How do you define a good season? Or more importantly a poor season?

How about looking at it like this.

Imagine you’ve scored the most goals your club has netted in a single season since 1927. Along with the fewest goals conceded since 1906, while suffering your fewest defeats since 1929.

Then add the fact you’ve also gained your highest league placing since 1990. And your England centre-forward has just won the Golden Boot award.

Imagine ‘achieving’ all that and still having your nearest and dearest rivals finish above you?

Then throw in the fact numerous pundits have been openly deriding your adversaries for their so-called soft centre, their ‘useless’ manager, a supposedly damaging stasis in the boardroom, and apparently ‘disinterested’ players.

And having fans in open revolt – against each other, just as much as against the club itself.

Factor in various world-class stars being injured at crucial times in their season which have cost them at various stages.

Then seeing them cave in and throw away a title bid just when it seemed the league was theirs for the taking.

But yet, through all that, they somehow become the second best team in England.

While at the same time you manage to lose your last game to a relegated 10-man team that couldn’t even beat Aston Villa – the worst team seen in the Premier League since the legendary poor Derby County side of 07-08 who achieved a record low of 11 points.

Meaning you finish behind your rivals for the 21st year in a row – with the crushing realisation you still haven’t won the league since before JKF was shot.

And then, on the last day of the season you have to put up with the eruption of joy from your rivals – not to mention deserved gloating after they had to listen ad nauseam to stories from your own fans on how there will finally be a sea change in London football.

How would you have felt this week if that was your team? And Arsenal – despite all the above – had ended up a place above you?

Happy St Totteringham’s Day.

PS: thanks to everyone for their support at the launch of my second Arsenal book The Miracle of Copenhagen at Piebury Corner last week – including representatives from this esteemed publication.

Follow me @laythy29