Once dominant forces on home soil, the tales of the Indian cricket team and English Premier League side – Arsenal FC draw strangely similar parallels. MS Dhoni was once the captain who could do no wrong, but his test match record has been dismal post losses at Eden Gardens and Wankhede. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger seems to be sailing in the same boat, where the angry public is baying for their blood and demanding that heads roll. Here are five reasons why we feel their cases are curiously alike:

Selection policies
MS Dhoni is a stubborn mule when it comes to the selection process. The form of Ravichandran Ashwin and Gautam Gambhir was a worry for Team India in the ongoing series versus England , but Dhoni being Dhoni, didn't drop either, and both have failed to perform so far. Same can be said of Arsene Wenger too, who consistently played Ivorian winger Gervinho as a striker which inturn backfired.

Excuses
Dhoni's choice excuses have made him a laughing stock. He's blamed everything from rain, to the pitch for his losses. Arsene Wenger hasn't been far behind, and also blamed the ground for his side's embarrassing defeat to a fourth tier club ( Bradford City ) in the League Cup quarter finals

Player rifts
Reports that MS Dhoni is miffed with Gautam Gambhir is not news, since he's had verbal duels with Virender Sehwag in the past too. And with a 'what you can do, I can do better' attitude, Arsene Wenger's sudden outburst against contract rebel Theo Walcott has also showed that both leaders don't mind washing dirty laundry in public, even if their side's image takes a beating in the process.

Decline
One of the finest tactician in the world of football, Arsene Wenger has been at the helm of Arsenal Football club for 16 years. But 2012 has seen him and his squad fall to an all-time low with a recent cup exit after loss to a lower division team. The players seem dispassionate and there's a pall of gloom that hangs over their heads. The same can be said of Dhoni, who as a Test captain has failed miserably. His dismal away form (Team India lost 8 away test matches) has made pundits call for a shift in guard.

Support of the guard
Even though their current form is rocky, Wenger and Dhoni are still putting all their money on the support of their 'superiors'. Both men have an unanimous support (Dhoni from BCCI chief N Srinivasan, Wenger from Ivan Gazidis, CEO of Arsenal FC) and it's unlikely that their heads will roll soon unless the outcry gets too loud to block out.

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For match updates on the 4th Test between England and India, visit: Live scorecard