As a result of that belief, I still felt quietly optimistic about the game against Fulham and seeing the Arsenal fulfil my own personal wish for them to finish third this year. After what happened down at the Cottage on Wednesday though, I have, for the first time this season, seriously felt the need to think again.
No disrespect to Fulham. I'm not a massive fan of Chris Coleman by any means but I do have a soft spot for the club he manages. In fact, I have said more than once on this website that Fulham have underachieved in the Premiership over the last few years in my opinion and I stand by that to this very day.
Nevertheless, what I saw unfold on Wednesday was a sobering in the extreme personally and for a number of reasons. You see, it was not so much the fact that we got beaten but the WAY we got beaten – and where. I could understand it if we were playing away at Anfield, Old Trafford or even to a lesser degree, the Reebok. We don't have a particularly great record overall at any of those venues down the years and the partisan atmospheres that these grounds often generate almost encourage the home team to come forward and put you under the cosh more often than not.
Did I anticipate that the Arsenal would be put to the sword by Fulham, that's right, Fulham, at Craven Cottage? Err, no! But that's exactly what happened and for the first time this season, I found myself having little choice other than to hold my hands up and admit that we also got exactly what we deserved – nothing.
Being beaten by a certified bogey side like Bolton is one thing. Being beaten so emphatically at a venue where we have invariably felt reasonably comfortable playing over the years by a club that have failed to beat us in the league in 40 years is another. It may have proved to be a momentous night for Fulham fans but, there is a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that it was a symbolic night for the Arsenal as well – and not for the right reasons either.
Because, if Wednesday night was anything to go by, the fear factor that the lesser lights in the Premiership may have once had when it came to playing us does not seem to be there. Instead, there is a feeling that if you're canny enough, tactically cute enough or just genuinely bloody minded enough in your approach, the Arsenal are a side that can be got at.
There comes a time when you simply can't make any more excuses and, proud as I am to be a Gooner, I've got to the stage where the kid gloves have to come off.
Both before the start of the season and on several occasions since, I said on this very website that I didn't think we would win the league this year. And I will say to you all again that the reason for my thinking wasn't anything to do with the likes of ManUre and the Phoney Russian Franchise being vastly better than us as such but it was more to do with the fact that the current squad was nowhere near being ready for it yet. For all that, I didn't expect us to be out of contention barely a month after the clocks officially went back.
I also told you all that for me, this season was not so much about winning the title but it was more about two questions – what did we learn from last years campaigns both at home and abroad? And how much desire was there in the squad to improve on what we did at home and abroad?
I didn't expect to find the answers to those questions until well into the latter half of the season but again, after Wednesday's game, I cannot help feeling that I am already far closer to knowing the answers to those questions than I ever thought I would be - and believe me, I don't take one bit of pride in saying that at this moment in time.
By nature I'm not one of life's pessimists but for all the youthful potential we have at our disposal and all the hopes we all share that one day soon, Wenger's wonderfully intentioned footballing philosophy will conquer all once again, the proof (certainly with this current squad) is there for all to see that at this moment in time we are anything but good enough to be anywhere near where we want to be.
Arsene talked about the moment of truth arriving for his team. The sad thing is that, if the truth didn't hit home last Saturday, it sure as hell must have at Craven Cottage. I'm not saying that, come January for example, we should suddenly start pretending that we are the Phoney Russian Franchise, start spending £100 million plus every year and operate on a blatantly false economy.
That is ridiculous. We haven't had to resort to going down that kind of road in order to gain success in the last 75 years or so and why should we start now? But, if we are to arrest the current slide we are on, we have to address what appears to be underlying issues as to where we want to go as a club, both on and off the pitch and we need to do it fast. Because I get the impression that these underlying issues are more far more serious (and I think most Gooners know the sort of things I mean here) than probably meets the eye.
For once I'm not going to do any kind of big build up about our next league game. You all know who we are playing and you all know what's at stake. This may be the first North London derby at The Grove and no doubt the Scum will come to our new place believing that we are there for the taking, given our form and the supposed curse that hangs over a new place, blah,blah,blah.
Well, I couldn't give a toss whether we played our home games on the moon or if the current Spurs side had modern day versions of Jimmy Greaves, Danny Blanchflower, Glenn Hoddle and Dave McKay playing for them. We are at home and losing to them as far as I am concerned is NEVER an option.
The Arsenal need to stand up and be counted. As far as I'm concerned, there will be no hiding place for them if they fail to do that Saturday lunchtime.