A few weeks ago, I opined that we would never win anything with Almunia, Diaby and Eboue in the side. The Spanish waiter is now destined for the bench, I hope, and maybe to be sold in January. But I still despair when I see both Diaby and Eboue start. Why Arsene, why do you do this to me?

We are playing a team close to the bottom of the league, possible relegation candidates; we have a wonderful array of attacking talent, so why do you not use it? I accept Diaby had an ok game, but only ok; nothing special, nothing particularly creative, no thunderous tackles, no last minute blocks and nothing in terms of even a vague threat on the opposition’s goal. Eboue – I am sorry, he just fell over most of the time. Not good enough. Period.

But then we have Eduardo, Bendtner and Nasri on the bench; I accept that none of them would have been fit enough to last 90 minutes, but why not start with one of them rather than Eboue? Why not Vela? Why not Wilshere? Why, in our new 4-3-3, are we not playing with three proper attack minded players? Why not Ramsey instead of Diaby? Please Arsene tell us, because I don’t understand?

I watched the game in the company of some happier-than-recently Liverpool fans. When we were coasting along at 2-0, I said to my companions that Arsenal will concede because we cannot keep clean sheets; I was fairly confident that unless we scored a third that we may not win the game. And then Cole got to the header (incidentally I disagree with our esteemed editor – I think Mannone should have pushed it round the post, although maybe we can excuse him for his callow youthfulness). 2-1 and you could see West Ham grow in confidence.

Which leads me onto to my other gripe with Wenger today; 2-1 should have been the moment to attack West Ham. Bendtner and Eduardo could and should have come on sooner; the team should have done what they did to Blackburn. But they didn’t and I am sorry to say, it is just not good enough.

Chelsea will win the league this year (injuries and ACN-induced disruption permitting) because I just don’t believe they will allow a 2-0 lead at a team in the bottom three to be surrendered. What is that Tony Adams said – beat the bottom 12 teams home and away and you have virtually won the title? Something like anyway (Bottom ten – Ed). Let’s hope lessons are learned and we don’t do have a repeat of last year’s farce against Spurs next Saturday.

In between times, we have Liverpool in Carling Cup – Wenger said something like “it will be a mixed team” on the Arsenal website: I expect Eduardo, Nasri and Bendtner to start. If it were up to me, I would play Diaby and Eboue too, effectively demoting them to the midweek team in rugby parlance; and I’d put Wilshere and Ramsey on the bench, saving those two for the Spuds. Just a thought Arsene – shake the complacency out of the team now please before it is too late. Two leads thrown away inside a week looks like carelessness to me. With what happened last year against Spurs, who’d bet against the same thing happening again?