I suffered watching Arsenal on Saturday when I should have just enjoyed it. By the time the game was safe, most of it was over, and I’d experienced torture. The reasons – Arsenal were so obviously superior and yet were in danger of throwing away two points through their inability to kill off their opponent once and for all. And the danger of that prevented me enjoying the football.

There was a stat shown after about 20 minutes. Arsenal had completed something like 132 passes, Bolton less than one per minute played. The other stat was Bolton 1 Arsenal 0. I simply couldn’t get my head around it. A week ago, I stated that Arsenal could afford to play four dustbins at the back if Emmanuel Adebayor could master staying onside, and it appeared as if William Gallas had decided to try out my suggestion at the corner from which Bolton took the lead. Arsenal need to learn how to defend set pieces much better than this or when the bigger opponents come, the consequences are obvious. How will this happen? Probably only a vast improvement in the concentration levels and attitude of William Gallas (also guilty at Fulham). Even then, Gael Clichy could have prevented the goal had he not drifted off his post.

The two subsequent Arsenal efforts that hit the woodwork finished me off. I can’t get angry about Song’s header, but coming so soon after the Adebayor effort, it did for me. The striker’s was the type of chance you simply have to put away. Ok, in the context of a 3-1 win, you can afford to miss them, but at the time, I couldn’t predict the visitors would even equalise, never mind go on to win. I felt so numb by the time Eboue finally got the leveller I couldn’t even celebrate. The game had stopped making sense. Over six times the number of completed passes in the first quarter of the game and my team were trailing due to their inability to do the basics at the back. That they then tortured me, once ahead, for the majority of the match by refusing to put any further distance between themselves and the very real danger of dropping two precious points, was twisting the knife.

I used to enjoy football. Why has it become so stressful now? When I first started going regularly, I’d be putting my faith in a front two of Perry Groves and Niall Quinn to beat Liverpool with Rush and Dalglish. And I enjoyed those games! For some reason, I am now suffering rather than enjoying some of the frankly marvelous football being played.

So Arsène has chosen not to buy re-enforcements. That’s the way it is. Denilson’s performance – and that of Song – and hell, even Eboue – were good enough to outclass Bolton at the weekend. Lest we forget at a venue where Henry, Pires and Vieira struggled often enough. Yes, Arsenal will face better teams, but for now, these guys have played a part in putting the club at the top of the table. Whether Fulham away will be proven to be an aberration remains to be seen. Cesc Fabregas cannot play every match this season after his exertions for Spain in Euro2008.

But winning, and even not losing as happened in Kiev last week, build confidence and that’s what’s needed now after the traumas of last season’s run-in. The possession football is sublime and this viewer needs to re-think his attitude to it. It won’t always end in goals, but it will often end in a chance. Not every one can go in. Whether enough do determines the season as a success or otherwise, but the one thing Arsenal will lose when the current manager departs is the sheer fantasy of the football.

So next time the frustration thing begins to creep up on me, I shall take a mental step back and remember the times I was happy enough to watch Groves and Quinn have limited impact on opposition defences and savour what I am watching. Sometimes you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone, and just now, we are being treated to some wondrous football.

Arsène’s doing it his way and the time for inquests will be if and when it’s proved a mistake. Until then, it’s time to get behind the boys. They are top of the table, and that’s as good as it gets. Points are going to be dropped in silly matches they shouldn’t, as has happened already to all of the self-perpetuating ‘top four’. What will really count for Arsenal are the encounters with their main title rivals. Until they start, then all they can do is keep winning and build confidence. If the manager believes in his players, then for now, we should suspend our own disbelief and join him on the journey.