After witnessing what can only be described as a total shambles at Bramall Lane, maybe it is time Messrs Wenger and Dein to reconsider their positions on transfer window signings.

Yet again we have been out-battled by a team that is willing to do little more than chase and harass for 90 minutes in the hope that they get a chance to pinch a goal.

When are we going to learn that you have to earn the right to play by scrapping and battling before attempting to play any sort of "champagne" football?

It is time for some of the egos on the pitch to realise that the fans won't always put up with this type of show.

Chelski have proved recently that if you do not have sufficient quality cover in your squad then you will get punished as seen by the absence of John Terry and Petr Cech recently.

Clichy and Senderos both need to take a good hard look at themselves and as for Aliadiere, he simply isn't good enough.

We are currently committing the cardinal sin - especially across the back four - of constantly playing the ball back into the same hole from where it came making it easy for the opposition to close down and make life difficult. How many times have we seen Clichy get caught trying to turn a man 30 yards from goal by the touchline because someone has given him a ball back that he has just played. All this comes from lack of movement and belief elsewhere on the pitch.

We certainly missed Adebayor and Djourou in Sheffield but that is only the surface of the problem, our midfield is too lightweight and too slow at distributing the ball when they receive it. The Premiership doesn't allow you to have enough time on the ball to do what you want. Vieira was a class act at shielding the ball from an oncoming opponent and riding the tackle before turning away into the space left behind and starting a break. Neither Cesc nor Gilberto seem capable of mirroring this.

We play too slowly at the moment allowing teams to build two rows of four or five in front of us making it difficult to break through. If the first two or three passes are made quickly teams tend to be cut open. I hate to say it but take a look at Man Utd so far this season, under the cosh at places like Wigan but able to break extremely quickly and punish them.

Mr Wenger, faith is fine but blind faith is irresponsible. We urgently need a world class midfielder who can dictate the flow of a game especially against the so-called more physical sides. Act now before it becomes yet another scramble for fourth place.