Champions League draw provokes mixed feelings at Arsenal
Vito Mannone has revealed that the Arsenal players have mixed feelings about the Champions League point that was earned in Germany last night against Schalke. The same can probably be said about Arsenal fans, who will be relieved we did not lose, but still not particularly impressed.
“It was a really tough game. There is a mixed feeling in the dressing room, because we could have won it and we also could have lost it.”
Arsene Wenger has been coming in for a great deal of criticism lately, in the newspapers as well as on this website. Accusations of stubbornness and tactical mistakes, along with a general feeling of impatience as we Gooners face another trophyless season.
So, did he answer his critics last night? The answer is an emphatic maybe. Wenger fans will point to the fact that he did start Walcott and Giroud, while dropping happy Santos. Wenger foes will point to the fact that we gave up a two goal lead and stuck to the 4-3-3 formation. I say that it was an improvement, which will hopefully continue.
If Arsenal go on another run like we did last season, then we will be qualifying for the Champions League again. We have got a good chance of winning the Capital One cup and we should progress to the next round of this season’s Champions League, which would be okay but not brilliant.
So basically, it would have been great to win, but at least we played better and didn’t lose. The jury is still out. Our stand in goalkeeper, Mannone, does deserve alot of credit for the way he has played in the absence of Szczesny. He has got over some early mistakes and proved he can really challenge the Pole for his number one jersey.
still room for improvement
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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why no arshavin though, why would you buy him if he is to sit on the bench!
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we should employ whoever newcastle scouts are ba, cisse, cabaye, santon, krul and ben arfa all would improve our side at very reasonable prices!
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whoever scouted gervinho, park and santos need to be sacked
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it was a great result, had the last two weeks been different we wouldn’t be looking at the game with any issues, it was a hard fought game away from home in the champions league
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What a game mannone had. What is wrong with vermaelen? As a team we seem burnt out. There’s no pressing, no movement when we have the ball. Is it a physical thing or are the players not motivated? Or is it even they don’t believe in wenger anymore? Touch times ahead.
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@jk yeah agree with you park i believe was scouted by ivan gazdis to sell t-shirts in asia as far as newcastle’s ba,cisse,ben arfa are considered they were wctually first scouted by us i remember us bieng linked with these unkown players but arsenal never really went for them amazing hope we can get llorente/huntelaar in jan both available for 5m acc to media AS & holtby + a cdm & a lb
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bernede hangelan of fulham is avialble in jan jan for as less 3-4m maybe we should sign him & sell djorou & squallaci
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looking at the bench of substitutes was very poor really no choice at all we lack depth arsenal must target some players available cheap like llorente/huntellar/holtby/hangeland all these could come for combine 18-20m as their contract ends soon in summer + a cdm & a lb sell chammakh,bendtner,squallaci,denilson,santos COYG
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Mix felling is a Bitch.enough of that.we ve τ̲̅ȍ βε̲̣ very optimistic (positively)I̶̲̥̅̊n̶̲̥̅̊ †ђξ rest of our games.τ̲̅ȍ see our self As̥̊ a winning team As̥̊ such wen we re lossing,we will βε̲̣ motivated τ̲̅ȍ βε̲̣ where we belonged τ̲̅ȍ.that’s hw champs do,ǻn̶̲̥̅̊ԃ that’s what the invinsible did…a Gunner till ma heart stop
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Out of tune?. Like or Dislike:
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Teams have worked arsenal out and Wenger has no plan B. We need fresh ideas or 3 world class players
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Blah blah blah we don’t Care nomore we want our club back ….thieves taking money from the fans n delivering bad results year after year …Protest n boycott…hit dem were it hurts in their greedy pocket …its a football club not a bank. I want wenger to Stay, but he is losing touch with reality with some of the shit he says…I think old age is catching up with him… The fans aint fools…
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this result reveals a lot about the club I have supported for 25 years.
It was a very good result. A draw away against a decent german team. We should be pleased with the result.
However, we should never have let our team get to this state. If 10 years ago someone said that we would be in the kind of situation we are in now we would have laughed. We once had a team that could challenge the best (not always beat but challenge like with did in the champions league final!)
Now we challenge Shalke and look pitiful against the best.
