We threw away the chance of a FA Cup final appearance. Strangely it wasn’t the much weakened back four that was the real problem but further forward where we are supposed to be so blessed with talent. Through a combination of timid/bizarre selection and defensive – for “defensive” largely read goalkeeping - foul ups we pretty much handed the semi final to a very average Chelsea side.

I can only think of one chance that Chelsea created for themselves, the rest we just gave them

* Drogba heading towards an open goal as Fabianski went walkabout
* Malouda scoring unmolested by Eboue who watched the ball sail over his head from about 50 yards and Fabianski offering him the near post
* Anelka hitting the post courtesy of Diaby losing the ball (again) in the penalty area
* Drogba scoring, hopeful punt, 2 slow centre backs , and Fabianski just making it oh so easy for Drogba as he marooned himself in no man’s land.

The selection. OK, Nasri and Song might have been knackered after Wednesday but to leave out Arshavin. Don’t understand it. The only time we looked threatening was via Walcott on the right. There was no threat down our left. It was too much to expect Gibbs to be both our main defender and attacker consistently over 90 minutes. Mind you, I thought he had a very tidy game. He and Theo were the only two who emerged with any credit.

The team was never going to make the chosen system work. Mind you what was the system – 4-4-1-1? 4-3-1-1-1?

Whatever, if you are going to leave one player up front and rely on midfielders to support him then you need midfield anchors who can win the ball, and pass accurately and quickly to the advanced guard. We all saw Diaby and Denilson’s limitations. Can’t tackle, wanted more time than Chelsea allowed them on the ball, and at Wembley their passing was awful. Diaby had a couple of good moments but Denilson was at his most crab like, a sort of homage to Ray “Uncle Fester” Wilkins.

Of the other two or three in midfield only Theo had a good game. Fabregas and Van Persie just went missing for long periods and never got near Adebayor. It always annoyed me during the days of the Vieira and Henry transfer sagas that they claimed that the absence of trophies was making them restless and asking if the club’s ambitions matched their own etc. etc.. Why was I annoyed? Because these guys could somehow divorce themselves from any responsibility for the lack of trophies despite being on the pitch and turning in less than stellar displays. I can see us going back down that track with Van Persie, perhaps Fabregas, and certainly Adebayor.

The other ingredient that was missing yesterday was a forward who can actually hold the ball up until the midfield cavalry arrives. Adebayor had one of those days when he could not trap a bag of cement. I know he was isolated but I wonder whether yesterday was his “Reyes moment”. In the CL semi final second leg against Villarreal Reyes was just so incompetent and disinterested that the fans just wanted him out of the club. Was yesterday when the scales fell from our eyes and we realised that Adebayor is just a goal hanging lump who over achieved for two thirds of a season? He p*ssed me off mightily anyway.

Words fail me about Fabianski. Perhaps it was nerves but from first to last he was awful. He couldn’t even throw or kick the ball to an Arsenal player. There really is a Polish keeper who deserves to be called a clown.

Finally, a word or two for those fans who left straight after Drogba scored. I know a come back was very unlikely but, come on, we were one down to CHELSEA in an FA Cup semi final and you were more interested in getting on a tube train than supporting Arsenal. A poor show. Actually that’s too polite – you should be f***ing ashamed.