League Sutton?

As a Tottenham-supporting work colleague of mine commented, if the Gunners do come off second best on that one he will stop following football because things could simply never better that.

But will the FA Cup – Wenger’s only success in the past 13 years – impress the judges?

It’s likely he will field a host of watered-down milky players to jab at Sutton, looking to inflict a black eye or swollen lip without landing a knockout blow.

Then the Gunners manager will wheel out his prized Invisibles in a bid to land a haymaker and beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

But what chance do Premier League also-rans have against the Bundesliga champions and leaders?

It’s the one prize in club football that has eluded Wenger and one that looks like it will never happen. You can blame his tactics, the fact he ‘should have quit years ago’, the fact he refuses to spend big money, the fact he has had to guide Arsenal from Highbury to the Emirates.

Yet the fans who chant Wenger out and unfurl banners proclaiming ‘Time to go’ need to look at the real guilty parties – the players.

They lack the stomach for a fight and are happy to double their invisibility in the Wenger-shaped shadow.

Defenders who can’t tackle, keepers who can’t save, creators who don’t create, strikers who don’t strike – this Arsenal team has it all.

They were lulled into a false sense of security by finishing runners-up last season. They were not title contenders from mid February and only picked up form – as usual – when all was lost.

The most hollow second place of all time just felt better because it deprived Spurs of that honour. Who’s sorry now?

Wenger deserves to be remembered for what he has done at Arsenal but it’s time to stop living off just finishing in the top four and remembering ‘way back when’.

Chelsea look to be creating a dynasty, and both Manchester United and City have huge financial backing plus heavyweight managers.

Tottenham also look a class act. Let’s not forget Liverpool. Okay, let’s forget Liverpool.

Wenger must hang up his gloves at the end of the season even if he does manage to win the FA Cup as to Arsenal silverware of that quality is stored under the stairs in a cardboard box.

Which, ironically is where the dummies masquerading as Arsenal players should also be.

Wenger must take some of the blame for embedding a sense that qualifying for the Champions League is enough in itself but those players – the ones who performed so well at interviews and auditions – are the biggest culprits.

Overpaid, underachieving and just about out for the count. Sound the bell for the final round because they threw in the towel ages ago.