First things first. Both Arsenal and their fans need to hold their nerve at this key time. It is unquestionably vital that fourth place is secured and how the situation is handled by everybody between now and May 13th will determine whether that is achieved. Unlike 2006, at least our destiny is in our own hands.

This is turning out to be probably the most difficult campaign most Arsenal fans have experienced over the past ten years and indeed probably will over the next ten. Heavy on frustration for reasons that are beyond our control, or were inevitable, or (granted) in some cases self-inflicted.

Booing the team off after the first defeat at the new stadium was a genuine expression of how many felt. You pays your money, you takes your choice. Those booing have the freedom to do that, although it’s not something I think does much good for anyone. What strikes me is that some of those who are most frustrated have been watching Arsenal a long, long time. They have seen the bad times – far, far worse than this. And their reactions are amongst the most extreme. Pretty much ‘Wenger out’. Perhaps this kind of frustration is a consequence of age, the tolerance level lessens in some and it’s probably more healthy to express the rage within (although witnessing it I fear cardiac arrest is imminent). Myself, I put a limit on how much I will let external events I have absolutely zero control over affect my emotional state. I am over even the worst defeats in 24 hours.

There are undoubtedly issues that need addressing. Some will require the board (or a new owner) to release funds, some should have been looked at a long time ago and were very much within the manager’s sphere of influence. The problem for the fans is that we are seeing a repetition of the same faults week in week out, and there doesn’t seem to be anything going on when the team are training to address these weaknesses.

There are times when I feel as if there is a curse at the new stadium. The deed of some anti-Arsenal construction worker who smuggled in his gypsy aunt one evening during the construction process. Ironically, there was a lot of West Ham graffiti at Ashburton Grove when the place was going up. Anyhow, the board need to take the bull by the horns and just get someone in to check for any kind of shenanigans. And if it needs George Graham to come in and pee on all four corner flags at midnight on Friday 13th, so be it. Okay, it’s like something off Living TV, but for those of you scoffing, think of your own matchday superstitions. I have one. I will only turn left when I reach the stairs that lead up to my seat from the entrance/exit. It worked until Saturday in that we never lost when I did this. I can turn right now!

There is no point in going into the various things that Arsene Wenger needs to consider to ensure that Arsenal scrape through into fourth place. You all know them and one has to imagine so does the manager. But key to the game on Saturday is that those fielded play as if their lives depend upon the result. That may not be the reality, but it’s the attitude that will be required. That kind of commitment will raise the crowd and create the kind of atmosphere that can really intimidate. If you watch the Valencia v Chelsea game on the box this evening, you will see the potential influence a crowd can have. Those that have watched the Gunners in the Mestalla will testify to that. They will have 55,000 there. With even more at Ashburton next weekend, let’s try and match them for volume. There may be a lot of things not right with Arsenal at the moment, but they are still our team. If passion is shown both on the pitch and in the stands, even the current difficulties can be overcome to gain the result we all seek.