From Bob Wilson down, people say that a top goalie must have presence. Instead, ours give presents. Issue 207 of The Gooner is replete with articles including negative comments about our two Number 1s. Normally wary of consensus on any topic, I can only nod in resigned agreement on this “ishooo”. Also normally an AKB (Arsene Knows Best), on this matter I cannot make head nor tail of his thinking or tactics. Before the transfer deadline, he was quoted on the Club’s website that one of our four ‘keepers would go out on loan, which seemed obvious. (Brentford must have been praying they’d get Szczesny back after last season’s heroics. I went to see him three times.) Yet all four are in situ. Why?

White Hart Lane was a great “double” result, or so I thought: a 4-1 victory AET and another Fabianski howler for the already burgeoning album. Another “life” lost, surely? But no! According to Arsene, he did well to get a touch on Keane’s shot. I despaired. Seeing things from another perspective, a Gooner mate questioned Fabianski’s positioning, believing had Keane gone the other side he’d have scored easily. As if to attempt to throw the pack off scent, Arsene stated that Keane was offside. In this context, the goal’s legitimacy is totally irrelevant; a bit like saying a cricketer can be excused dropping a dolly catch off a no-ball.

The cricket analogy can be extended to WBA’s second. Having conceded a penalty and a goal, the latter courtesy of lamentable defending by Sagna, Almunia tried to gather Jara’s shot with a fielder’s long-barrier. In a cricket match he’d have only conceded a boundary and four runs. Before the Baggies’ opener I could see them winning. Mourinho is never afraid to make radical changes at half-time, sometimes earlier. He’d not have waited until two down to introduce Wilshere and Rosicky. But Arsene also has his formulas for substitutions. If he was looking to shield Jack from pressure and limelight, it failed spectacularly. Incidentally, the Club’s match report does not ascribe yellow cards to Almunia or Koscielny; it was an equally bad day at the office off the field.

Back to my favourite Arsenal goalkeeper, without wishing to damn with faint praise. On Thursday my heart leapt on reading the headline: “Szczesny does deserve his chance”. Reading on, though, Mannone does also and he remains ahead of Szczesny in Arsene’s goalkeeping queue. My heart sank. If this Pole signs a pre-contract agreement with another club in January, as he’ll be entitled to do, by way of saying ‘Up Yours, Arsene’, in a fit of pique, I’ll not blame him.

One final point to ponder. Had Chelsea won their lunchtime clash at Eastlands, we’d have been seven points behind at kick-off. Arsene would doubtless have discussed the pressure it added to our match. However, I ask rhetorically, were our players afraid to close the gap to a mere point?