A few other gripes: Whoever is our fitness coach should be shown the door. And Osman should not be allowed anywhere near the first team.

Rant over.

You've pretty much summed it up. I thought after 55 minutes we offered nothing, and it was a question of when, not if, Arsenal would peg us back.

I agree about bringing someone like Besic on to see the game out. I would've brought Atsu on when Pienaar was crocked, just for his pace. Had we got the 3rd goal, I think Arsenal would've collapsed, but the pundits often call 2-0 a dangerous score, as when they get one back, their tails are up and the other team often becomes nervous – just like today. As it was, it looked almost as if our players were deliberately avoiding passing to Atsu!

Naismith MotM for me.

Losing Pienaar early was a bit of a blow – as a result, Osman came on very early and he was also running on empty in the last 15 minutes. McGeady should have started instead of Mirallas – he would have surely buried the 1-on-1 chance that came his way in the 1st half.

The positives were Lukaku's effort and sublime pass to set up the 2nd goal, and the more I see Naismith, the more I like him. He and Lukaku will form a good partnership for us and score a lot of goals between them. We do badly need 1 more striker – Welbeck will be a fantastic signing for us, if that ever happens (unlikely, I know).

Although the two results are bitterly disappointing, in the context of the entire season, I think valuable lessons would have been learnt by the coaching staff and the players. I am taking the Martinez view of things here, to overcome the disappointment.

I think it was just tiredness that caught up with us because I didn't really see any change in shape, in trying to protect our two-goal lead. Every time they attacked second half, we kept three players up and I was surprised that Martinez never tried to shore things up, because that seemed the most obvious thing to do, to me.

That said, some of the football we played was quite magnificent! And will hopefully only get better when the squad gets closer to proper match fitness.

I agree with your MotM; I found it hard to split them as well, with Naismith fast becoming the modern day Alan Harper!

I always enjoy your write-up ken, and your writing, but did you know the term 'Get Down To The Nitty-Gritty' is racially on the knuckle and has been banned by the police?

To "get down to the nitty-gritty" means to get down to basics, or the bottom line. This comes from the days of slave ships from Africa. The prettiest African women were put down in the hold were they were naturally covered in grit and nits (lice) for the sailors to use as sex slaves.

'Getting down to the Nitty Gritty.' The police have banned officers from using the term.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1988681.stm

I can't believe how much Distin has lost off his game. I thought Jags had his moments yesterday; unfortunately he also had some less than stellar moments as well.

Very worried about Rom's foot.

Pre-season was poorly constructed, I know we had the World Cup but for goodness sake in 2 years we'll have the European Championships, does it mean we 'll only bit fit and ready every other season?

Two tricky games to start and 2 points; not a great start, but certainly shouldn't be looked at as disappointing either in my opinion.

If that is not seen as disappointing (to put it mildly), then it goes against 'Nil Satis' as far as I'm concerned and is accepting of mediocrity and 5th / 6th place. Stuff that!

For those who say, "It's still early days" — that is totally irrelevant. The season starts in August. Chelsea and Man City won't be trundling along with their holiday heads on because it's still warm outside. They will be match fit and out to grab every point they can.

It's 4 points dropped and that might cost us at the end of the season — just like they cost us last season.

I like the 'beautiful game' but not at any cost. There comes a point when we have to be more savvy in our approach. Professionalism, park-the-bus or whatever — we have to be more ruthless in closing out games and taking points.

Easier said than done, I know, but a lot easier when you're in the lead (which we were in both games) and if you're match fit.

Worse teams than us beat Arsenal last season and worse teams than us will beat Leicester this season.

The points dropped yesterday was as much down to us as it was to Arsenal. Still, it’s early days. This time last year, we were even less convincing... so onwards and upwards.

As for the fitness issue, well, it really shouldnt be one. If the other 19 clubs in the league can manage to put a shift in for 90 mins, why can’t we??

