Wengers gone looney

[sals]

On top of all his latest outbursts including swearing rants and random tantrums arsene decides to pop up with this little gem of a press conference today.

IT has often been said Arsene Wenger needs his eyes tested.

Well, after this 3-0 hammering by Chelsea it seems the Arsenal boss needs his head examined.

Wenger has a habit of 'not seeing' crucial decisions which go in his team's favour but his red and white point-of-view invited ridicule yesterday.

Drogba, according the to the Gunners chief, does not do a lot in games.

That is Drogba, the man with 10 goals in 11 matches against Arsenal. The striker who has netted 10 times in his last nine in all competitions.

Wenger said: "He's a good player. It's funny because he doesn't do a lot but he's efficient in what he does. You would be surprised by the number of balls he touched today.

"Jimmy Greaves was a great player because you still remember him. Drogba is in a period where he kicks the ball and it goes in." There was a stifled sense of disbelief among those listening to the Frenchman.

After all, everyone at The Emirates had witnessed Drogba humiliate Arsenal's kids with his strength of will and ambition.

Wenger, though, was not finished yet. He extended his rant to claim Drogba's opener was lucky.

He said: "You can't tell me there was no luck. At the moment, he's complete in confidence.

"He just goes for it and it goes in. It was a goal of a striker in complete confidence."

The goal in question was an exquisite touch into the top corner. The fact Gunners defender Thomas Vermaelen then replicated the finish for Chelsea's second and an own goal was also proof of Drogba's genius via the 'lightning does not strike twice' rule.

In Wenger's defence, however, the total lack of application in his team has most likely driven him mad way before the final whistle blew on this London derby.

By the time Drogba completed the rout with a free-kick four minutes from the end, Arsenal's day was ruined and their title hopes all but dead 'n buried.

They now trail the Blues by 11 points although the Gunners have a game in hand. A 12-point gap was too much to overhaul Manchester United last season but Wenger refuses to throw the towel in.

And he had some harsh words for ref Andre Marriner, who disallowed an Andrey Arshavin goal at 2-0 down for an Eduardo foul on keeper Petr Cech.

Wenger said: "The score is a very unfair reflection of the game but it is the score. We cannot change it.

"Absolutely everything went for them. The first shot on goal, they scored. Their second cross, they scored. After that, it was difficult.

"Then there was the turning point from the referee which I believe wasn't a serious decision. How can he see Eduardo kicking the ball out of Cech's hands when there was a Chelsea player in front of him? That was a big mistake.

"I never had the impression we couldn't win this game and we were quite a lot on top.

"They lost many balls today where we couldn't take advantage."

This was Arsenal's fourth league defeat of the season and second back-to-back.

Wenger said: "Chelsea are in a very strong position but they can drop points. I'm convinced of that.

"Our title race has taken a big blow. We have to win games before we speak about titles.

"The damage done at Sunderland last week was deeper confidence wise than it should have been." Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti said: "It was a very good performance. If you win 3-0 at Arsenal you have to do a good job.

"In the defensive positions we did a fantastic job. All the players worked for the team and to keep the ball in our midfield.

"We won the game there. Arsenal kept the ball in the first half but we didn't concede opportunities.

"When we had the possibility to counter, we did that very well and scored at the end of the first half. Then in the second half, we kept good control of the game."

So apparently Drogba is not that great a striker, a bold call to make most the time let alone when his two fantastic goals have just slaughtered his little kiddies. Could be very entertaining if rafa and arsene start having random rants at each other in their quest for 4th place

[ethicalstrategy]

It's ok. He'll have Patrick Barclay to back him up in the press tomorrow.

[Tim]

Hilariously myopic comments.

So if Didier's not that great, what does that say about you, your tactics and your team Mr.Wenger, given that he's scored against you again and again and again?

Silly bitter man. Enjoy the battle for 4th.

[PloKoon13]

The first goal wasn't lucky at all... the second goal, on the other hand...

[Tim]

I've actually seen a few comments from the Gooner fans saying the first goal was flukey, which is just completely ridiculous.

Unless JT actually meant to pass the ball back to Cech, Ash was trying to shoot, and Didier was going for a header, how on earth is a eye of the needle pass, a precision cross and a deft finish in any way flukely?

As has been said, if the boys (not men) in red had scored that goal, hyperbole would be flying everywhere.

[dkw]

I've actually seen a few comments from the Gooner fans saying the first goal was flukey, which is just completely ridiculous.

