Champions League | Arsenal flaws exposed again in Wenger’s sour Monaco reunion

Inside Arsenal’s match-day program was a cardboard cut-­out of Arsene Wenger; a memento for visiting Monaco fans of their former manager. But not many Arsenal fans will want that model perching on their desks after a timid 3-1 loss in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Booing at the final whistle was a demonstration of the impatience toward Wenger, whose only titles in the past decade are two FA Cups.
Even Monaco’s ruler, Prince Albert, felt Wenger’s pain. After celebrating with his entourage on the London pitch, the prince said: “I’m sort of sad for him.”
Wenger’s Arsenal does at least always qualify for the Champions League — this is the Gunners’ 17th consecutive season in Europe’s top competition — but they have only come close to winning the competition once, as runners-up in 2006.
Unless the Gunners score at least three goals in the second leg in Monaco next month, it will be five successive seasons of failure in the round of 16.
Wenger, with a contract until 2017, appears secure in his job for the time being. But how much longer can fans endure the defensive naivety of Wenger’s team being repeatedly exposed against the top teams.
Discussing Wenger with shareholders in October, Arsenal chairman Chips Keswick said: “If he has a plan we back it. If he doesn’t have a plan we keep quiet.”
Wenger’s plan against Monaco left Arsenal far too open to be exploited on the counterattack.
Manchester City losing 2-1 to the richly talented and experienced Barcelona on Tuesday was disappointing for English football but not entirely surprising. Arsenal’s capitulation against unfancied Monaco was much more humbling.
This was the team third in the world’s wealthiest league being outclassed by the fourth-placed team from the more modestly resourced French Ligue 1. Rob Harris, AP