Then he talks about being 2-0 up being dangerous. WTF! No, that should be a good thing. What does he want us to win games 10-0? Maybe we might be able to win the game 10-9 if we did go 10 up with 5 mins to go.

I think he lives in a world where the beautiful game always comes through. He reminds me of Tele Satanna, the 1982 Brazil manager. Very naïve. Maybe... and it's a big maybe. He might change his philosophy next season and be a bit more pragmatic.

We did park the bus – that was part of the problem; our experienced defenders just didn't do their job very well.

If someone had said before the match we would be 2-0 up after 83 mins, I would have said it was unlikely, wouldn't you?

Coleman was letting Arsenal cross at will from his side. I thought the cross for their first should have been cut out, it looked a bit soft from our perspective. Same for their second, they were allowed to cross the ball again and it was a beauty, just dropping perfectly for Giroud who caused us lots of problems when he came on.

We are looking vulnerable at the back in the matches I have seen this season, maybe old father time has caught up with Jags and Distin!

As far as the failure to use Besic as a substitute is concerned, we don't know what goes on behind closed doors, there could be reasons why he wasn't brought on that we don't know about.

All going well in all competitions, we could potentially be involved in 60-plus games, off the back of a World Cup. Roberto said after the game 'where we are in the season', that to me sounds like there was a plan not to run the players into the ground over pre-season and work them into a season with lots to play for a bit more conservatively than the previous regime.

Allied to the smallish squad we have and sadly some players more susceptible to injuries than others, I do think there are some long-term plans in place for the business end of the season. Granted we need to add a few more players between now and a week Monday, and I think we will.

Again, as frustrating as yesterday was, the performances of McCarthy and Naismith were first class. With a ¾-fit Mirallas and Rom, and losing or most creative player within 10 mins, we still were better than Arsenal for 80 mins.

Fitness will come, along with results and hopefully that elusive trophy!! COYB

I agree with most it was clear we needed to shore up our right and a change to 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 would have done this and still offered a counter-attacking option as they were throwing players forward. We just couldn't get hold of the ball for long enough, hence we tired with all the chasing. IMO.

On the whole, despite another disappointing result, we have to be optimistic after that display.

As I say, I may be wrong in just pinning it on Seamus, if I am I apologise to him.

Last week, he ran out of gas; this week, he was taken off due to a toe injury. In both instances, changing the dynamics of the game. Since we do not have a striker of similar ability on the bench, I agree with those who have suggested that Besic, not McGeady, is the answer to protect a lead when Romelu’s shift is done.

I am all for RM and his attacking philosophy – it is great to watch and had we got the 3rd we wouldn't be having this debate, but he admits we looked tired last 15 mins, which is why I didn't understand the last sub. Besic/Stones for Osman IMO and shore it up down our right, play 4 across the middle. Ossie I thought did well, but had run himself out.

ps: This is not hindsight, we discussed this in our area with 10 mins to go !!

Just to come back on your point, I did state 'professionalism, park-the-bus or whatever' rather than simply one way.

It's obviously up to the manager to decide how we play, read the game and make the appropriate changes, right?

And I also mentioned that it's 'easier' said than done rather than 'simple'. But winning has to be 'simpler' when 2-0 up towards the end of the game, surely?

Whatever people may think about letting the Arse back into the game in the second half (which we did, in my view) and Roberto making a mistake with his subs (which were questionable), at the end of the day we would not have lost had it not been for some truly poor defending, mainly from Distin.

If you look at the first goal, there is no Arsenal player in a threatening position in the box just before the cross comes in – Ramsey makes a run and Distin doesn't even notice and doesn't even move. Had he ran towards the goal when he saw Ramsey moving in, the ball doesn't get to Ramsey. Poor.

As for the second, we all saw it. A decent defender doesn't let the guy get a header away. Lots of positives, though and a good report once again, Ken. Thanks!

And McCarthy for Captain!

We played some wonderful football against Arsenal and will not win every game playing as open as we do but the fact is we will entertain and play the game as it's meant to be played.

COYB. Long live the School of Science!!!