It's easy to say this in hindsight, but having just lost to ManUre and drawn 1-1 at Pompey, it is the age old adage "do not change a winning team" that springs to mind. As I write, the gaffer's rotation system does not seem to be bearing Premiership fruit: had Henry started against the Mancs, we may have been two nil up within the first thirty minutes and won the game or at least left Old Trafford with a point. And against Pompey, Hleb, Pires, Swiss Tony, the Fab-man and Eboue were all sorely missed. There just wasn't enough maturity in midfield, with Diaby starting brightly but fading and Song looking like a teenager in pyjamas who'd lost his chillum, Arsenal simply didn't look like, well, Arsenal in the second half. The team that seems to have found itself was mercilessly disbanded by the gaffer. Arsene tinkered a little too much for my liking and I would suggest he tinkers with one or at most two players at a time from the team I refer to as "Real Arsenal" if he doesn't want to break up the team spirit.

Of course Adebayor was the obvious villain, squandering some golden opportunities to put the game beyond Pompey and seal the three points. Whilst Reyes looked like half a not very intelligent Spaniard having a siesta for most of the game. Sol still doesn't look very comfortable on the ball (he'd rather run it out or dummy than actually touch the thing) and ended up with blood gushing all over the place, but it is the team selection and therefore AW that wrankles with me the most right now. There we were on a winning run, with 11 men (+ three subs) who seem to have been clicking rather nicely and the gaffer decides to get creative with the line-up. Sure we have a European semi -final coming up, but I reckon those 11 men who've been playing nice little triangles would have beaten the Mancs and Pompey (OK, four points) and could have then enjoyed a restful kickabout against West Brom at Highbury before going out and mullering Villarreal the following Wednesday. The point again being: Don't change a winning team!

I'd rather watch a slightly tired but happy Arsenal than a fit and deflated reserve team: I don't remember AW tinkering that much with the 49ers and if they went 49 games unbeaten, I reckon the team that I saw beat Madrid at the Bernabeu could go fifteen or so matches without dying on their feet. Sure, rotate, but only one or two players a match, Arsene! Of course I still hope that Everton can beat the Scum and we beat West Brom which would leave us in a healthier position come Saturday - but I reckon our chances would be much improved if AW didn't go industrial with his tinkering. Sure rest the Fab man and/or Hleb when they're tired - but don't take big chunks out of a winning Arsenal side. Should I run into him I will be giving Adebayor some indifferent looks as he swans around Hampstead High street if I end up paying a Scumbag £50 at the end of this season. In fact, I'll ask him for the f**king money! And Arsene will be forgiven if a) we win the Champions League (which after 34 years of supporting the Gunners I still don't believe we will) or b) we end up above the scum (which we have to or I'll lie in a hot bath and slit my wrists, leaving a suicide note written "to Arsene with love...")