A crowd of approximately one hundred, mainly men, gathered menacingly in North London early last week. Evicted five years ago from their lovely, Grade II listed home, with its beautiful multi-award-winning lawns, this disparate and desperate group have long felt disenfranchised, individually and collectively, without a voice. Prices have risen in the interim and are set to continue onwards and upwards, further widening the gap between themselves and the London elite. Whilst others had silverware to behold, this group could merely dream of even a modest cup. Weighing 10-stone dripping wet, I sensed trouble and there wasn’t a policeman in sight – there seldom is when you want one. In the end, the Arsenal Independent Supporters’ Association’s (AISA’s) Q&A with chief executive Ivan Gazidis went off (or, rather, didn’t go off) without casualties. Ivan was his usual methodical self, part politician, part Arsenal fan, bending like a willow tree, a friend to all. The right man for his difficult, thankless task, we should remember that he’s not a miracle-worker. Ditto Arsene.

Gazidis told one anecdote of the recent “successful” Far East tour – commercially successful, I infer - to emphasise the depth and breadth of Arsenal’s fan base that surprised even him and is well worth sharing. In Malaysia – presumably Kuala Lumpur – one fan broke through a security cordon and approached one of the Arsenal entourage with pen and paper, requesting a signature. His target told the fan he was not a player. “I know, you are Gary O’Driscoll, team doctor”. Respect. And no more denigrating “tourists” with cameras at home matches, pretty please; the target of your ire may just know a tad more about our Club than you do.

“Where has your captain gone?” I haven’t heard that one for almost a decade, when I joined in the serenading of Spuds’ supporters. The song didn’t top the charts, but Sol Campbell most certainly did. Don’t be surprised if we are taunted similarly, by all and sundry, over the coming months. What goes around… And don’t be surprised if Cesc becomes a popular hit in Spain before the rain falls on the plane. He’ll also enjoy a pay increase coupled with lower tax rates. His airmiles will diminish and HM Revenue & Customs, losing one of their best “clients”, will get 52% of nothing. Well done, politicos.

On the pitch, concern continues to concentrate on our porous defence. True, fewer leads have been lost at Crufts, but the midfield worries me even more. At Newcastle we were without three of our top midfielders through injuries, real and imagined. Jack’s got a special boot, apparently. And as for U2 want-aways, Samir and Fab, part of me will be relieved when we have “closure” and both have departed. Frankly, it’s gone beyond mere embarrassment.