So Arsene was making noises about being able to catch the top two, eh? Well, let’s take a reality check. The Blackburn game could as easily finished 3-3 as 6-2 whilst the win at Watford looked for all the world like being a draw on Boxing Day. But if The Gunners rode their luck in those two matches, the fans were due a convincing display against Sheffield United and got nothing of the sort.

It’s difficult to find the words to describe the performance without slipping into the kind of profanities favoured by arseblog. But one thing that struck me yesterday was the manager’s body language. The anger seemed to have gone, replaced by resignment. The game’s up. Even he cannot believe in this squad of players anymore as being able to challenge for trophies.

Credit to Sheffield United for doing what they do best, but in all fairness, their technical level was not dissimilar to a pub team. Granted they were fitter, but there was little in the way of sophistication to outwit Arsenal. Which just exposes how bad we were. That the visitors could not even adapt their game once the United keeper was replaced in goal by an outfield player says plenty. Where were the long range shots with predatory players running in for rebounds?

Here are a list of players that should not be in Arsenal’s first team squad. Hoyte, Flamini, Baptista, Aliadiere. Reason – simply not good enough. I am not blaming these four for the Bramall Lane fiasco, as no one came out of the game with any credit, especially senior pros like Lehmann (the madness has returned full on) and Toure. In fact the more established players were more culpable than the others because they should have helped the team to settle by demonstrating their own maturity and remaining unaffected by a hostile crowd and determined opponents.

As for Wenger’s third great team in the making. Well the first two would have had little problem getting a result in this kind of encounter, and the steel required to earn results in Premiership away matches against dogged opposition is nowhere to be seen. Where is the attitude of the likes of Keown, Parlour, Winterburn? That Arsenal’s closest thing to an ‘enforcer’ seems to be the diminutive Cesc Fabregas says it all. As at Fulham, he was brought on to try and turn the situation around but by that time the opposition was firmly entrenched in their bunker and not coming out to play. The Beast looks the part physically, but let’s face it, as a mate of mine describes him, ‘the pussy’ is a more appropriate nickname. Never thought I’d say this back in September, but Real Madrid seem to have got the better of the swap deal with Reyes.

As for Robin van Persie, stop falling down like a sack of sh*t every time someone touches you. Sometimes, I feel like what this bunch needs is a half time team talk from Gordon Ramsay. Where are your bollocks?

2006 has been a year of highs and lows, but the lows have revealed one thing. Arsenal are no longer equipped to win the Premiership. They can take on sides who fancy their chances against them, but are unable to win the ugly games where the right to play has to be earned first, with physical resilience. Their football no longer has the variety to adapt to changes and one thing Arsene has little reputation as is a tactician. Be it 4-1-4-1, 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, one thing is consistent. A passing game with not enough penetration and too much poor finishing from the limited number of clear cut chances that are created.

Success in Europe is a possibility if the finishing improves, although in fairness, I doubt Arsenal will enjoy the requisite slice of fortune they got last season in their run to Paris. Certainly they will not meet any teams like Sheffield United, and with two extra subs allowed, there sure won’t be any repeats of a defender taking the keeper’s jersey. That Phil Jagielka had only one save of note to make in his half an hour between the sticks is the biggest condemnation of The Gunners’ performance yesterday.

The transfer window opens on Monday. Arsene Wenger has little in the way of steel in his squad, as the visit to Sheffield ironically confirmed. Time to get the chequebook out and buy some instead of sending pussies out to do the jobs of men.