Well, I don't think there can be a lot of surprise about that result. The simple fact is United, a bit like Chelsea, know exactly what they have to do to beat Arsenal. It's almost routine. They know how to exploit our weaknesses and nullify our strengths. It never fails to amaze me that other teams are capable of formulating and carrying out 'tactics' and yet we are not.

Arsene Wenger is a great manager in many ways, but tactical genius he ain't. When do we ever out-think the opposition? I bet the last words that are uttered as the team wander out is "play your game to your best ability, and we're bound to win." A nice philosophy, I suppose, but it looks a bit naive when it quite obviously doesn't work.

Man Utd were quicker and sharper to the ball, and when they defended they managed to close all the little gaps that Arsenal like to play into. As our team got more and more frustrated, we simply committed more and more men forward. A bit like a moth drawn into a flame. From there it's easy meat to run into all the spaces that are left behind. Thankfully, United aren't that great a side, otherwise we would have been stuffed.

The simple fact is that for all our possession, we never really looked like scoring. It's all very nice and pretty playing neat little one-twos in midfield, but while we're putting on a show, the opposition are lining up in defence. Whatever happened to the days when it took us no time at all to get from one end of the field to the other? Vieira? Henry? You must remember that. One minute we were tackling on the edge of our box, seconds later the ball was in the back of the net at the other end. It happened time and time again.

Chamakh may be a wonderful target man, but he doesn't attack the space behind the defence. On the odd occasion that he actually finds himself there, he virtually freezes. Perhaps his confidence needs a snood as well. You've only got to have Arshavin having another one of his quiet days, and then we're totally relying on Nasri performing some bit of magic. How else are we going to score?

United have always played wingers for as long as I've been watching them i.e. the early 60s. If they have one quality above all else, it is the ability to put in decent crosses. You can go back to Johnny Aston, George Best, Steve Coppell, Gordon Hill, David Beckham etc etc etc. The list is endless. We, on the other hand, are absolute crap in this department, relying on two full backs who may as well be playing with a club foot. We also don't defend well against crosses ourselves. Don't you think Ferguson knows that?! Clichy against Nani? Sagna against Anderson? Accidents waiting to happen. Gael Clichy is not without talent, but he still plays like a 17 year old. Be honest, if you didn't know Arsenal you would assume he was a youth team player being given a game because he showed a bit of promise. Is there such a word as 'nousless'. The point is he isn't a kid anymore.

Squillaci is neither fish nor fowl. Not strong enough to win the first header. Not quick enough to do the covering. This is hardly surprising as he has played all his football in leagues where teams don't rely on unrelenting running and physical strength. The other bloke might learn, being younger, but you have to put him in with someone who knows what they're doing. A clean sheet is never on the cards, even when we've got complete control of the game.

Any positives? Not many. The young Polish lad (I can't spell his name either, and I can't be arsed to Google it) looks promising. His kicking was a bit wayward, but that can be worked on. What comes across is his confidence. He actually looks as if he feels he belongs there, and that is half the battle. It looked to me at one stage as if he was even bollocking the defence (where do you start on that one?!). Almunia and Fabianski, on the other hand, appear like they've almost wandered on the pitch by accident, as if Jim had somehow magically fixed it for them. Sadly, that attitude simply doesn't work in professional sport.

The other big plus is the fact that we are still in the title race. Amazing, eh? I am talking mathematically, of course. Don't hold your breath. We're nowhere near good enough.