Wenger has been criticised for not winning trophies because they are part of the Big Four. They are a trophy winning club… and dine at the elite table of football – The Champions League.

They are a massive club, and so expectations are naturally much higher.

Were Sunderland to finish 5th then the entire club would be ecstatic! If Arsenal finish 5th it would be a disaster! They are different clubs, with different aims – and so can’t be judged so simplistically.

If as an Arsenal fan you would be happy to finish on more points than Sunderland because they have spent more then that is your prerogative, but I imagine you would be in the minority! Most Arsenal fans would not be happy outside the Champions League places – and most I think would want at least a league cup from the upcoming season.

As for the criticism Wenger gets… I think actually this is over played. Since finishing undefeated he has almost been immune from criticism… Chelsea sacked their manager after one trophy-less season… Wenger has had loads! He has not been put under the same scrutiny that other managers are… yes he gets headlines and some journalists criticise his stubbornness but firstly that is because Arsenal are a big club, and secondly it means very little as his job is secure.

As a side note on Sunderland spending a lot of money… I don’t really see what the issue is, let them get on with it if they can afford it! They can’t offer players Champions League football, so they have to spend big.

You do realise trophies don't just arrive at clubs, you have to earn them? The reason Arsenal won trophies and "dne with the elite" is because on a limited budget Wenger has made them that way. Other managers like Bruce Rioch fail the teams so they don't compete. So Wenger has EARNED this position by spending very little.

Now it's Sunderlands time, after all there is no excuse is there!

Forest fan in peace, "spending a fortune" you say. Didn't you notice that they sold Henderson for £20M? How much net have they spent?

As good as Henderson is I'd rather have Westwood, Brown, O'Shea, Gardner, Larsson, Vaughan and Wickham than just him.

I understand you have to earn trophies… what point are you trying to make?

Birmingham have earned their trophy this season… Man Utd and Man City have earned theirs… the point is, for the last few years Arsenal have failed to earn any trophies.

It seems you have forgotten how trophies are earned… they are earned by winning football matches! The league is won by the team with the most points at the end of the season… this figure is not leveled out mathematically based on the amount spent in the year… so limited budget or unlimited funds it makes no difference to how the trophy is earned.

Yes a team with more money will have more pressure on it… but in accepting that you will be forced to accept that different clubs have different pressures put on them, and not every club is judged the same. For Sunderland staying in the league is an achievement – and after that the Newcastle game will be important… as I said, for them finishing 5th would be fantastic.

For Arsenal though, finishing 5th is a disaster. Why? Because they are a bigger club with bigger expectations. Yes Sunderland have spent a lot of money, and they have tried to bring in players they feel will improve their team and get them further up the league… Why do you have a problem with that?

You do understand that the article writer posted this to have a 'dig' at Steve Bruce/Sunderland A.F.C. don't you

He can't be as stupid as he sounds when he suggested that S.A.F.C. have spent a fortune 'cos anybody with any sense knows that we've spent less than now't during the period he mentions, so his tongue is obviously firmly in his cheek . . . . unless

" For Sunderland staying in the league is an achievement "

Have you been in hibernation ? . . . . is that really what you think

I may have exaggerated slightly on the staying in the league  I was just trying to point out that their level of expectation is different to Arsenal’s.
Beating Newcastle and finishing 10th is a good season for them… the same for Arsenal would mean nothing.
I think spending that much does put pressure on Bruce, so there is a valid point to be made… but to compare it to Arsene Wenger is ridiculous given that he has total job security in spite of failing to win anything for so long!

Do you not realise how much Brucey Bonus has actually spent . . . . I'll give you a clue - it's a minus figure

Arsenal's expectations are very different to Sunderland's but, despite having made a profit so far with signings/sales since Bonus arrived ( meaning it hasn't cost the club anything ), our ambitions are not a 'million miles away' from Arsenal's

I would just like to reiterate what Gordon Armstrong has already so eloquently stated.."Sunderland have actually made a net profit on transfers in recent years"! This means your argument is dead in the water from the start.

A personal attack on Steve Bruce/Sunderland A.F.C. without any foundation whatsoever, eh

Brilliant

You just have to humour these plonkers...

fantasy.premierleague.com - ja606 league code free and open to anyone 31270-13990

You just have to humour these plonkers...

pathetic

You certainly are, Christine

shall i tell sir on you gordon

" on you "

Illiteracy is alive and well

"Illiteracy is alive and well"

So is fishing, my pseudo-intellectual little plaything.