Regarding your recent online ed, I was freezing my proverbials off at Maidstone United v. Sutton United so had to rely on Match of the Day lowlights. But I didn’t really need to see the game to empathise with your match thoughts, especially the bit about being convinced of a 0-0 had Sunderland not scored.

Yet this is the weirdest thing of all. Why - I ask rhetorically - go hell-bent to “save a point” when a point these days is just not good enough? (Again, a draw = 2/3rds of a defeat!) The team, instead, should have been going similarly hell-bent to “save” two points when drawing for 86 minutes; these days, with Chelski etc. dropping very few points, winning all but the most difficult games is almost a necessity if we are to challenge seriously this year.

And that brings we to your other major comment: do (enough of) the players really want it badly? If it takes a 30 yard screamer - from a Geovanni or a Leadbitter - to get them to pull their fingers out, then this well-paid bunch of prima donnas are not going to cut it over 38 games against Chelsea and, yes, ManUtd, who seem to really want it, even if the latter do have to rely on getting refereeing decisions that routinely continue to go against us again this season.

I really don’t think the players are intimidated by Arsene in the way ManU players are by their manager. Ask yourself this: off whom would you rather receive a b*llocking? No contest, is it?

That all said, in 12 games this season we’ve conceded six goals, comprising three corners, one very dodgy penalty and two superb 25+ yard strikes, both contenders for goal of the season.

To summarise: I’m absolutely confused what to make of it all.