Arsene has been at the helm, he should take responsibility but as always we play pass the buck and chase the imaginary future of financial fair play (this will make zero difference to football. Money makes the world go round, makes tv deals happen)
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@jk
Why would you want Ba, Cisse, Krul, Ben Arfa, Santon and Cabaye – that is more than half of the Newcastle team…a Newcastle team that finished below us in the league last season and are 11th at the moment?
Only Krul would have a chance in the first team, I personally think shez is better.
@Gary
However 10 years ago if someone had of told you Man City have won the league it would have also been laughable.
In that 10 years the only teams legitimately finishing above us were Utd and Liverpool without including the financial doping of City and Chelsea.
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Ben arfa is amazing and ba is scoring plenty right now, why wouldnt we want them.
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I’m fed up with these excuses. O,we played beautifully, not enough strenght in depth, poor bench, more money, quality players, low confidence and so on. Now,i’m not saying i’d be a better coach. Bt come on,have we not heard all these before. Is it not the duty of management to do something about. Or should i dare ask,why have they done nothing about. All i smell are mismanagement,cover up and foul play. Within arsenal,there’s something going on,its just a matter of time before it comes open. This my friends,is not our arsenal. Even bould has been frozen out,no mention by any of our player with respect to defence which seem to get only poorer.
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Because Ba always scores a few goals quickly then does nothing for long periods EG not scoring in 20 games between Jan and September, whilst supplying 2 assists in the whole season…what was he actually doing for those 20 games?
I suppose there is Ben arfa…but wait he is injury prone and if you combine goals and assists last season got less than Walcott and Gervinho
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Last nights result was UNACCEPTABLE, what are you people talking about. We were 2 0 up. Some of you fans need a good kick up the backside. I’d say yes a draw was ok if Arsenal had been playing their hearts out and did everything possible to prevent Shalke from scoring. But that was not the case at all. Our guys were completely void of any determination and fight. We looked like we had just come back from WW2 without rations. Poor display and no heart whatsoever. The players were primarily to blame last night, and if they were tired, why did Wenger not bring on some fresh legs EARLY into the second half? Oh wait, we don’t have any game changing quality on the bench, my bad.
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arsene Wenger is not a coach anymore. He is noe an economist and a politician. He only thinks about money, and lots of money. the man is an arrogant fool. he is so stupid that it had to take we the fans call for him to drop santos before he could do it. trust me, if santos had played yesterday, God he would have been slaughtered on the field of play. Only God can save us now.
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AW said he was happy with a draw… for a club like arsenal to be happy with a draw after bein 2 nil up is ridiculous. its shalke not barcelona.
i can guarantee that ferguson would not be happy under the same circumstances.
have we fallen that low?
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the most of fan here are saying… just ok, fair result….
we dont have pride and heart anymore
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Walcott should have scored the last goal or passed the ball to Giroud, anyhow this game was ours and we let it go. So there is absolutely no room for mixed feelings it’s an absolute disappointment.
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im pissed off tht we’re scared of losing to teams like this.
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wemger should go….
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One request, if you are a true arsenal fan by heart, dont go to the stadium to watch arsenal’s matches since it will make our bloody board wealthy..
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dont know why is everyone soo upset.. a draw away at schalke is a decent result.. even if we were 2 goals up they would have scored playing infront of their home fans.. plus everyone needs to realise that we have the second most toughest group, and we are just a point behind schalke.. have faith my fellow gunners..we could end up winning the champions league.. it aint over until its over soo keep supporting rather than being negative all the time
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Here’s a thought. If you take out the golden years of 98 to 04, how would people judge Arsenal’s present performances in the light of history? Have those years taught us to expect too much? Ive been a gooner since 79 and my abiding memory before Wenger was always finishing 4th or so in the league (except for two titles, one of which was 18 years after the last), occasionally winning a cup and never winning anything in Europe (except the cup winners cup).
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I THINK WE ARSENAL FANS HAVE BEEN BRAIN WASHED BY WENGER….
Why does he keep on siding with thje board,they use him as a scapegoat he myt become the sacrificial guinea pig
Wenger has reached a point where he thinks loosing is okay,drawing is good,,winning is a miracle
THere is no time he will be mad at the players who play half heartedly,no punishment of being benched,,nothing,,so they are confident and guaranteed of a slot in tha next game
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@FrankinTas
I accidentally pressed the thumbs down button, you make an excellent point.
Just felt i should apologise for thumbing down
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