Unless JT actually meant to pass the ball back to Cech, Ash was trying to shoot, and Didier was going for a header, how on earth is a eye of the needle pass, a precision cross and a deft finish in any way flukely?

As has been said, if the boys (not men) in red had scored that goal, hyperbole would be flying everywhere.

come on tim, youknow as well as i do that we dont play nice football and only arsenal do. so our goal was obviously a massive fluke.

[ethicalstrategy]

To be fair, it is pretty much only Wenger who can't face up to the truth. Virtually all of the media are giving us plenty of credit for yesterday's result.

[Virosh]

I can understand (not excuse) someone thinking the first goal was a fluke. The ball did hit both the post and the crossbar on its way in. However, there was no chance in the build-up and the quality of the finish.

It's all rationalization, folks - bitter people trying to find excuses for getting beat. If you didn't expect it, you should now.

[fester]

To be fair, it is pretty much only Wenger who can't face up to the truth. Virtually all of the media are giving us plenty of credit for yesterday's result.

... and giving Wenger stick for his comments ...

Matt Hughes in The Times:

Drogba’s threat is such that he can make the most level-headed individual take leave of their senses, even Arsène Wenger. The Ivory Coast striker’s bullying of these opponents is utterly relentless, yet Wenger bizarrely claimed he did not do much after a game in which he scored two brilliant goals. It was not his only utterance that was divorced from reality....Wenger’s sour grapes may stem from the fact that he turned down the opportunity to sign Drogba for £100,000 when the striker was at Le Mans eight years ago, a decision that has repeatedly returned to haunt him.

Oliver Kay also in The Times:

Wenger did not cover himself in glory, really. When he claimed that Andre Marriner, the referee, was wrong to disallow an effort by Arshavin early in the second half, he seemed to be forgetting that raising your studs to chest height, as Eduardo da Silva did in challenging Petr Cech for the ball, is generally considered dangerous play. If Marriner got one big decision wrong, it was in failing to award Chelsea a penalty when Bacary Sagna tugged Nicolas Anelka as the forward bore down on goal in the eighteenth minute.

Sam Wallace in The Independent:

It does Wenger no favours when he tries to wriggle out of what was painfully clear to everyone else at the Emirates, or at least the 20,000 or so Arsenal fans who hung around until the final whistle. He claimed that his team were denied a goal when referee Andre Marriner penalised Eduardo for kicking the ball out of Petr Cech's hands four minutes after half-time, just before Arshavin volleyed in the loose ball.

Wenger said that decision had changed the course of the match and that Drogba had done little of note. It was wild and whirling stuff from the Arsenal manager. He would find few among his own fans who would agree, especially not the bloke who kept asking Drogba to sign his programmes. The kindest thing we can say about such an intelligent football man is that Wenger was simply traumatised by what he had seen and was temporarily incapable of facing the truth.

Edited November 30, 2009 by fester

[Tim]

Very true dkw and Virosh, im not surprised at the vague attempt by a few to discredit a very classy win, but it has been very refreshing to see the media jump on Wenger for his tantrum and give us some kudos.

That last snippet from Sam Wallace is very amusing.

[Gem]

You wanna be careful Tim, Wengers after your BFS crown.

[Tim]

No f**king way, i've defended it for the last 5 or so years and he's going to have to do better than that to steal it away.

just to be sure though, i'll make some ridiculous comment like 'de Lucas was a much more technical player than Anelka' or 'On his day,Delroy Facey was as good as Drogba.'

That ought to do it...

[TheWestwayWonder]

... and giving Wenger stick for his comments ...

Matt Hughes in The Times:

Oliver Kay also in The Times:

Sam Wallace in The Independent:

Color me shocked to see the press happy to give us credit.

As the Matt Hughes article points out, Drogba was the one (or one of the many) that got away from Arsene when he couldve signed him for practically nothing. And since that time he has tormented his team. It must be hard for him, and to see another season, and iteration of the Arsenal Wunderkids who will conquer all dead and buried before december.

[Liam]

Wenger reminds me a lot of Mourinho when he goes on like this.

Isn't it called "taking the pressure off your players"?

Edited November 30, 2009 by Liam

[Tim W]

Mr Wengar, Arsenal are like foreplay a lot of fiddling around but no penetration.

[The Moos]

First of all, Mr Wenger, we didn't score on our first shot. We had atleast one shot before that when Drogba got a header on goal.

Secondly, Mr Wenger, we didn't score the 2nd goal, you did it for us.

Thirdly, Mr Moron, if Eduardos goal should have been allowed, then what about all the decisions we got against us? Didn't we have atleast 2 shouts for a penalty. Both should have been given.

