It was a woeful first half for Arsenal against Villa, aside from Denilson’s goal. With every strike of Almunia’s woodwork or goal-line clearance, I just thought, keep weathering it, this can’t last forever. The home side should have been out of sight with cigars out and slippers on before they conceded. Most alarming was the number of chances Villa were afforded. Gooners can be grateful for their fortune that none were conceded, but alarmed that the defensive abilities of the side are pretty non-existent. Sagna and Gallas were the only pair who came out with any semblance of individual credit. But with a five man midfield, it was the trio immediately in front of the central defence that was most culpable for Villa’s enjoying an open season in front of the Arsenal goal.

That, even with three of them working in tandem, Alexandre Song, Denilson and Abou Diaby could do nothing to prevent Villa’s domination said all that we need to know about these three players. Diaby might have a case for mitigation as he was in theory there to support Robin van Persie, but Denilson and Song have no such excuse. It improved Arsenal’s chances of hanging on when Song was removed injured, and that’s saying something. Certain Arsenal first team players have become a standing joke to less forgiving fans. And what frustrates most is that we can clearly see they are crap and yet the manager continues to trot out verbal excrement in his claims of their abilities. Let’s get this straight. The reason for the team’s rapid decline from a year ago is that the team can’t carry this degree of lack of quality on a regular basis. Last season, it could carry Eboue for a few months and a shaky central defensive pairing due to a mixture of fortune and Flamini. And goals raining in at the right end. But now it is plain to see that if the Frenchman was determined to go, at least Wenger should have kept Gilberto for the final season of his contract. Then, the team would simply not be in this state now.

The only hope is that the pretence can be dumped once January 1st arrives and both Song and Denilson consigned to Arsenal history. Flashes of promise but in one case a lack of application and in the other the lack of a defensive brain. Thanks lads, nice effort now please go and find another mug to pay your wages. Denilson’s lack of ability to track a runner is excruciating to watch.

Arsenal went 2-0 up with a quality goal conjured by Diaby and Eboue, which just goes to show that if you give players endless playing time eventually they will get something right. Think about the room with a typewriter, a load of chimpanzees, a regular supply of sheets of paper and, ultimately, the complete works of Shakespeare. Aaron Ramsey did competently, but it was his 18th birthday. When you are relying on a kid to come off the bench to make the team a bit more solid, you know you are in trouble.

Wenger was upset at the penalty. In fairness, Gallas got nothing of the ball and nothing of the man. But Villa got the least they deserved out of this game. And on the season so far, they deserve to shove Arsenal out of the comfort of their customary Champions League qualification. It’s when you look round the Villa team and consider some pretty average players would improve Arsenal’s that you know you're are deep in the mire.

I have said before, it would get worse before it gets better. Fabregas is effectively out for the season. It is getting worse. Wenger deserves the chance to put it right by spending the money he has in the January transfer window. He is rebuilding for next season as of now and if in doing so, he can somehow salvage a top four spot, then hallelujah.

It has been put to me that no way would the manager have allowed this situation to develop if he really did have money last summer, and that the board are ‘sh***ing themselves about Highbury Square’. Apparently, the money from ongoing completions is now required to be able to continue the outstanding construction work, but the numbers of actual completions have fallen significantly for all too obvious reasons.

So is all the football profit being used to pay for ongoing construction now the club are unable to loan any further finance towards that? Is this why the club are so prudent? That makes Arsene Wenger a very loyal employee who is prepared to be economical with the truth to protect the directors. But it also makes him look like an idiot to the Arsenal faithful. Apparently if the club had just sold the old stadium with the planning permission in 2006, they could have made £70 million. In developing it themselves, the potential profit was anticipated to be around £100 million. Now, it will be much less. Was it worth all of this grief for £30 million?

The first team are dire at the moment. They will guarantee you goals – certainly past Manuel Almunia and on occasion, delightfully, at the end Gooners prefer to see them. It’s entertaining to watch on one level, but there is zero resilience and little in the way of character.

I caught some odd TV programme about domino toppling at Boxing Day lunchtime. And in the evening, I saw Villa v Arsenal. Everything had collapsed by the end of both, and in each case, it was entirely predictable.

Oh well, at least we have Pompey this weekend. If we think we have it bad in terms of disorganisation, then there are always those worse off somewhere else. If you want slapstick defending, Ashburton Grove is the place to be at 2 on Sunday.