Just when you thought the 'Prof' took a defeat with dignity

[MarkD]

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8...4454777,00.html

 

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger today accused Stoke defenders Rory Delap and Ryan Shawcross of deliberately injuring Theo Walcott and Emmanuel Adebayor.

 

 

Both were hurt by tackles during the Potters' 2-1 win at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday and will miss tomorrow night's Champions League clash against Fenerbahce at the Emirates Stadium.

 

 

Walcott has a chance of recovering from a shoulder injury in time for the visit of Manchester United on Saturday but Adebayor is unlikely to be able to face the champions.

 

 

Wenger said: "I read that my team were not brave.

 

 

"All I can say is they are brave and, for me, you need to have more courage to play football when you know that someone is tackling you from behind without any intention to play the ball.

 

 

"The only intention is to hurt you and I can show some tackles where I can prove what I say. The one who is tackling is not the brave one. For me the brave one is the player who is trying to play football.

 

 

"It happened at the weekend. Do you think Delap tried to play the ball when he tackled Walcott? Or that Shawcross tried to play the ball when he tackled Adebayor off the pitch. All the players have been injured deliberately.

 

 

"I am not ready to listen to things that are completely untrue and make people who are cowards, for me, look brave."

 

 

The Frenchman was also adamant it was not the first time opponents had hurt his players with reckless challenges, with the badly-broken leg Eduardo suffered against Birmingham last season the most notable example.

 

 

Defender Bacary Sagna was also hurt against Stoke and had been receiving treatment on an ankle injury in a bid to be fit for tomorrow's game.

 

 

Wenger added: "Do you want me to tell you the players we have lost here? Diaby, deliberate foul from behind, Rosicky, deliberate foul, Eduardo, deliberate foul. Now we lose Walcott, deliberate foul, and we have lost Sagna - deliberate foul on him.

 

 

"There is only one intention when he is tackled and that is the ankle. And you want me on top of that to sit here and say, 'Yes, sorry we are not brave'?"

 

 

The Stoke loss, plus the home draw with Spurs that preceded it, saw Arsenal fall six points behind leaders Chelsea, who are ahead of Liverpool on goal difference, and Manchester United will also kick off on Saturday ahead of the Gunners.

 

 

Wenger insisted: "We lost a game but we are six points behind the leaders, it is the start of November and we have plenty of quality to get it back. The same people who say we are not good, let them say it in three weeks when we are the best."

 

 

Wenger has fewer worries in the Champions League as his side are top of Group G having beaten Fenerbahce 5-2 in Istanbul following a four-goal demolition of Porto in north London.

 

 

The Frenchman was keen to wrap up qualification to the next stage as quickly as possible so he could concentrate on keeping his best players ready for Premier League action.

 

 

He said: "I believe that once you qualify in the Champions League you can be completely focused and if needed, rest some players in the Champions League.

 

 

"That is why for us, it is important to qualify as quickly as possible, especially as we didn't win our last game. We had two bad experiences recently and that is why it is important to come back to winning ways and to qualify."

 

 

Captain William Gallas also misses out tomorrow but could return from his hamstring injury in time for the United game. Emmanuel Eboue's knee problem makes him a less likely weekend returnee however.

 

 

 

No mention of Van Persie though...

[Guest RedLegend]

Arsene Whinger

[Billy Dane]

Will the FA be charging him with bringing the game into disrepute by accusing the opposition of cheating? I expect not, but pretty disgraceful comments IMO.

[floyd]

The fvckers O Level Art Project is having problems, and he's looking for excuses. Never his or his players faults. Always been a whinging fvcker, and now people are begining to see more of it. Wonder if the press that worship his project see that.

Also, people are not falling for his "youngsters" line anymore, as his average age of the team is usually 25-26.

Edited November 5, 2008 by floyd

[Hassony]

Rory Delap dancer should sue him

[fred milne]

He conveniently overlooks the appalling disciplinary record Arsenal had during his first 6 years at the club:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...woe-Wenger.html

 

The likes of Adams, Keown, Petit and Vieira were hardly shrinking violets.

Edited November 5, 2008 by fred milne

[yellow jumper]

i have sympathy for some of what he says, but he always seems to take it a step too far; leaving himself open to the accusations of inconsistency and arrogance . while it can't be doubted that he's an exceptional technical coach, i do think his team increasingly seem to reflect many of those other frailties (not least his captain).

 

he doth protest too much. that any manager defends his side is important. but i think that after much repetition in press conferences these messages can start to become detrimental to the team. which is why i don't like rafa talking about tiredness. it's an idea that can distill. not only does wenger's continuous 'we're being kicked out of it' outrage send the wrong message to his players, who must now go onto the pitch thinking about the possibility of broken legs. it also sends the wrong message to his opponents, who are now more likely to go out and do exactly what arsenal don't want.

