If Mikel Arteta didn't already have enough on his plate at Arsenal, the recent Super League debacle which has left a dark cloud hanging over the Emirates was the last thing he needed.
Arsenal are a team in a period of stasis, lacking direction and shrouded in uncertainty.
The appointment of Arteta was supposed to herald a new dawn; an inventive Arsenal who would do things differently and be at the forefront of modern European football.
Instead, the club has struggled and large swathes of the fanbase feel the manager has not been adequately backed with his rebuilding plans and in the transfer market generally.