ND so the call is out once more in certain quarters: Arsene Wenger must go.

It, of course, is arrant nonsense. First, because the Arsenal board would never contemplate it. Second, there is no-one better equipped to remedy the situation at the Emirates than the man currently in charge.

Third, Wenger’s removal would cause such instability both on and off the pitch that the long-term ramifications are incalculable.

Plus another dozen or so reasons including the lack of any suitable successor and, should a replacement be installed, the destructive forces on the incumbent of living in Wenger’s shadow.

Arsenal fans pushing for such an extreme reaction should remember the sort of Matt Busby effect it took 26 years and Alex Ferguson, the manager of a lifetime, to correct at Old Trafford.

Yet there is little doubt these same Arsenal fans have legitimate reasons to query the direction their club is heading.

And that it’s time for Wenger to do some serious thinking.

After Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-1 a fortnight ago, this column predicted: Well, that’s the crisis over for another week or so. In fact, the ‘crisis’ has been going on since the start of the 2005-2006 season.

Of their opening eight away games, Arsenal were beaten at Chelsea, Middlesbrough, West Brom, Bolton and Newcastle.

On December 10, they were eighth and were to lose 2-0 at home to Chelsea the following weekend.

By the end of the season they just beat Spurs to the Champions League. So the current position is not new. What has Wenger done to rectify it? Not a great deal.

Well, apart from selling ball-winners like Edu and Mathieu Flamini and the experienced Robert Pires and Gilberto as he grants only one-year deals to over 30s.

For a variety of other reasons he also waved goodbye to Jens Lehmann, Lauren, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole, Freddie Ljungberg, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Jose Reyes. He also brought and sold Lassana Diarra, one of those scrappers he needs right now. And he lost Alex Hleb to Barcelona. It is hard to think of a comparable exodus EVER at a club with serious aspirations of winning silverware.

The cost of the new stadium has hamstrung their attempts at rebuilding.

But Wenger’s aversion to spend seems to stem from a bid to achieve his dream of building a superteam based on youth and beautiful football.

But this has become a self-destructive phobia. Clear thinking has been replaced by a stubborn compunction to prove himself right and everyone else wrong. It now threatens to consume him.

Wenger’s failure to attract top names has been compounded by the flaky nature of some of those he HAS.All the great Arsenal teams were packed with character.

Apart from Fabregas, Gael Clichy and Kolo Toure what have Arsenal got now?

Gallas? van Persie? Emmanuel Eboue? No. If Wenger is to placate the fans he must do some serious transfer business before next season.

This means, at least, a commanding keeper, an orthodox centre-half and a midfield player to take the weight off Fabregas.

This is reality. A dream team, by definition, is not