Under-fire Arsene Wenger hits out at media but admits Arsenal are in crisis

“For me every single defeat is a crisis, yes,” he said.

But he was even quicker to point out that the current “crisis” was everybody’s fault but his own.

The media, of course, are to blame for manipulating the fans into turning against him.

“You work very hard to get our fans on our back and you do that very well,” his words spoken to one particular radio reporter but addressed to the room in general.

And he added: “I believe our fans are naturally with us and that they were disappointed is completely normal.”

At the Daily Express, we respect supporters enough to make up their own minds. Wenger, it seems, does not.

Even the club’s “legends” must claim their share of the blame, too. Apparently, by criticising Wenger, previously trusted cohorts have gone from the Invincibles to the Imperfects.

“I always have problems understanding what a legend and what a legend isn’t,” the Arsenal manager said. “I’ve had all the players here and we speak today, but they all had their weaknesses as well. Don’t worry about that.

“They had their weak games as well, and their weak behaviours as well. Nobody was perfect. We have to take a distance with that as well, focus on our performance and not be dragged into any animosity.

“We are all grateful for what they have done for the club, but what matters is always the players on the pitch who can defend the pride of the club.”

Of course, there was little sign of that in the 4-0 drubbing at Anfield. Although in one case, perhaps there was another reason entirely out of Wenger’s control.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was one of those who underperformed woefully against a Liverpool team he was soon to join, all of which, inadvertently no doubt, gave Wenger’s more general observation on the transfer window unsettling players a much more menacing undertone.

“Even in the games, you sit there before the games and even in players’ minds they have no clarity,” he said.

“Are they in? Are they out? Are they half in? Are they half out? Are they tapped up in the afternoon of the game by people who want to get them out? It’s not the way to work and it’s uncomfortable.”

Then behind it all is the fact that after 21 years, he still believes he is working in a country with entirely the wrong footballing philosophy.

“To convince people that to win you have to play ugly is for me a wrong debate,” he said. “If England has not won on an international level in over 50 years, it’s maybe time at some stage to come to the right conclusions.

“Yes, we didn’t play well enough the way we want to play, I agree with you, but to come out to a conclusion that you have to kick the ball into the stand to win football games is the wrong conclusion.”

Unfortunately, his analysis is less astute when the magnifying glass falls closer to home. Like a post mortem of yet another disastrous transfer window for the club.

“I believe that the transfer market is over so overall it’s very difficult for me to speak about that,” he said.

Difficult for him on a personal level, maybe. Mainly because the outcome is that Arsenal have a “tired” Alexis Sanchez seeing out his time instead of Wenger seizing the opportunity to introduce fresh young blood capable of reinvigorating a waning institution.

Meanwhile defeat on Saturday would consign Arsenal to their worst start to a season for 35 years. I wonder whose fault that would be?