I would hate to have been one of the poor souls that travelled to Wigan on Sunday to witness an awful capitulation and the dull, scrappy match that preceded it. Arsenal were thrown a lifeline by Chelsea and Spurs (and so almost by City) and lacked the maturity, competitiveness and guts to grab it. It's ridiculous that today we're talking about holding onto third as opposed to chasing down first.

I can understand their calls for Wenger's head. I can understand their distaste at the performances they travelled to witness, as I can understand the opinions of those who were, like me, unfortunate enough to just be watching it. For the neutrals it must have been wonderful, but for me it was borderline comedy. I watched it at my friend's (another Arsenal fan) and we actually laughed as the third went it, such was the farce, but on reflection I was mostly filled with emptiness. I put it down to the eventual unfolding of events that, deep down, I knew would occur. In a season when a small step forward was all that was required to come out on top, Arsenal were undone by their stubborn refusal - and it is a conscious choice - to learn from their mistakes.

While criticism could be found almost everywhere on the pitch the moment that stood out for me was the substitution after it went to 2-1. Fran Merida had been warmed up for a ten minute run out and a bit of experience but should not have taken to the pitch when the shape of the game had shifted so significantly, especially for the player - Rosicky - who, along with Campbell, had been alone in maintaining an acceptable level of commitment. Merida didn't touch the ball - at least I can't remember him doing so - and Wigan ran riot. Having Rosicky on the pitch, or Walcott through whom we could look to break out, or even bringing Van Persie on to inject some leadership and give Wigan something else to worry about up front all would have made greater sense that having Merida on, and it didn't require hindsight to make that judgment.

The substitution was a summation of Wenger's approach and the squad's failing. There was a tactical naivety to the move that most can recognise as a weakness of the manager's, likewise the dogmatic adherence to his principles, even when the situation cried out for pragmatism. Even as our lead was halved and an onslaught beckoned, there was a flippancy to the decision - an apparent disregard for the opposition and the short-termism of playing for the points rather than the sake of developing the kids - that makes it no surprise whatsoever that the players played so aimlessly and arrogantly once they were two goals to the good.

Please don't take this to mean I blame Fran Merida for the defeat. It just encapsulated things so well. This defeat ultimately rests on the biggest failing of the club over the last few years: the neglect of the squad. It's not being too fanciful to suggest that this team was one player and one injury away from the title. It was apparent that a goalkeeper was required in the January window but nothing was done about it. Fine, there were probably no ideal candidates, but neither could it have been argued that Almunia had played anywhere near the level that he achieved last year. If winning the league without a top notch 'keeper is hard enough, then doing it without once - as far as I recall - being able to field the first choice eleven is nigh-on impossible. Not much could have been done about Van Persie's injury, but the way in which it was mismanaged by the club is shameful, likewise the decision to rush William Gallas and Cesc Fabregas back for the Barcelona game. Had the club - and of course I implicate Wenger as the manager above all else in this - acted sensibly it is likely that the five points dropped to Birmingham and Wigan would have us on 76 points right now. Who knows about the Spurs game? Maybe we'd be topping the table on 79?

In many ways it is miraculous that we have got this far, and Wenger's ability to squeeze performances and resolve out of his players - many of whom are derided elsewhere - shouldn't be underestimated when evaluating whether he is the right man to lead the club. In truth, we know he will be at the club as long as he pleases so there is little point in debating it. What I hope, certainly, is that he uses the disappointing end to the season as an opportunity to learn. For a man with his professorial reputation, it's strange that he is so blinkered to the failings of the club. Here's to a summer of changes to staff and personnel, and a team ready to kick on and stay healthy, rather than the one that hinted at so much before it succumbed to old failings yet again.