Arsenal 1 - 2 Man Utd: Well that was predictable, wasn't it...

Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error - Cicero

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results - Einstein

Before I start, I'd like to say that I've literally just got back from the game and seen no replays of anything. These are my views based on my seat in the Clock End Upper.

• The team selection: probably the best we could have hoped for. I was glad to see Chamberlain given a go from the start, espcecially since Utd have a left back in terrible form and a centre back/half at right back.
• We started at a decent pace, but it was clear from the off that it was not going to be Walcott's day. I don't know how many times he passed the ball directly to a ball boy, and his decision making was typically hopeless.
• The move where Jones got injured, Walcott got to the byeline and then drilled the ball along the goal mouth, where there were no red shirts. If he'd looked up and seen the space around the penalty spot, he'd have know that was the place to lay the ball off for the onrushing Ramsey to meet it. Even if no-one had met it, it would have been an intelligent use of the ball - and a failing of the midfield to support the attack.
• The midfield were second to every ball and were lacking any fluent passing. Ramsey has looked knackered for months and Wilshere can't come back fast enough. Song only plays well when under pressure, which (with Frimpong on loan and Coquelin injured) he isn't and Rosicky was decent enough but was typically parsimonious with the ball. I'd like to see more of the Little Mozart's creativity as a senior player in the squad.
• Whoever thought it'd be a great idea to lump the ball up to RVP as an out ball needs a slap. He did the best he could, with some fantastic control, but he'll always be better as a pivot, with the ball to his feet, finding midfield runners than as a typical no.9. When he goes in the summer, I'm sure we can get CarroLOL for cheap if that's how we want to play.
• Vermaelen was ok, but will be disappointed to have let Valencia get a run on him for the goal.
• Djourou is not a full back. This is clear. He's had enough games there to learn the basics, but he costs us time and time again with his failure to learn positional plays. If he realised Nani was doing him for pace, then he needs to stay back more. He doesn't block off the crosses and got wrong side countless times in the first half.
• That said, in mitigation, defending is a team activity and he should have his hand held by Mertesacker/Koscielny and recieve more protection from the wings - neither Walcott nor Chamberlain particularly helped out.
• I rate Yennaris over Miquel. He's got tenacity and a cool head. Gotta be in the side until Sagna/Santos get back for me.
• Szczesny had a good game - held everything and no real chance with either goal.
• Great start to the second half - lots of high tempo play, pressuring Utd from the front and forcing mistakes like the one from Evans....I'd have put my sister's future tuition fees on RVP burying that chance. Unbelievable.
• Our goal was fantastic - from the tackle by Koscielny to the long ball by Rosicky, Chamberlain's reverse pass and the finish from RVP. Someone in front (a Utd fan) blamed Rafael for being out of position - I think that's unfair. He'd got forward and the ball was transferred to the other end of the pitch and such pace that he had no chance to get back. Someone should have covered for him.
• Wenger needs to admit that he got it very wrong with the substitution. Chamberlain was our best player (and maybe on the pitch) and taking him off over Walcott shows there is a hierarchy in my eyes. It also killed any momentum we had, as did Rooney's feigning injury.
• Why Arshavin? He hasn't played well since 2010 in my mind. Benayoun offers as much going forward and works harder defensively....he wouldn't have let Valencia dance about like that. I think it's time to accept that the little Russian hasn't worked out and say thanks for that night at Anfield, best for the future.
• Park did very little, but that's still more than Chamakh.
• The crowd were subdued - both the Arsenal (surprise) and the Utd sections. I think it's the realisation that we're both at our weakest point for a generation.

On Utd:

• I thought they were reasonably comfortable without ever being good. The defence weren't really tested, and Carrick and Giggs will never have had as easy an afternoon against Arsenal as they did today. Nani owned Djourou first half and Valencia was solid. Welbeck is talented
• Rooney is a vile c*nt and goes above John Terry in the c*ntladder for me. I don't say that lightly. He is a hypocritical, whining thug with a inflated sense of self-worth. Little bits of sick actually come into my mouth thinking of the influence he might have at England training camps over Wilshere, Walcott etc. Odious prick, massive underachiever.
• Smalling looks class, Rafael is useless. When he got booked for fouling Walcott first half, I knew we'd get joy down his side. He's positionally suspect, rash in the challenge and lazy. Fergie was right to haul him off, and I can't imagine he's gonna have a long career at Old Trafford.

• From where I was, looked like Dean was up to his usual tricks. Booking Ramsey for a nothing tackle, RVP for complaining about the blatant timewasting by Evra. Do me a favour. And I think it was the Koscielny tackle that won nothing but ball - total joke.

I said before the game that whoever was less shit would win. I thought Utd probably shaded it, due to looking threatening when they went forward as opposed to our usual game of "after you - no, please, after you - no, really I inisist....". That said, if we'd rescued a draw, I'm not sure Utd fans could have complained too much.

Basically, we're hoping Chelsea implode worse than we do to crawl over the line into 4th. What a fantastic position to be in. All totally avoidable with decent squad planning. Get rid of the dross (Arshavin, Almunia, Denilson, Diaby, Squillaci etc), tell Djourou, Bendtner and Walcott that they if they improve, they'll get games (and a payrise Walcott, you greedy git. Try improving before you want £85k pw...) and if they don't want to wait, then they can leave.

Fill the holes with signings like Sagna, Arteta, Vermaelen - ie £7-10m players who don't have to be superstar names, but are solid professionals, with a mental strength and a determination not to piss away their 20 year dream career on a mock-Tudor home and an identikit WAG. I know that sounds a bit Football Managery, but I can't imagine that there aren't players out there who would improve the squad and not cost the earth - we found several this summer. That allows Ramsey, Wilshere, Chamberlain, Walcott etc to develop at the right pace and not be given too much responsibility too soon.

2012 is the crux - will the next 5 years see us fulfil the potential of the Emirates project and kick on, competing for trophies with the financially doped City, Chelsea etc? Or will we drop off, and become a Liverpool, living off memories and looking back to the glory days of yore.

I'll still be coming to the Emirates, still be singing and swearing and supporting my team. I just hope that the stadium is full of happy fans, and not half-full of despondent cynics.

Rant over, time for dinner