 

beyond that his team selection at stoke showed none of the bravery he bangs on about here. he played as many big lads as he could at the expense of 'footballers' like van persie, nasri and walcott.

 

would it be unfair to suggest that in marrying what was essentially a george graham side with an arsene wenger one arsenal reaped the best of both worlds in the late 90s/early noughties? and that in every year since 2004, when martin keown (the last of that previous generation), left the club they've found it a whole lot harder to win things.

Edited November 5, 2008 by george lees

[Woodsyla]

This reads like poetry

 

Tony Pulis tells it as it really is

 

Beautifully put.

Edited November 5, 2008 by Woodsyla

[carrafan]

This reads like poetry

 

Tony Pulis tells it as it really is

 

Beautifully put.

 

Haha Pwned!!

[fred milne]

would it be unfair to suggest that in marrying what was essentially a george graham side with an arsene wenger one arsenal reaped the best of both worlds in the late 90s/early noughties? and that in every year since 2004, when martin keown (the last of that previous generation), left the club they've found it a whole lot harder to win things.

In fairness, I don't think Keown figured too heavily (if at all) for the "Invincibles" (2003-4 season).

 

However, I do reckon Wenger's first side was the most balanced side: Seaman, Dixon, Keown, Adams, Winterburn, Parlour, Vieira, Petit, Overmars, Bergkamp, Anelka. That side could play good football but wasn't afraid to battle it out either.

Edited November 5, 2008 by fred milne

[Knox_Harrington]

In fairness, I don't think Keown figured too heavily (if at all) for the "Invincibles" (2003-4 season).

 

However, I do reckon Wenger's first side was the most balanced side: Seaman, Dixon, Keown, Adams, Winterburn, Parlour, Vieira, Petit, Overmars, Bergkamp, Anelka. That side could play good football but wasn't afraid to battle it out either.

And a side into which he would consistantly (and rightly) introduce Grimandi with twenty five left if they were ahead to boot anything that moved.

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

In fairness, I don't think Keown figured too heavily (if at all) for the "Invincibles" (2003-4 season).

 

However, I do reckon Wenger's first side was the most balanced side: Seaman, Dixon, Keown, Adams, Winterburn, Parlour, Vieira, Petit, Overmars, Bergkamp, Anelka. That side could play good football but wasn't afraid to battle it out either.

 

Ian Wright played more often than Anelka in Wenger's first season, didn't he?

[muleskinner]

I like Tony Pulis, seems a decent bloke. Wenger is becoming a bit more deranged as each season goes by, his crouching down with his head between his knees at the end of the Spurs game last week was Fawltyesque.

[fred milne]

Ian Wright played more often than Anelka in Wenger's first season, didn't he?

Definitely in 96-7 and for most of 97-8. I think Anelka started to get the nod in the run-in to 97-8 and Wright left that summer so Anelka was the first choice striker for 98-9 when they ran Utd very close in the league and cup.

[Stevie H]

He conveniently overlooks the appalling disciplinary record Arsenal had during his first 6 years at the club:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...woe-Wenger.html

 

The likes of Adams, Keown, Petit and Vieira were hardly shrinking violets.

indeed. he comes across as really bitter at the moment that opponents know they can kick his young team and not get anything back in return. and the only person at fault for not having a few scrappers and old heads in the side is wenger himself.

[Mike]

on ssn then they had that pseudo intellectual journo mick dennis on defending wenger and slagging stoke off for their lack of 'style' then they got tony pulis on at the same time and he ripped him to pieces. dennis looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up.

[Hassony]

Doesn't Wenger realise that coming out complaining like this will only make things tougher for his team?

[Woodsyla]

on ssn then they had that pseudo intellectual journo mick dennis on defending wenger and slagging stoke off for their lack of 'style' then they got tony pulis on at the same time and he ripped him to pieces. dennis looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up.

I really like Tony Pulis

 

Mick Dennis is a c**k, wish I'd seen that.

Edited November 6, 2008 by Woodsyla

[floyd]

I really like Tony Pulis

 

Mick Dennis is a c**k, wish I'd seen that.

clip off it here. Go to page 2 and link to part of the discussion.

Funny how they roll out a fvckin southern journo to stick up for their Deity.

 

sky link

Edited November 7, 2008 by floyd

[smithdown]

Good clip that.

 

The journo was caught with his keks down there.

[Cobs]

Mick Dennis talking utter c**k and moving the goalposts of the argument like feck

[PhilM]

indeed. he comes across as really bitter at the moment that opponents know they can kick his young team and not get anything back in return. and the only person at fault for not having a few scrappers and old heads in the side is wenger himself.

 

Which is particularly strange considering that players like Diaby and Eboue can be gigantic s***houses when required.