If in doubt… cheat, says Arsene Wenger
“Handball it, you idiot!”
It’s taking a little bit of getting used to, this new-look Arsene Wenger.
Ever since the man turned 60 last year, he seems to have taken on a rather dubious new lease of life. One that allows him to do a spot of effing and jeffing in press conferences. That sees him turning up to matches dressed like a local Seven Sisters glue sniffer. And that dictates that he speaks his mind at all times, no matter what.
Talking about Everton’s decision to play on after Denilson went down injured on Saturday, the Arsenal boss said this (as reported in today’s Telegraph):
“I wasn’t upset that Everton played on.”
“I said to Denilson that if that happens you have to commit a handball. I’m very serious.”
“If you go down and there hasn’t been a foul, you cannot ask Everton to stop their counter attack and not score. So, if you go down like that, at least put your hand on the ball and it’s a free kick.”
In other Wenger related news, he is apparently in no particular hurry to get a new contract sorted out with the club, despite having only 18 months left on the current one.
“I am giving myself a bit of time to think.”
Hmmm, might Wenger be pickling his football brain in a big jar and hanging up his lab coat in the not-too-distant future?
21 responses so far
LB // January 11, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Clearly you hate the guy, and it makes you sound bitter. Do you really think there’s a manager who doesn’t tell his players the same thing? If you do u are even more crazy than your article suggests.
DarkKnight // January 11, 2010 at 2:50 pm
He doesn’t mean cheat , it just gives the ref a chance to stop the play.
In the incident against everton, it would have been right as Arsenal had the ball and it was not like denilson was under presure when he collapsed, i think if he fell on the ball then it would have been ok.
Jack // January 11, 2010 at 3:01 pm
What a foolish headline.
Kick the ball out of play, touch the ball and stop the play in a correct intention when someone is hurt, these doesn’t imply cheating.
Branding AW a cheat for this, this article is a CHEAT, a below the belt shot on AW. What a spoiler on the sportsmanship.
Hey there! // January 11, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Your headline is very stupid JoshBurt!!
Tim // January 11, 2010 at 3:26 pm
As the English would say “Oh dear…”
JoshBurt // January 11, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Thanks for all of the comments, good points all round. BUT, as Wenger himself points out “put your hands on the ball and it’s a free kick” – his words. Now, surely that implies committing a foul. And fouling is a form of “cheating”, hence why fouls are punished. I don’t consider it a cheap shot at Wenger. He’s a very decent and proven manager… merely quoting the man.
mustard // January 11, 2010 at 3:33 pm
A basic rule of football is that (apart from the keeper) you aren’t allowed to handle the ball. In telling denilson that he should have stopped play with his hand, HE IS INSTRUCTING HIS PLAYER TO CHEAT. THIS IS CHEATING, you vile bunch of whinging gooner mugs.
danny // January 11, 2010 at 3:35 pm
i love arsenal , but guy is a disgrace.
shows he is desperate, but still pride not to spent to strenght the team
until he is gone, and the “arsen knows” idiots get their heads out of his ass, we will not succeed
lutongooner // January 11, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Mustard you mug, he was refering to an incident like this which is extremely rare. Everton should have stopped playing because it was obvious that Denilson had suffered a genuine injury. On the other hand why didn’t the ref stop the game either? We see so many referees stopping play when it is obvious the player is faking an injury or trying to waste time, but Denilson dropped to the floor with no pressure around him whatsoever.
lutongooner // January 11, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Also JoshBurt, by your reasoning then every single team cheats at least 15 times a game right? There’s a difference between cheating and commiting a professional foul. If someone runs past you and you trip them up, you know you’re going to receive a booking for it. However, if you’re a defender in the box and you’re tugging away at an opponent’s shirt knowing that the ref cannot see it, that is cheating.
mustard // January 11, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Hi Lutongooner. Firstly, I used the word “mug” first, so by using the word “mug” in response to me, you’ve made yourself look a little bit silly. Secondly, I don’t know what your point is, because I couldn’t be bothered to read the rest of your dribbly moan, but it doesn’t alter the fact that I’m right and you’re wrong. I’m turning my computer off now, so if you reply it’ll be a massive waste of your time. BYE
Tim // January 11, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Col. Mustard, in the basement, with the computer off.
What do I win?
BTW: so any manager who tells their player to break any rule (like say “go get stuck in”) is instructing their players to cheat?
Bokolis // January 11, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Despite the more common saying, it’s only cheating if you don’t get caught.
Inherent in cheating is that someone is looking to get away with something. You can claim that an undue delay of play is cheating because, even if sanctioned, your tactic has served its immediate purpose.
If you are legitimately injured, any offense- even a bookable one- simply to stop play is not cheating. In the end, you are doing the other team somewhat of a favor, in that they won’t have to hear about it for scoring on the break while you’re stretched out on the pitch.
jeffers // January 11, 2010 at 8:07 pm
do people really still use the word mug? think you are ray winstone or something?
its against the rules of the game, but its within the spirit. it’s not seeking to gain an advantage, but seeking to stop an unfair advantage being gained.
anyone who can’t see that is a teacup.
DarkKnight // January 11, 2010 at 8:10 pm
musturd – excellent reasoning there… called him mug first so he must be the mug, pot..kettle..
fourstar // January 11, 2010 at 8:12 pm
What a load of sanctimonious claptrap (especially you, mustard, you mug – look, I said mug too – and you can have two teacups, a sugar bowl and the gravy boat for good measure…)
Anyway.
The ref should stop the game at such an odd unexpected incident; if he fails to do so, the player needs to take it into his own hands – literally, if necessary. End of. Wenger was just saying in public what hundreds of managers, past and present, have said in the changing room.
Move along here, nothing to see.
jeffers // January 11, 2010 at 8:23 pm
bunch of toby jugs
Tim // January 11, 2010 at 8:27 pm
I’m afraid your comments have fallen upon deaf ears, mug’s away.
IamVERYserious // January 11, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Fools! Absolute nonsense! Wenger is an honorable man and would NEVER advocate cheating! Every Arsenal insider (like me) knows that he trains all his players to be super-mutant ninja samurai (it didn’t work for Senderos), and that when he says “commit a handball” (wink, wink), it’s a code for “use your flying technique to incapacitate Stephen Hunt, no matter where he is”. And everyone knows that incacitating Stephen Hunt is not a foul, nor is it a crime. So, I ask you… how can it be cheating?
I see you are dazzled by my razor-sharp logic and cannot musturd, er…, muster a reply. Don’t bother. I didn’t use my real name. I’m no mug.
b14d3 // January 12, 2010 at 1:33 am
Danny go back to your spuds forum or mentally retarted forum maybe they can help you out there!!
and good point bokolis!!
also in arsene we trust!!
b14d3 // January 12, 2010 at 1:35 am
Danny go back to your spuds forum or mentally retarted mugs forum maybe they can help you out there!!
and good point bokolis!!
ohh also in arsene we trust!
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