Match reaction vs Schalke

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Thought Podolski was going to get himself sent off with the way he behaved after the ref stopped play.

If the ref sent him of he'd have been even more of a pleb, its understanable why Poldi was angry, the guy goes down before he got in the box and the ref did not stop it then. Only when he gets in a good place the ref, stopped it. Don't even think poldi deserves a booking tbh.

[fakeyank]

We can get Huntelaar, Llorente and every great striker but its of use.. why? Coz the service sucks goat balls.. all that bullshit tippy tappy can only help so much! Not one fuckin asshole is direct in the team.. if u r, AW will take him to the side and infect him with Wengeritis!

[Niall_Quinn]

Thought Podolski was going to get himself sent off with the way he behaved after the ref stopped play.

Good to see him bothered rather than laughing and joking. It will take characters like Wilshere and Podolski (and Theo if he can sustain his one man rage agaisnt the machine) to drag us through this season.

[Letters]

I thought we looked pretty cueless throughout the match and scored very much against the run of play. They are a good team, but any team that cannot defend a 2-0 lead more convincingly will never win anything.

I'm sure you'd have taken a point before the game. I know I would.
Yeah, losing a 2 goal lead is frustrating but I suspect had last night's game come on the back of a better run of form it would be viewed very differently.
It was a much better performance than many of late and a point out there is a good result.

[Özil's Panoramic View]

Didn't get to see the game, but I'll happily take the point away from home.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUnmYi89kmo

Mikel Arteta, our real captain

Ghel Theo

[IBK]

I'm sure you'd have taken a point before the game. I know I would.
Yeah, losing a 2 goal lead is frustrating but I suspect had last night's game come on the back of a better run of form it would be viewed very differently.
It was a much better performance than many of late and a point out there is a good result.

I would indeed. And I take your point too. But I'm afraid that I have rather lost faith in this, or any team of Wenger's to make permanent improvements. I have said before, and I'll say it again - Wenger playes a peculiarly difficult brand of football that can be pulled off consistently only by top top quality players - the caliber of which we no longer attract or are able to pay for, or technical players at the absolute top of their game. Anything less and we struggle. This IMO is why we seem so open to loss of confidence. Normal teams have a game plan, and player roles that they can revert to even if certain, or all of the players are slightly off form - something to trust in - a parachute if you like. Our players don't have this.

Secondly - I have always felt that a successful team should first and foremmost be set up to protect its own goal - because if you can stop the other side scoring they cannot win. I know that we have traditionally not been a defensive team under Wenger, and I know also that you have to venture forwards in order to win the game yourselves. But for me it is lamentable that our players simply are not being drilled either to defend as a team, or to play in a way that avoids the continual mistakes that we are seeing in defence. It should come naturally to a team to protect a 2 goal lead. For us, all we seem to do is to stop attacking - which invites the other team onto us. Yet we remain as vulnerable as ever in defence. There are basic flaws in this team, that a moderately improved performance cannot mask.

[selassie]

We huffed and puffed and came away with a point. I thought we were 2nd best throughout TBH which didn't surprise me. Apart from the spell where we scored the 2 we looked disjointed and fairly uncomfortable at the back.

Getting out of the group wont' be easy, we absolutely have to beat Montepellier next game because I'm not confident we can go to Olympiakos and win if we need to.

[Syn]

Kinda want us to do a Liverpool and collect a couple of 2nd rate cups. Draw at home to Monty. Draw/Lose away in Greece. Finish 3rd. Watch Giroud and Gervinho (who are UEFA Cup level players) not look out of their depth, beat a bunch of stupid, recklessly attacking part-timers. Put all the focus on the league cup because Wenger's getting abused after Theo leaves for £5m to Chelsea, close that out. 4th place, 11 girls, 2 cups.

[Letters]

I would indeed. And I take your point too. But I'm afraid that I have rather lost faith in this, or any team of Wenger's to make permanent improvements. I have said before, and I'll say it again - Wenger playes a peculiarly difficult brand of football that can be pulled off consistently only by top top quality players - the caliber of which we no longer attract or are able to pay for, or technical players at the absolute top of their game. Anything less and we struggle. This IMO is why we seem so open to loss of confidence. Normal teams have a game plan, and player roles that they can revert to even if certain, or all of the players are slightly off form - something to trust in - a parachute if you like. Our players don't have this.

Secondly - I have always felt that a successful team should first and foremmost be set up to protect its own goal - because if you can stop the other side scoring they cannot win. I know that we have traditionally not been a defensive team under Wenger, and I know also that you have to venture forwards in order to win the game yourselves. But for me it is lamentable that our players simply are not being drilled either to defend as a team, or to play in a way that avoids the continual mistakes that we are seeing in defence. It should come naturally to a team to protect a 2 goal lead. For us, all we seem to do is to stop attacking - which invites the other team onto us. Yet we remain as vulnerable as ever in defence. There are basic flaws in this team, that a moderately improved performance cannot mask.

I agree with a lot of that, particularly the bit about our whole style of play relying of very good, technical players. Players which we arguably don't have enough of any more. We'll see where we are in a couple of weeks. We should win on Saturday vs Fulham (should being the operative word). The NLD will be interesting as there's not much between the sides right now but we're more than capable of winning that one. If we win those two the mood around here, and amongst fans in general, will thaw somewhat.

If we don't then I might avoid this place for a while!