And so another game has passed where an Arsenal team has collectively shied away from scoring following Thierry’s final ever goal for the club. There was a certain air of inevitability about yesterday’s result I feel… Much has been said regarding the state of the pitch at New Roker Park, but apart from Coquelin’s obvious genuine injury, the first half had far too many players going down and staying down for far too long… The last two games have been Arsenal teams showing no desire to be playing in the game they’re at… Even the ever reliant figures of Sagna and Vermaelen struggling for any sort of form. But they’re playing behind a midfield that at one stage seemed to be one of the more effective parts of the team this season, but has now ceased to function altogether…

No doubt many will be expressing their thoughts about total discontent within the club, and I’m sure many of the tabloids will have made up a few stories from intercepted phone messages, but not being a connoisseur of those no doubt fine publications I shall await for the imperious fans of the scouse and northern scum to enlighten me from their perusing of said scandal sheets… if they make it beyond the third page.