Apologies for the long pause since last writing – I drafted a piece after the 2-2 draw with Manchester Utd only for my computer to bite the dust with all that lovely software unbacked up.

And back-up must be the theme of this View From Afar - great team but no back-up when it comes to strength in depth. Is this shades of 1999 – when the Times’ Simon Barnes said Arsenal had been the best team, but Man Utd had the best squad?

So, when last time I wrote that money was the driving force of today’s game, many of you disagreed with me. Your passion was moving and a friend of mine who knows these things told me that we probably do not want a former Eastern bloc businessman owning a club. I’ll leave it there.

More interestingly, Sir Evelyn de Rothschild whose family firm are Arsenal’s bankers among, now, many other clubs, told me at September’s Clinton Global Initiative in New York that football is now very much like the golden age of Hollywood. “Then,” he said, “Everyone wanted to be a media mogul.”

But, Arsene showed great style signing his contract and making transfer savings that paid his next four years’ salary themselves.

The passing game earlier this season was not of the Pires-Bergkamp-Henry variety but by the time we trawled Slavia Prague 7-0, it was looking quite good indeed and Liverpool holding us at Anfield showed that better clubs just don’t give that kind of space – a useful lesson for the following week’s 2-2 draw with Man Utd.

Really, still heading the Premiership by New Year was something to try and achieve and required the strength and courage of our convictions to go and win the Premiership. We ceded top place briefly before Ferguson’s men slipped up themselves.

However, is the lack of transfer spending during the summer and the arrogance not to indulge in January now be coming back to haunt us all?

We all know that the season is long and forcing Van Persie back too early has cost us dear. This showed the lack of rotation in our squad and the lack of depth has been telling, especially since Eduardo’s injury.

The signs were there earlier – the tired performance up at Middlesbrough that I watched from Bali over a Lakse and a Binteng in however many degrees of heat during the UN Climate Change Conference with two gentlemen from the Kenyan delegation.

The lack of depth in this match was telling - now without Hleb after his injury against Villa when he had just reached almost scintillating form. Admittedly, like the recent Birmingham match, Boro were awarded a penalty that really should have been given before we could step into our stride.

Yet, AC Milan, particularly away, show that much quality is still there and Saturday’s fight-back against Bolton was a great test of character.

Ultimately though, failure to win either the Premiership or the Champions League, and I’m sure there are many of us who feel we should really be doing both by now, cannot be tolerated much longer.

It would be three years since we won the FA Cup, hitherto unheard of on a penalty shoot-out with two Cup runners-up awards – admittedly both unlucky.

At the end of the day, the record book shows Arsenal firmly behind Liverpool and Manchester Utd on silverware. When I first started supporting Arsenal, somewhere around 1974/5 – the situation was vastly different.

There are two awkward questions to ask. How long can Arsenal continue to go trophy-less through the seasons? We have collected seven trophies under Arsene; George Graham achieved six in fewer seasons. The rewards for being runners-up in four Cup finals (two in Europe) and five times in the Premiership are starting to wear thin.

The second question is; while Arsene has admittedly been grooming good youth talent, has he been grooming anyone as coach to succeed him should he step down in the next four years?

On the youth talent: is it time to ditch the ones who aren’t consistently making the grade?

Diaby I would suggest is a contender for the exit list. Playing others more constantly such as Walcott and Denilson, is a must. Denilson needs to start more; playing him in centre-back would not be a bad idea or holding midfield in a 3-5-2 where he can play out to Cesc and Flamini. And a 3-5-2 of Clichy, Gallas, Touré, Sagna should allow for rotating the back four a little.

Also, Traore should be tried left midfield and not left-back. He is exciting coming forward but loses confidence through being no Gael Clichy when it actually comes to defending.