I have always had a greater affinity with Arsenal when things go wrong than when everything is going our way, it’s the Swindon/Nayim/Luton/Wrexham and now Sol Campbell thing, the test of character comes from adversity. Arsene Wenger’s handling of the media during the week has been a lesson in crisis defusing. Our manager has no problem staring down the barrel of any gun and when he decided to rest Pires, Berkamp and Van Persie for the Birmingham game (true he had no choice with the defence), I and many others, (including some of our players) felt some older heads were needed for the battering they were going to get from certain players in the Brum line up. However Arsene, who has the most single minded thought process at the club, seems to want to cram three seasons into one for our young starlets to give them that “battle hardening” required for the final end of season push.

The facts are he does not panic, he insists these players are good enough and I admire that great self belief that is crucial in difficult times. I really think that 4th place is all he is concerned with now (Champions League success remains only a fading dream), I believe that we will achieve it due to a crucial factor in his selection of players to wear the redcurrant, sorry the red of Arsenal. We are now engaged in a run in with our old enemy and if you thought it was Chelsea or Man U you really hated the next few months will change that viewpoint, I will welcome it as I always believed in the adage “To thy own self be true”

I had the misfortune to run into an old work colleague from the wrong end of the Tottenham High Road and he, a man of nearly 50, took great delight in singing the new Sol Campbell song, rather nonplussed at the venom he generated, he kept berating me “Where’s Sol eh, where’s Sol?” I replied that he is probably somewhere safe counting his medals and that seemed to do the trick. That unsavoury encounter got me thinking about the next few months and our battle for the 4th spot and the following crossed my mind.

Why did AW not buy Robinson, Carrick, Jenas, Defoe, Keane, Routledge, Lennon and Huddlestone? The answer I believe is because all of them played with teams that eventually were relegated (some of these players may be exempt but I hope you see my point - perhaps you can name some others). It leaves players with doubts, doubts that came out against Grimsby and Leicester and are likely to appear when their team is expected to win. These players are yet to be really tested, Robinson with England may be different, but the other players, when everything else is equal will know deep inside that they were not good enough to prevent their team from relegation and that doubt leads to crucial mistakes and indecision that loses matches. The final eight to ten games will decide 4th place and as I can’t name any of our players who have been relegated with any team it should be enough to see us home. You could argue that Joe Cole at Chelsea has not been affected by relegation. My reply would be £140 million removes quite a bit of self doubt and that is why on the subject of self doubt I can see Arsene being helpful and very understanding with Sol Campbell, but will he use the same yardstick when deciding Sol’s future as he would in the transfer market?

Had Sol come out in the second half against West Ham and headed an equalizer and then gone on to shore up the back to see us home with a point or three, there may be no need for any discussion, AW’s decision now, is does he treat this player the same way as he handled Paul Merson's problems, a cure, a run in the team and then departure, or does he rebuild his confidence and gain another great four years of service from a player who is still one of the best defenders in the country. Whilst moving Sol on would be callously hard and a great shame for the club and for the player who has withstood more than most of us could handle, Arsene has to protect the ambitions of his young players. When engaging in character building for a team, young players do not want to hear a great World Cup defender calling for the lifeboats long before the iceberg has been seen.

The talk of Sol’s return against Bolton is the start of both options, whatever decision AW makes we must continue to support our troubled player.