There are more questions than answers. Maybe the reggae classic should be the theme of this column.

First, will the home defeat by Inter prove a watershed in the history of the modern Arsenal? Arsene Wenger is an honourable man who honours contracts. But the nightmare scenario runs like this…It’s the end of May 2004. Arsenal have gone out of the Champions League before the last eight. Wenger has come to the end of his contract. Money to strengthen the squad is tight because of the debts the Gunners have incurred on the Ashburton Grove project. How much more can he – and some of his stars – achieve with Arsenal? Real Madrid/Barcelona/Milan/Roma are seeking a new coach. Maybe a quality striker and a powerhouse midfielder, too. Far-fetched; or plausible?

The result against Inter told us nothing that we hadn’t feared. Ajax coach Ronald Koeman laid down the tactics to frustrate Arsenal in Europe last season. Inter – even without Christian Vieri and Alvaro Recoba – added a cutting edge. N16 has long complained about the Gunners’ lack of an alternative when their intricate build-up doesn’t work. We’ve repeatedly pointed out that Freddie Ljungberg is the only Arsenal player prepared to attack the box. TV pundits such as Andy Gray started making similar points as the Gunners huffed and puffed against Inter.

More questions. Was it wise to let Franny Jeffers rejoin Everton on loan, while retaining Kanu, now a bit player at the highest level? Has the replacement of David Seaman by Jens Lehmann strengthened the defence? Or should the Lehmann fee have gone towards defensive cover?

Every successful Arsenal team in my lifetime has been based on two things – a sound defence and a nucleus of home-grown players. I haven’t seen an Arsenal defence as porous as this since Billy Wright’s team of the 1960s. In those days, George Eastham and George Armstrong created a hatful of chances for Joe Baker and Geoff Strong. But the Gunners had to be three up with two minutes left before you felt victory was in the bag.

Wenger’s decision to play Kolo Toure ahead of Martin Keown had the Italian media corps scratching their heads. Toure’s inexperience was frequently exposed, notably by Julio Cruz for the first goal. Lauren and Ashley Cole are fine footballers. But can they defend? Top class opponents know they can exploit the space both leave when going forward. Sol Campbell’s confidence looks shot to pieces after his disciplinary problems with the FA. The unit is disjointed. No surprise perhaps, when Lehmann and Toure are both new to it. There is no organiser, like Adams, or Dixon. The alternatives are… Pascal Cygan, found wanting last season, or the young Greek Stathis Tavlaridis, the young Swiss Philippe Senderos, or the young Frenchman Gael Clichy.

Which brings us to homegrown players, or the lack of them. Arsenal have excelled at under-17 and under-19 level since Liam Brady returned in 1996 to head the youth development programme. But Cole is the only youngster to have become a first team regular. Perhaps Jermaine Pennant (now on loan at Leeds) will follow. Or will he join the ranks of ex-Gunners youth players – such as Steve Sidwell, Tommy Black and Steve Julian Gray – who are prospering in the upper reaches of Division One?

That leads to more questions. Are Arsenal’s kids incapable of bridging the gap to the Premiership and Champions League? Or don’t they get the chance once given to such as Davis, Rocastle, Thomas and Merson – because it’s too risky to gamble on them when Champions League qualification is so financially important?