What is there to say? We were terrible again: ineffective, sluggish, predictable, poor in possession and not great without the ball. Everyone knew that Man U would attack us doen the right flank to expose Santos, and lo and behold they did. True the goal was gifted to RVP by Vermaelen, but still. The curious thing is why Wenger never employs tactics against the opposition. Why not play Walcott up front when we know that United’s centre backs are immobile and can be susceptible against pace? Why not drop Wilshire back, as soon as it is obvious that Rooney has been given the task of preventing Carzola from distributing the ball? It is as if he is confident that Arsenal is good enough to beat other teams by playing their own game well. Well, they clearly are not. The only way to defeat a better team is with tactics.

I’m starting to think that 16 years of always getting into the Champions League places has made Arsenal FC  – or at least its directors – complacent. The Champions League is where the money is. And Arsenal have managed to come at least 4th while continuing to sell their best players to their nearest rivals, which makes them stronger and us weaker. Face it, the £25 Million we gained from selling RVP will pale into insignificance if we drop into the tier of 5th to 8th placed also rans in the premiership, which is what we are looking like so far this season.

Meanwhile Walcott and Arshavin look like our best attacking options and cannot get a start. Carzola and Podolski’s form has dipped. Giroud has not yet found his feet. We now have  no pace to speak of in the team. Wilshire is going to need time to readjust, and was off the pace.