If there ever was a time to stand and be counted for Arsenal it would be at the Madesjki Stadium against Reading in the English Premier League.
The Gunners are going through a crisis unlike any other this season.
They are off to their worst ever start under Arsene Wenger in the league; they have been dumped out embarrassingly out of the Capital One Cup by Bradford City, a team three tiers below them; and more alarmingly Arsenal look like a team that do not have too many goals in them.
In the past seven years where Arsenal have gone without a trophy, the Gunners have never looked as impotent in front of goal as right now.
There is no cohesion, no confidence, no ideas, no creativity.
On paper, it should be near impossible with the personnel at Wenger's disposal to not be able to create chances. Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla alone should be enough to carve out a couple of very good chances each game; but it is just not happening.
Whether it is a lack of desire - certainly not the case for Wilshere at least - or something that is just not right in the training ground needs to be assessed immediately.
"I've had groups who had fantastic results (but) were less serious than these players, believe me," Wenger said. "Players who were less focused than this team. Of course these players are hurting.
"You think they don't care and they go home and think they had a fantastic game? They do care.
"We prepare for games seriously. It was a cup game on an English December night in Bradford. You have to give Bradford credit.
"Unfortunately we paid the price -- they knocked Wigan out as well. That shows they have something and that they are difficult to beat."
Wenger, despite all the criticism, is Arsenal's most successful manager; a boss, who on a shoe-string transfer budget has kept Arsenal among the elite clubs in England.
But what cannot be forgotten is some of the poor signing the Wenger has made in the last couple of years. The likes of Gervinho, Marouane Chamakh and Sebastian Squillaci, to name just a few, have just not been good enough to wear the famous red and white jerseys of Arsenal.
Replacing the likes of Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas and Robin Van Persie with the above mentioned names is just not good enough. Wenger will surely delve into the transfer market in January, but before that there are the Christmas and New Year fixtures.
Arsenal need to sort their problems out soon, and a big win over Reading, a side who are bottom in the Premier League, with all that silky attacking play that made the club so popular, can be the start to smoothing over the cracks.
In team news, Olivier Giroud returns after missing the League Cup game against Bradford, while Wenger is hopeful Laurent Koscielny and Theo Walcott will be available. Andre Santos and Abou Diaby remain sidelined.
For Reading, Jason Robert and Pavel Pogrebnyak could be in the squad after overcoming their respective injuries, while Jimmey Kebe, Jem Karacan, Sean Morrison and Alex McCarthy are ruled out.
Expected lineups: Reading: Federici; Cummings, Pearce, Mariappa, Shorey; McCleary, Tabb, Leigertwood, McAnuff, Hunt; Le Fondre.
Arsenal: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Arteta, Wilshere; Cazorla, Walcott, Podolski; Giroud.
Prediction: 4-1 to Arsenal
