This powder is quite dry

It could be that I'm completely wrong about this, and that time and circumstances may prove that, but I'm quite comfortable with the idea that Arsenal don't need to rush to purchase a player in January that will “push them over the line” where a league title is concerned.

Before I continue, I think I should restate that the only trophy that matters for any football club is the league. The league is not a knockout, one-off, happenstance trophy that can be affected by the outcome of one match, one puff of wind, one injury, one two-point deduction for a brawl, or really any one factor. It's not to say that a combination of a dozen of those type things won't make the difference between an open top bus parade and abject failure, but to be fair if a dozen of those things happen to your club in one season, you may want to revisit the idea that you were championship material at all.

The league championship is the only one that matters because it is the ultimate measure of a squad's ability to be better than every other club. As much as I enjoy (and agonise) over the other competitions, the long slog of a league season is the one that defines every Arsenal season for me.

So now, Arsenal have passed more than half a season's worth of matches and as of this moment find themselves in the Champion's seat, amassing more points than any other English or Welsh club (big ups, Wales!) in the top division. “We can win it!” we say, with conviction, for the first time in a decade. It's the ultimate honour, the only way to truly cover one's club in glory, a 38-match contest that revealed character and willingness more than any other traits.

There was a strength in desire among Wenger's first decade of clubs. From “the legendary back five” and Ian Wright and Manu Petit and Marc Overmars, to players like Big Sol and Lauren and Bob and Freddie and Gilberto, there was never a question that those players didn't want to win the league more than anything. There was a commitment in every match, or so it seems, and there was a joy in lifting that league trophy (mostly because it meant that MUFC had been bested) that bore testament to just how difficult and how precious a prize it was and is.

So why wouldn't I want Arsenal to mortgage the future for that glory now that they sit in the most advantageous position with less than half a season remaining?

Isn't it worth a gamble to reward a player like Sagna, you say? “You heartless bastard, why deprive him of the glory?” Or perhaps, “Isn't it worth it to blood players like Wilshere who will now understand what it means to lift the trophy in an Arsenal shirt?”

To those questions, which could be phrased in many different ways and use so many different names, I can only say that while I'm sure the Portsmouth supporters enjoyed their day in the sun, do they really think that the gamble of a glorious FA Cup run was worth the near extinction of their club? I suppose at my core this my problem, that I'm far more post-war English than post-modern Yank. What is my feeling about gambling the future on the present? No. No thank you, sir. Consolidate. Retrench. Hold fast. Prepare for rainy days, for shortages, for the worst that can happen.

If we say that Arsenal must go mental over the next 3 weeks and spend a large sum on that special player that will indeed drag them over the line, we're saying that we see this as an opportunity that may not soon present itself again. I simply do not believe that. I don't believe that Arsenal face a future bereft of opportunities. I don't believe that 30 million quid spent today means insurance against another 8 years of seasons devoid of honours.

As I see it, as I've weighed all the evidence, this season is not the culmination nor the fleeting glimpse. This season is the beginning. Everything that has happened up to this point since the Invincibles season was a separate chapter in the club's history. This season is year one. You don't panic in year one. You don't terrorise yourself with thoughts that if you don't run wild and spend a massive amount of cash, you'll be forever locked into a “negative spiral” that you can't escape.

Nacho Monreal brought absolutely no glamour to the club last winter, but it can't be denied that his long-term value will exceed the price that was paid for his services. Cover? Perhaps. I see him more as a necessity to a club that now refuses to field a side that can be embarrassed. You can't win ANYTHING without players like Nacho in your side.

So what am I advocating if I'm not saying that Arsenal should splurge on a bank-breaking forward that can ignite a glorious goal-scoring binge which brings a trophy?

Spend 20 million pounds on 2 players that can offer you a Nacho-esque contribution over more than one season, if you must. A center back who wants to play for your club, a forward or winger who would thrill at the prospect of 4 good years at one of the best clubs in the world. Or don't—actually, I don't care. I trust the squad as it is to be at or near the top of the league in May.

You may question this with as much speculation and probability as you can, but all I can do is answer you with “I suppose that's possible.” Every club faces that sort of tension (save Manchester City, one would guess). Someone may get hurt, someone may lose interest, a referee may go all Mike Riley on us, but those are simply the sort of things that happen during a long season. (If you don't recall why I cite Mike Riley, go to the youtube and search “Mike Riley Arsenal” and you'll see.)

The reality is that circumstances have conspired against the “big January transfer window signing” scenario that so many Arsenal supporters want. World Cup, foreign league table positions, release clauses, agents...it goes on and on. Arsenal would be better to seek depth and support than the big name splash, for the simple reason that depth and support are more likely and will be needed over the run in.

I'm NOT advocating that Arsenal “keep the powder dry,” please. That should never be a consideration. I'm only saying that Arsenal need to evaluate the current squad with honesty and plan accordingly. There is money needed to resign some players, to extend some players, and to ward off the poaching of clubs with more financial muscle.

Don't worry. Don't panic. Don't feel that if Arsenal fail to win the league this season, that it will never happen again. That's how I would deal with this existential moment.