Things never are perfect for Arsene Wenger. Accidental challenges on his players are deemed deliberate yet, if his players do the same, his response is always the familiar 'I did not see zee tackle'. Once again, Wenger is complaining about tactics undertaken by clubs such as Stoke, Bolton and Blackburn where, he claims, more Rugby is being played than Football. First of all, his comments concerning Stoke. In my opinion, Wenger has a personal vendetta against the Staffordshire based club relating back to the broken leg Aaron Ramsey received against Stoke back in February as a result of a 50/50 challenge with Stoke defender, Ryan Shawcross. This isn't the first time an Arsenal player has been the recipient of a broken leg from a clumsy tackle as Eduardo can testify following Arsenal's encounter with Birmingham City in February 2008. At the time, Wenger called for Martin Johnson (the player that caused the injury) to be banned from Football altogether before retracting his statement admitting he was wrong to make such a bold and ridiculous statement.
However, his scathing attack on Stoke and, in particular, Ryan Shawcross has left a sour taste in the mouth of everyone associated with Football up and down the country. Following the 2-1 loss to Tottenham in August, Wenger took it upon himself to criticise both Robert Huth and Shawcross in a game the had no concern to the Arsenal manager. Sure, it involved North London rivals Tottenham but, from a footballing perspective, Wenger had absolutely no right to be commenting on this fixture accusing Huth and Shawcross of manhandling Tottenham keeper Heurelho Gomes at corners which, in turn, led to Ricardo Fuller's goal for the home side. Fair enough if Redknapp had chosen to make a comment on the situation but for Wenger to make his opinion known is just downright pathetic in my opinion. As a result, Stoke, rightfully, made a complaint against the Arsenal manager and, even though no action has been taken against Wenger as of yet, Stoke are still pursuing the matter and are hoping something will materialise in the future.
Bolton manager Owen Coyle has also criticised Arsene Wenger following his sides 4-1 defeat at the hands of the North London outfit last week stating that more action should be taken against Bolton full back Paul Robinson following the realisation that Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby will miss a whopping one week of Football. Coyle has claimed Wenger of double standards after saying Bolton are a good team, via text, to Coyle before making his claims about Robinson to the media. Not the wisest move by the Frenchman.
Finally, Redknapp has decided to get involved with this debate by, effectively, telling Wenger to 'man up'. In my opinion, Redknapp should have steered clear of this especially with a North London derby upcoming on Tuesday evening however, his comments come extremely close to the mark as he has stated that Football has become a lot less physical since the 1960's when, as he puts it, Football was a fierce game in the past and, even though this isn't Redknapp's place to get involved in, his comments are 100% true. Wenger needs to understand that tackling is all part of the modern game albeit, not as brutal as Football from the past. He should be telling his players to become physically tougher in order to win dirty so teams such as Stoke don't pose an immediate threat when they travel to the Northern regions of England as the season drags on.
That is all for now, have a good weekend and I will write again during the week.
Laters,
Macca
By saying he did not see "Zee tackle" as you so xenophobically put it, Wenger maintains neutrality. Of course he is lying but what he does is take himself out of the equation of controversy. Managers rarely criticse their own players and there is no grounds for Wenger to buck the trend. Just because he doesn't chastise his players when they commit bad tackles doesn't mean he condones it.
ReplyDeleteIt is painstakingly obvious from your tone you either don't like Arsenal, you are a Spurs fan, or you know little about football. I fear it's all three as anyone who has ever kicked a ball in earnest knows the tackles that caused those injuries to the Arsenal players were not "clumsy" as you clumsily phrase it and neither were they 50/50. The latter type of tackles entail contact with the ball from both parties and in the instances you give here the Arsenal player is first to the ball in both occasions.
The reason Wenger is right in complaining is it's obvious (again implicit for anyone who plays football) that it is possible to win the ball and hurt the opposing player in the same action. I refer you to football shitstorm number one at the minute: De Jong's leg breaker (for the second time in a year) against Ben Arfa. He gets the ball but the secondary swipe with the following leg is unnecessary and serves only the purpose to maim. Which it did. But of course, he's not that type of player is he? The Dutch national team don't agree and it's been one ap chagi too many for De Jong after his World Cup Bruce Lee impression and they have consequentially ommitted him from the squad. This is what Shawcross did. He's not that type of player and it's what Taylor did, but he's not tha..I'm boring myself writing it.
