Well Mike Read’s appalling record with us over the past few seasons continues. Although he managed to hand us five yellow cards, for once we can’t blame him for the result. He seemed to get all the major decisions correct. Unlike the Ox being substituted for AA.

I suspect I read RvP’s reaction correctly…it seemed to match the crowd’s reaction, not to mention mine. Exasperation at AW’s palpably incorrect decision. Collectively the reactions were proved correct when AA, as well as doing nothing on offence, managed to defend thin air when Valencia took him apart and laid on their second. Fair enough, it was not only AA’s responsibility, others should have helped out, and nobody can say that the Ox being on the field would have changed things. Obviously it was just an unfortunate co-incidence.

Not to say there weren’t good points: Kos played like a star, young Yennaris was a massive improvement on JD who looked well out of sorts, and for the first time in many months, we saw Young Mozart really put in a good shift…but in fairness he ain’t Mikel Arteta. His absence once again showed what a calming influence he brings to bear. The game also saw the return of TV…one out of the treatment room at last.

Whilst the last thirty minutes of the first half was fairly hum drum for the Gooners, the first 15 were promising if uneventful. We then seemed to lose the midfield and MFU certainly looked the more likely to score which of course they did when some lousy defending helped them no end.

How on earth we didn’t equalize in the first fifteen minutes of the second half is anybody’s guess. I’d have taken a mortgage out on Robin equalizing after Tomas, after a good interception and run, also took out the keeper and left him clear. He even had time to steady himself. Ouch. Several ouches later from Tomas, Ramsey and the Ox before Walcott emerged from his slumbers and knocked himself out.

Then a well deserved equalizer, not before Per had cleared off the line, came when Kos made a good interception, made ground and passed to Tomas who quickly found the Ox. He controlled well and slipped the ball through to Robin who took this much harder chance. That was when, I for one, thought we were going to win. We had them on the run. So we substituted the Ox two minutes later. WTF!!

Like all of you I suspect, my the taste of my Sunday dinner was highly reminiscent of sack cloth and ashes. Let’s hope that’s not the case for next Sunday’s outing.