What a difference six months makes. At the end of last season Arsene Wenger had fans singing his praises.

He’d ended Arsenal’s eight-year trophy drought — which started under his reign — by winning the FA cup against Hull. He had once again qualified for the Champions League and spoke about spending money to improve the squad.

But fast-forward to December and radio call-in shows are chock full of Arsenal supporters who want a change at the top.

They are far from happy with how the Gunners have started this season and have blamed one person — Wenger.

After the Gunners’ 1-0 win over West Brom last weekend a banner was unfurled that read: “Arsene, thanks for the memories but it’s time to say goodbye.”

It’s not the first time that banner has been used. Stewards had to confiscate it at Ashburton Grove before the defeat to Manchester United.

Many say it’s a disrespectful message to the man who led the club to an unbeaten season and made the team what it is today.

Since 1996 Wenger has taken the London side from the middle of the table to Europe.

While they may have gone from title challengers to fighting for fourth place, he will go down as one of the greatest managers of all time.

But should he have left after the FA Cup victory and walked away with his head held high?

At the moment, he could leave Arsenal much reduced from his conquering past and that would be a sad sight.

His inability to get his current crop of players to fend off counterattacks while ignoring their weaknesses will prove to be his undoing.

This summer the fans were screaming for a new centre back and a defensive midfielder at the very least. Opponents have constantly outplayed Arsenal in the middle of the park and the club needed a combative midfielder in the mould of Patrick Viera.

Instead Wenger signed Matheiu Debuchy, Calum Chambers and Alexis Sanchez. Danny Welbeck was signed on transfer deadline day and while Sanchez, Chambers and Welbeck have shown to be terrific signings there is still a gaping hole in the side, which others have exploited.

Mikel Arteta is not the answer, neither is Jack Wilshere and until Wenger splashes the cash on someone such as Sami Khedira or Wil

liam Carvalho many supporters feel Arsenal will always come up short.

They are furious that he has conditioned the board and fans into believing that fourth place is an achievement. That getting knocked out in Europe the first time they play someone decent is acceptable because other clubs have more money and resources than them.

Arsenal used to be the team to beat. Their rivalry with Manchester United was the biggest in the country. Everyone loved watching the two juggernauts of English football going head-to-head.

That was until Alex Ferguson noticed that Arsenal were not the same force and worked out how to play them.

That this has continued has embarrassed Arsenal fans. David Moyes struggled immensely at United but still Wenger could not beat him.

And, two weeks ago, Louis van Gaal showed up with a defensive trio of Paddy McNair, Tyler Blackett and Chris Smalling and still left with all three points. The weakest Red Devils team in years still managed to see off Arsenal.

Other teams have caught on too. Anderlecht came back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 and Swansea went from a goal behind to a 2-1 victory.

Arsenal seem to have a blind spot when it comes to being caught on the break and that is down to a lack of preparation on the training ground.

Wenger doesn’t focus on defending the way Jose Mourinho does at Chelsea and even the introduction of great defender Steve Bould as assistant manager has failed to get the team into shape.

But if Wenger were to go, who would replace him?

Jurgen Klopp gets mentioned, but Borussia Dortmund sit bottom of the Bundesliga and he has no intention of leaving.

And if he does come to the Premier League it’s likely he would want Liverpool or Manchester United.

All the other top managers are in secure jobs and if the wrong appointment is made who knows how far Arsenal could fall.

The Moyes era at United may help the Gunners, showing that moving on from a long-time manager is incredibly hard.

United had to spend nearly £200 million before they reached a competitive level again. Arsenal may not be able to muster that cash just to reach the top four.

There has been a small change in fortune the past fortnight, with three wins on the bounce silencing the dissenters.

But the Wenger Out brigade is growing in numbers. They are only one loss away from so-called turmoil at the club and, with United looking like their former selves, fourth place isn’t guaranteed.

Arsenal fans know all too well the risk that next season, for the first time in 15 years, Champions League football may not come to north London.

That would be very difficult for Wenger to explain away.