Yet I agree with you in that Wenger should have kept his rather impressive nose out of matters and games that do not concern him nor warrant his comment. Still, it's refreshing in this epoch of football blandness to see prominant figures mess their lines up. Much like Redknapp's pre menstral strop when gently labelled a wheeler dealer. Who cares if these guys are wrong or out of turn; they get disciplined eventually. It's just a spring in the inane football desert when they misbehave.
'Arry's right about the toughness of football dissipating since his heyday. But as this has exited the game it's been incrementally replaced by a slyness that's probably more sinister than the vigour of 60s. Instead of famous honest punch ups we get Roy Keane taking revenge, not face-to-face but stud to fragile ligament. This is what needs to be eradicated in the game today, not managers "on the moan". Rednapp's melting wax face having a hissy fit never ended a career and it never shall. Football bodies need to discipline (and heavily) after a thorough and unbiased review of events. Refs cannot see everything, so whether it was a foul in the game or not (like De Jong) it should be dealt with by those who can make a difference.
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ReplyDeleteThe 'zee tackle' comment was simply tongue in cheek first and foremost.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I have said it before on here and I will say it again - I am a Spurs fan so naturally, I am not a big fan of Arsenal. The first tackle by Johnson was a very clumsy one and if Eduardo wasn't quicker to the ball, Johnson would have won it fair and square. Secondly, the Shawcross was a 50/50 challenge - the ball was there for both Ramsey and Shawcross to win and, unfortunately for Ramsey, Shawcross' momentum took him into the challenge faster and harder. I know because I have played football for the past 3 and a half years near enough every weekend and have been on the receiving end of some pretty horrible challenges similar to the Shawcross/Ramsey one but have, fortunately, only come away with injuries that have kept me out for weeks, not months.
As for the 'shitstorm' you point out about De Jong, unfortunately I wrote this piece weeks before said incident occurred. I feel bad for Ben Arfa, who wouldn't? However, to be bluntly honest, I still haven't seen the incident so to make a comment wouldn't be fair as I can't give an honest review on the situation but, after watching the World Cup final and his kung-fu kick on Alonso, I can understand the controversy that, ultimately, surround this incident.
My original 'on the moan' remark was concerning Shawcross and, as you pointed out, Wenger sticking his 'impressive nose' in business that shouldn't be concerning him. Fair enough, if it was against Arsenal, I could understand but in a match that has no concern to that Arsenal manager it isn't on in my opinion.
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ReplyDeleteIt really doesn't matter who you support. If you are writing through this medium you should not let your opinions be blinkered by your allegiences. I was only two sentences into your last post and it was implicit you were a Spurs fan. Wenger is a proven great manager and come the new UEFA rules about club spending this will be even more clear to see. However he is also a stubborn media nuisance. Yet, he is not the only one. Ray Wilkans (when asked about a foul that led up to Chelsea's goal on the weekend) responded with a far more irritating and arrogant smile and said "eye didn't see it, did eye me ol' mucka" (just being tongue in cheek). It grates when we see this but the grounds for such petulance are the same as Wenger's and concur with my last post concerning why managers and coaching staff behave in such a way.
ReplyDeleteWenger is equally annoying with his blatent fibbing when asked about the dissent of his own players. Funny how this week he managed to see Jack Wilshere's lunge and accepted it was rash. He probably took Redknapp's advice and decided to "man up." Although I do worry for the next journalist that calls Mr Wenger an East Parisien Wheeler Dealer.
If Wenger made this comment about a game Tottenham were not involved in, I doubt you would have bothered to give it any coverage.
According to you, all fouls are ok, it's the fault of the infringed player for being too fast, too skilful, or just made of penetrable human tissue that these kind of injuries occur.
The fact you did not see de Jong's tackle should not matter. Do you think that's the only example of that ever happening? Kevin Davies is doing it, Martin Keown did it and the mugs kicking you every weekend do it. Regardless of the World Cup flying kick, De Jong is the epitome of the type of player who tries to legally injure. It may sound like a contradiction in terms but it's perfectly plausable and many players have, and are making careers out of this tactic.
Wenger has ample right to comment on this game. He lamented Stoke's bullying tactics in the game against Arsenal, and to see such explicit evidence of his claim in the Tottenham game was invaluable proof of the kind of pernicious acts teams like Stoke get up to. To expect Wenger to wait until the reverse fixture in the hope Stoke break another bone of a member of his team is unrealistic. It's the premier league and he is a member. He has as much right to comment on any team as I, you or Danny Murphy has. Still, he probably should have kept quiet all the same and saved himself yet more distraction and bad press...