We can make all sorts of excuses for “The Bolton Debacle” but let’s get some things straight. Whether playing 3-5-2 or 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 you have to attack the ball when defending, it has nothing to do with the playing system. The first goal was a typical goal that we concede against Bolton every single season. They love playing against us (but you notice how easily Mr Araldite rolls over against “Sir”, yet feeds his “Artisans” with raw meat when they play us). One of my first sporting memories was Henry Cooper after beating Brian London for the umpteenth time being asked about a rematch. His reply was, “Oh come on if I beat him again I ‘ll have to put him on my mantelpiece.” I think Mr Araldite feels the same way, when the season starts he ticks off the games where he thinks he will get something and we are first down for a point away and a cert three at home.

The reason is simple. Wenger now believes in playing only one way. He never used to, he would mix it when he needed and he had the players to do so, but the drive for perfection has left us high on skill but very short on real grunt!

The goal conceded against West Ham was typical of our lack of real midfield strength, Flamini won the tackle but did not have the strength to prevent Etherington from getting up and reclaiming the ball. And let’s face it Mr E is no heavyweight.

Wenger could always harness Adams and Keown to “slap down” any upstarts who fancied it and with Vieira in front of them the first twenty minutes were the old fashioned “let them know you’re there” and then let the skill take over. Now it has to be all football or nothing.

Bolton’s first goal was naivety in the extreme, Cesc decided he would stand next to Davies in the six yard box, doing exactly what Bolton wanted, to block off our goalkeeper. It is basic Leeds United in the 60s and 70s tactics and by standing beside the carthorse it doubled the effect; the ball could now be delivered with our goalkeeper a virtual spectator. Someone should have pushed Cesc away and left Davies as an obvious free kick for obstruction. After that Anelka had his one game of the season and no doubt will be transferred in January (his second goal would normally have seen him flagged for offside and to be fair he was just off, but after having to look after Phillip & Gael all afternoon Kolo was a bit out of position). We then proceeded to try to dismantle the Bolton goal by hammering the ball against the woodwork.

For contributors to the Gooner who feel we should play three at the back - I would argue we only played two at the back, with Senderos and Clichy having absolute nightmares. That said I doubt Arsene will ever play 3-5-2 although there are definitely some merits to playing that way given the mobility of Gallas and Toure.

The choice is simple for our away games. Do we play with “brick sh*thouse” type players (we would have to buy two or three) or do we try to pass teams to death? I will still settle for the latter every time, because to beat teams like Bolton we would have to play like them. No bloody thanks, let the team develop, let the lessons be learnt and who knows, one day a natural goalscorer may stumble into the team leaving Bolton on the end of the real tonking everyone says we are going to give a team one day. Please God next April.

As a final point Bolton’s next game is against Chelsea and as Chelsea play more like Bolton than Bolton do, I expect Chelsea to take the points; you can almost hear John Terry smacking his lips at the prospect of 90 minutes of head tennis. Let the games begin!