If Fabregas was playing instead of Diaby, I believe we’d have won comfortably. No question. If we had Nasri or Rosicky’s creativity, in addition to Arshavin, I don’t see what answer United would have had.

Yes, we know that all and sundry have had their say already but so what? Isn’t the internet all about opinions? Even if no-one cares anymore? With that, I present the list.

Diaby – What can I say?

A lot. That’s what. Put quite simply, he lost us the game against United. By heading past Almunia with no Man Utd player within yards of him from a poor Ryan Giggs cross, he scored what was quite simply one of the worst own goals ever. The more you look at it, the more you are convinced he actually MEANT to plant the ball into the top corner. Before this, he was actually showing glimpses of this so-called talent he supposedly has but it became clear how much the goal affected him. As a way of attempting some amateur psychology, his body language showed how much it had effected him and he should have been withdrawn. When he had the chance to redeem himself, he missed an absolute sitter that would have brought us back into the game. I don’t care how well he did to fashion the chance himself because ultimately, we lost the game because he failed to score when he should have. No two ways about it. The finish (or lack of) was simply appalling.

Is there really a Diaby dilemma? I dont think there is. Quite simply for all his ‘potential’, he just isn’t THAT good. Let’s look at all the times he has actually looked like a decent player: Derby, Fenerbache, Newcastle and most recently, Portsmouth. Hardly the most challenging of opposition. Pick me out just one game against a TOP side where he has really looked the business. Abou Diaby is the archetypal flat-track bully. Worth having in the squad because he will perform against weaker opposition (although even that is not guaranteed – See Stoke away last season) but cannot be trusted in big games.

Also, he’s injury prone.

Almunia isn’t, has never been and will never be, a top class keeper.

A goal keeper can be worth an extra ten points a season but can just as easily cost you twenty. Almunia makes far too many mistakes and despite what I said about Diaby, you could just as easily argue that Almunia was at fault for both goals at the weekend. There was an incident in the first half where Gallas desperately had to overhead kick the ball away – from INSIDE the the 6 yard box. Where was Almunia charging out to make the ball his? The defence clearly do not trust him. He has no authority and hardly commands his defence of his area in the same way a ‘world class’ keeper would. Regardless of what you think about the penalty (more later), the Spaniard made Mike Dean’s decision a very easy one. Manuel has made far too many errors this season already. When Lehmann (a far superior keeper I might add) did the same two years back, he was dropped and barely seen in Arsenal colours again. Despite this, the big German was still number 1 for his country and played in the Euro 2008 final later that year. Funnily enough, Almunia didn’t even make the squad for the opposition in that final.

Eboue AKA shit for brains!

I thought starting him on Saturday was the correct decision. In hindsight, it was a terrible idea. He looked totally out of his depth in such an advanced role and had an average game. But that’s not what I want to discuss however. How fucking stupid is he? Given all the controversy in the week, what was going through his head with that ridiculous dive? After last season, after Wenger’s press conference on Friday and after all the chances the boss gives him, just when it was looking like he was turning the corner, he embarrasses himself, Arsene and most importantly Arsenal football club.

“He’s 5’4″, HE’S 5’4″!!! We’ve got Arshavin, fuck Adebayor!”

This rang out in the away section on Saturday. The guy is just brilliant. His goal and his ‘nearly’ assist for RVP just show how instrumental he could turn out to be this season. I pray he stays fit.

No excuses about injuries

If Fabregas was playing instead of Diaby, I believe we’d have won comfortably. No question. If we had Nasri or Rosicky’s creativity, in addition to Arshavin, I don’t see what answer United would have had. Even Walcott’s pace could have made a difference. That said, we cannot use injuries as an excuse. United were playing with a patched up defence with Rio and Van da Saar injured. With a mediocre Wes Brown and a suspect Ben Foster, Arsenal should have punished United. After Arshavin’s goal and RVP’s crossbar effort, I was extremely disappointed that the Arsenal players weren’t taking more shots. This was the worst United side we’ve faced for a few years and we really should have taken them apart. Their midfield was weak, their defence was far from solid and up front, they were never in the game until Arsenal over-committed men forward at the end. They won via a disputed penalty and an inexplicable own goal.

The problem of not holding onto leads needs to be addressed.

You can trace it back to the end of the end of the 06/07 season having gone 1-0 in the Carling Cup final before allowing Chelsea back into it to beat us. Since then, there was Stamford Bridge ’08, Old Trafford ’08, BOTH legs of the champions league quarters v Liverpool, 4-4 v Spurs, 1-1 v Liverpool at the Emirates, FA Cup semi ’09, 4-4 v Liverpool and now last Saturday. You try and tell me that there isn’t a fundamental problem. While admittedly over-simplifying the outcomes and being presumptuous, cumulatively, had we held on in all those games, we’d have defintely won the Carling Cup in ’07 and at least one league title (2008) as well as possibly the champions league (2008) and the FA Cup last season. If we go even further back, we all know what happened in Paris after going in front. It’s becoming a joke, an unfunny one at that.

Arsenal need to learn how to shut these games out. We’ve come after from Saturday trying (in vain) to consul ourselves by saying we played better but had we shut up shop at 1-0, offered nothing going forward and came away with the three points (just like United) I would have been a darn sight more happy than I am right now. Wenger’s claims of ‘anti-football’ seem retarded when you see that the scummers have won three league titles, a Carling Cup and of course, the Champions League in the last three years because they knew that the pretty football wouldn’t always get the result.

Hypocrisy not dead

Rooney played it cleverly. That cannot be denied. He knew exactly what he was doing and got the required contact from Almunia to warrant a penalty. The fact he was going to ground already unfortunately doesn’t mean the ref was wrong to give it. However, there is absolutely NO difference between what Rooney did and what Eduardo ‘tried’ to do. If Rooney is too be described as ‘clever’ then so should Eduardo. If Eddie is a cheat, then so is the fat granny shagger. Unfortunately, Wazza plays for England and Eddie is a dirty foreigner so hypocrisy will reign supreme. Oh, and for everyone who thought Rooney’s dive (yes, that’s what I’m calling it) was some kind of payback from Wednesday, why should United benefit from Celtic’s perceived injustice? And speaking of Celtic, I’m pretty sure they’ll be making their way down from atop that moral high ground following this.

Arsene’s ‘apology’… What?

Hmmm. Some lip service by the authorities who want to say sorry to Wenger for the continued abuse (we all know what I’m talking about) from those bottom-feeding Neanderthals that inhabit Old Toilet but not prepared to admit said abuse took place or that it was inflamed by some farcical officiating. How about the those bods in charge actually address the real issue? That is, the shocking chants that our manager faces every time he goes to that stadium.