After their most humiliating result since the days when the Queen Vic was a monarch and not a pub, Arsenal stand at a crossroads and their greatest fear must be that Arsène Wenger will blindly lead them up another cul-de-sac.
Arsenal’s manager, patently in denial at his squad’s deficiencies, must change direction. He must start buying experience to protect and educate his youngsters.
Arsenal were unbelievably embarrassing, a disgrace to the shirt, with players like Tomas Rosicky and Andrei Arshavin so poor it was astonishing to think they are actually internationals.
So wretched was Arsenal’s display that the club’s top brass vacated their directors’ box seats before a final whistle that must have sounded like the Last Post.
The only ones with Arsenal connections who emerged with any credit were the away supporters who kept singing, kept backing the team even as Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young, a boyhood Gunners fan, mercilessly shredded their defence.
Manchester United were so good with a breathtaking, chance-taking display of football. United versus Arsenal was Total football versus total chaos.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s men used to bully Wenger’s physically; now they bully them with the ball, utterly destroying them with their speed of mind and feet.
The worst tackles came from Arsenal and Arshavin in particular. With Carl Jenkinson dismissed, Arsenal have three times as many red cards as points this season.
Even as the scoreline resembled a tennis score and then worse, bringing Arsenal’s heaviest defeat since 1896 and Loughborough Town, the away fans kept up their chant about “we love you Arsenal, we do”.
If only the players had shown such defiance.
Adding insult to ignominy, Rosicky, Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh loped straight to the tunnel at the end. Arsenal’s captain, Robin van Persie, commendably shouted at them to return to acknowledge the fans’ support.
So riven with problems anyway, Arsenal cannot risk a gulf growing between dressing-room and terrace.
The problems are so obvious, so frequently stated: Wenger’s transfer policy is patently wrong. He needs a centre-half like Gary Cahill or Phil Jagielka yet announced Sunday night that he was closing in on South Korean striker Park Chu-Young. Hardly the Cavalry.
Wenger also needs a club official to nudge him into action in the transfer market, moving early on targets, even moving if the Frenchman feels the fee is £2 million or £3 million too dear.
By prevaricating, and now with £60 million-plus from the sales of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, they may have to pay a premium. How Arsenal miss David Dein.
Wenger pointed out that he lacked 10 players here but ambitious clubs have deep squads. United were also without absentees like Nemanja Vidic and Antonio Valencia.
Arsenal started with Francis Coquelin and Armand Traoré and had players like the Dutch Under-17 midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup and the French Under-20 Gilles Sunu on the bench. United had Dimitar Berbatov, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs in reserve.
United were swiftly into their stride, ruthlessly exploiting Arsenal’s myriad flaws, Phil Jones showing his class with a strong run from the back. And so the red waves began rolling, relentlessly, drowning the visitors.
It was not simply that United were sharper. Arsenal were so lethargic. Rosicky wimped out of a 50-50 with Danny Welbeck. When they did contest the ball, Arshavin left his foot in on Jones.
Arsenal couldn’t keep up with the Jones’. The life began draining from their body. When Anderson scooped the ball over Arsenal’s defence, Johan Djourou froze, allowing Welbeck the time and space to loop a header over Wojciech Szczesny: 1-0.
Hope briefly sprung up for Arsenal when Howard Webb rather shredded the conspiracy theory that he favours United by giving a penalty against them.
When Jonny Evans pulled and tripped Theo Walcott, Van Persie took responsibility for the penalty but his low kick was well saved by David de Gea.
United responded strongly with Young curling in a brilliant goal: 2-0.
The Stretford End began serenading Wenger with “you’re getting sacked in the morning”. Arshavin could have joined the spectators after a filthy challenge on Young. Welbeck did go off, his hamstring tweaked.
United enjoy such strength in depth. Javier Hernandez simply came on to assist Rooney. The England striker, in imperious form, then began his hat-trick with his 150th United goal, a marvellous free-kick: 3-0.
A lapse of concentration by Evra and Jonny Evans allowed Walcott a glimpse of goal, although De Gea should have stopped the shot: 3-1.
Still United tore into Arsenal. Chris Smalling, excellent throughout, slid a perfect first-time pass behind Traore for Nani. Arsenal’s cadaver twitched with life occasionally, and De Gea saved well from Van Persie, but the burial continued. Rooney swept in another magnificent free-kick: 4-1.
There was more. Smalling and Rooney combined to release Nani, who calmly beat Szczesny: 5-1.
And the pain intensified for Arsenal. With 20 minutes remaining, Ji-sung Park played a 1-2 with Young before sending a left-footed strike flying between Djourou’s legs and past Szczesny: 6-1.
Arsenal’s corpse twitched once more. Jenkinson had refused to give up the fight, raiding down the right when opportunity arose. From his cross after 74 minutes, Jones headed back but the young full-back simply nodded across for Van Persie: 6-2.
Jenkinson lasted only three minutes longer. Already cautioned for a foul on the speeding Young, a defender playing non-League a year ago was then caught out by the pace of Hernandez.
Walcott dropped to right-back, and his inevitable lack of experience in the position saw him concede a penalty when tripping Evra. Rooney drilled in the penalty: 7-2.
There was still enough time for Young to score again, curling a shot around Djourou and past Szczesny: 8-2. The
