I wasn’t at the game. I didn’t watch MOTD. I have heard however that our esteemed manager can’t explain the defeat to West Brom.

Let me help you Arsene: such a defeat was entirely predictable. If it didn’t happen against West Brom, it would have happened against some other team. Indeed, I’ll lay a pound to a penny that it will happen again this season, at least once, and probably more than once.

Why was the defeat and performance against WBA predictable? Well, to quote the meerkat, simples. Too many players in our squad are not good enough, mentally tough, tactically aware, street wise, consistent and disciplined to win the Premier League. They are not as good as Arsene thinks they are; they have not been good enough for a good few years. Last year, after particularly dire performances by Messrs Almunia, Diaby and Eboue cost us three points at Manure, I suggested we would never win the league with these three in the team. I stand by that view.

I haven’t been to a game yet this season (I share some season tickets and my first game in this season’s allocation is actually not until the Spurs game); normally I would get tickets one way or another to a few games before my turn comes to use the season tickets, but this year I haven’t. Why? Because I am tired of seeing our goalkeepers make the same mistakes time and time again and because I am tired of this squad flattering to deceive.

Even without Cesc and RvP, and with Rosicky and Wilshere on the bench, there should have been enough out there to win against WBA. But there wasn’t. Maybe it was just a bad day at the office, but I doubt it.

I write this before I expect Manure to get three points at Bolton. To win the Premier League this year, we will have to take at least 4 points off both Chavski and Manure, and re-find the kind of consistency the optimists amongst us thought we had established this season, cutting out the sloppy performances that have seen us take one point from six against Sunderland and WBA. Defeat at home to WBA should be a wake-up call to Arsene, and the team. This coming week has two tough away games, in Belgrade and then at Chelsea. The minimum we have to come away is two draws. Can’t see it myself – but then again, I have had rather a lot of rather fine Cornish ale today. Certainly far better than the “beer” on sale at the stadium.

Footnote –

Wenger can't explain the defeat to WBA - here's an answer…

"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.”

So wrote William Shakespeare many moons ago.

The thing is that while Cesc and Jack Wilshere were born great, and while players like Gibbs, Nasri and Chamakh may well achieve greatness one day, too many of the rest of the team, especially the current keepers and full backs, can’t cope with the greatness that Wenger has thrust upon them. What is more, they are afraid. That is why there will be more performances like the defeat to WBA.