The dust is settling on the doused fire that was an exceptionally poor performance at Old Trafford. Whether it was the worst in Arsene’s tenure remains to be seen – perhaps on English soil but for some reason the capitulation in Donetsk or the single goal defeat in Turin in the Champions League seem to stick equally badly in this blogger’s throat.

There is a collective responsibility for the performance and Arsene is criticised in this morning’s Sun by Steve Howard which like many seeks to sensationalise the defeat, suggesting that the manager’s decision to field two ‘novice’ full backs was a tactical ‘flight of fancy’. The truth of the injuries was neatly sidestepped by Howard and the psychological aspect overstated. Were that the case, the squad would not have bounced back from the drubbing at Tottenham. The determination to right that particular wrong showed the mental strength that the players have – it was a similar team on Saturday as on that night – and they are fortunate that the coming week is not for internationals; fall off a bike? Get back on straight away and ride it as the saying goes.

Gilberto may have been substantially below par on the pitch but he has shown the correct attitude for the rest of the squad to follow,

We must bounce back if we want to achieve something. We need to look forward to the next game against Milan

As for warning Nani that he should not have ‘showboated’ well, sorry, to me that does not cut any ice. How often do we do that against teams? Most weeks. OK we may not juggle the ball in our half facing our goal but we think nothing of stringing twenty or more quick-fire passes together, knowing that it is taunting the opposition as if we were in the Plaza del Torros. Indeed, had United been the Matador, they would have been given both ears, the horns, hooves, tail and anything else that was hanging around for their performance. The simple fact is that the players got a bitter taste of their own medicine and did not like it.

The harsh lesson though is self-control and petulant kicks do not display that, nor blatant dives. Despite Gilberto’s assertion – “it was important for us that we didn’t lose control and lose another man” – we were lucky not to finish with nine men. As for Eboué, calls for him to be summarily dismissed are wide of the mark. But not too wide. Arsene will no doubt deal with him sternly and it may be that he will be sold in the summer but right at this moment in time, there has to be a place for him in the squad simply because we do not have the luxury of numbers fit. He is not the best right midfielder in the world but with the tendency for strains and knocks that the current squad has, he will be appearing again in an Arsenal shirt this season.

Arsene sought to inject some humour into the situation,

“We don’t concede many goals but when we do, we do it well”. Asked what information about Arsenal the Milan scouts might relay to their coach, Carlo Ancelotti, Wenger smiled and said he would rather not be so masochistic

The defeat has sparked a fresh round of media navel-gazing, proclaiming that the pendulum has swung away from Arsenal. It is complete rubbish to state that at this moment in time. As Howard acknowledges in his piece, Wenger is a past master at remotivating teams. How often has the side lost to bounce back immediately during his reign. Rather more often than the prophesised disintegration.

It is of course, a testing time to support the club. Losing one big game and another route to a trophy limits those avenues. Instead of four, there are now two potential trinkets to be displayed; a third has a formidable obstacle barring its path to The Emirates. For the players, I suspect, the shameful nature of defeat is a spur rather than a block. It is the senior squad members who have to shrug off Saturday to lead their inexperience counterparts through the minefield to safety, re-assuring any stragglers that it was a ‘blip’, a ‘one-off’ – OK, it has happened twice this season but you get the drift.

For supporters, reactions to results are more extreme. A good win and you are world beaters; a bad performance, sack the lot of them, they are effing-useless. It’s the way of the football world. If the players need to bounce back from it, so do we and look forwards by gaining some perspective on the past.

Right, I’m off to face the Liverpool supporting Boss of mine. Which one of us will be more mentally scarred by the respective FA Cup exits? A quiet day awaits on that front. ‘til Tomorrow.