So, fine, you have your goal and we get the others. Final result - 5-1

Fine by me.

Why can't the big managers be fair in their views and acknowledge that the other team was perhaps a bit better?

Ancelotti seems to be a fair man and Hiddink certainly was. As for Rafa, Whinger and ol Red Nose.....well :P

[bluegraham]

Wenger, though, was not finished yet. He extended his rant to claim Drogba's opener was lucky.

He said: "You can't tell me there was no luck. At the moment, he's complete in confidence

if that was an arsenal goal wpuld have been a great goal.

IN ARSENE WE TRUST

[mad_mac]

It's just funny to me that Wenger says things like this about Drogba being lucky. I'm sure Didier didn't mean for the ball to go in off the posts, but I bet he did mean for it to go in! It's all about being in the right place at the right time in order to give yourself those chances, and that is what Drogba does time and time again.

It reminds me of a story that legendary golfer Gary Player tells:

Player was practicing ahead of a tournament in Texas. Player was, and is stil regarded as one of the best bunker players the game has ever seen. So, there is Player in a bunker practicing before his starting tee time. There are a few people watching him as he goes about his routine. Player hits his first bunker shot, it lands softly on the green, and trickles into the hole. He bears down, and hits another with the same result. Amazing, yes, but as I always say 2 in a row is luck, 3 is a streak. So, Player shuffles his feet a bit, swoosh, and in goes the third. Truly brilliant from the young South African.

In the crowd that had assembled to watch him there was a stereotypical Texan with the 10 gallon hat who exclaimed after such an astonishing display of short game wizardry "Son, you sure are lucky!"

To which Player turned and said "Sir, the more I practice, the luckier I get!"

I think of that story when I think of Drogba. He works tirelessly all game, is back defending, and then helping in the counter. He gets in position all the time. If you keep getting balls to him, he's going to score because he works hard at it. No luck whatsoever

Scott

[bjd]

from arsenalfc.com

A dark wind circled the stadium as the teams came out of the tunnel, Drogba clearly twisted Sagna's nipple as the two teams shook hands. Sagna weeped folornly as blood trickled from his teet.

It was the darkest, wettest and coldest day of winter so far. The conditions were not conducive to Arsenal's world-famous and much-admired brand of moist and succulent play.

Nevertheless, Arsenal were clearly the better team, undone by the shocking, monstrous brutality of the Chelsea players. The referee missed numerous fouls by Obi Mikel, including one shocking moment when he appeared to be feasting on poor Theo Walcott's thigh. The referee waved play on and engaged himself in a filthy, blood splattered french kiss with the young Nigerian.

CCTV also showed Ancelotti gesturing his flacid penis at the family enclosure whilst the normally reserved Ray 'Butch' Wilkins ran up and down infront of the disabled section with a lone finger pressed against his pursed lip.

Commentators and other assorted dignitaries agreed that the result was a gross miscarriage of justice and a replay has not been ruled out.

[geezer]

Even Martin Keown sung our praises on MOTD2

[PloKoon13]

Even Martin Keown sung our praises on MOTD2

Andy Gray managed to spend the entire first half making negative and snide comments about our various weaknesses and past failures. Although I think he praised the free kick!

[icecoolguy22]

I dare say Arsenal will not touch the title again until Wenger leaves. The ego got the better of him, he is living in his own paraell universe. I wonder why he didn't sign Drogba 8 years ago, maybe he thought 23- 24 was way too old for a striker ;) The Arsenal kids wil never grow up, because once they reach maturity (e.g. Flammini), Wenger will shove them out of the door because they are too old.

[mad_mac]

from arsenalfc.com

That's great...smells of KFC

[bluemoon]

Drogba has been an absolute tank this season.

I have made comments on here about his habit of rolling around in agony for what seems like eternity for no apparent reason at least 6 times a game. However under Ancelotti and playing alongside the elk he looks back to his absolute best. He rarely goes down anymore and looks full of confidence. A great player to watch when he is in the form he is in now. Against Arsenal he was unbelievably good and im absolutely sh*tting myself about the weekend. We are going to get tonked. Drogba will cause carnage amongst our ramshackle defence.

[dkw]

hes getting worse, the mentalist. hes now inviting reporters to a meeting "If you come on Tuesday, I will give you an analysis of the game, physically, technically, and you will be surprised"

read this, hes completely lost his mind....

http://arsenal-mania.com/articles/3107776/...etter-team.html?