After Manchester United robbed Arsenal earlier in the season, thanks to poor judgement from Almunia and an own goal from Diaby, Arsene Wenger took his frustrations out on Darren Fletcher.
This season, Fletcher has committed fewer fouls than Song and Diaby, despite playing in more games, yet Wenger took the childish move of branding Fletch “anti-football”. Despite not naming him, it was fairly obvious who he was talking about, and refused to deny Darren was the player he was referring to when asked out right.
“I have seen today a player who plays on the pitch only to make fouls,” he said. “For me, this is a point that is more urgent than diving. The players who are never punished. Who get out of the game without a yellow card. I think it is more anti-football than a player who did what Eduardo did.”
Fletcher escaped a booking in that game despite committing several fouls, but over the course of the season has collected 3 yellow cards for his 26 fouls, an average of 1 booking per 8-9 fouls. In contrast, Diaby has just 1 yellow card for his 27 fouls, an average of 1 booking per 27 fouls! Diaby is a perfect example of a player who is never punished.
“That is where Arsene let himself down,” said Ferguson. “What he said was disappointing and actually, I don’t think he believes it for a minute. Everyone knows that Darren Fletcher is not a dirty player or a physical player. He is not built that way. But he can win the ball and his timing and energy to get to it is fantastic. You can’t call that a fault.”
Wenger should be familiar with the “anti-football” player he describes, given his former captain, Patrick Vieira, committed more fouls than anyone in the Premiership during 03-04 season and came second only to Kevin Davies for the amount of fouls he committed in the 04-05 season.
Ferguson has distanced his player from being that sort, likening the attributes of Fletcher to former United player Brian McClair.
“He was exactly the same,” he continued. “When the ball moved, he moved. Darren is in the same mould because he must run more than anyone. His energy and awareness of space are excellent. We have been saying how good he is for a while. Maybe it has taken longer for the fans to appreciate the qualities the boy has.”
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Darren Fletcher – Football Genius! Maybe Arsene’s never heard that…
Come on the RED KNIGHTS!!!!!! Get these Glazer fuckers out of our club! Keith Harris, get it done you’ll be a legend!
Wenger is a bitter and sore loser who only sees the good in Arsenal and the bad in their opponents – He is anti-football because he never speaks the truth about the football crimes committed by his own players – diving,violent conduct and cheating behaviour.
The bridesmaid always calls the bride ugly behind her back.
His comments about Fletch were like the bitter bridesmaid saying
” I am not naming names, but some people look fat in white”
off topic Scott,
but where has obertan disappeared???
DF24 —– Football Genius
RCWI – Loving your anology mate…funny! Wenger does fail to see what is often very obvious. Where are all these Gooners that were insisting Smalling was going to fuck us off for them?…….No doubt they’ll now all be slagging Smalling off after after their manager fought tooth and nail to sign him.
Quiz:
What player made the following statement?
“I watch how good Lampard, Fabregas and Gerrard are but when we play them I think ‘Right, I’m going to see how good you really are! I’m going to get against you and see how you like it. And when you’ve not got the ball I’m still going to get about you and see how you like it.’
“I’m going to ask you ‘Do you fancy it? Do you like getting kicked? Do you like the fact I am going to be at you for the whole 90 minutes?’ As soon as you get the ball I am going to be in your face. You are not going to like it one bit. ‘Are you ready for that because that’s what’s going to happen?”
Answer: Darren (psycho) Fletcher
Conclusion: Alex Ferguson is a moron, and the blogger here is a stinking hypocrite, and a dope.
You all hail Fletcher as this hard man, and then you cry like babies when he gets booked, or someone points out he should be booked.
Modern phenomenon: so-called hard men who cry when they get booked or get free kicks given against them. The real hard men knew they would be carded and would start to walk away as soon as they did their business.
FIFA/UEFA/FA have tol. refs for years to stamp out players fouling repeatedly because it is “against the spirit of the game”. Exact words.
Hypocrites.
It’s true darren fletcher is a serial fouler. you are not contradicting wenger when you point out that he fouled continously but was never booked in that match. this included a blattant clattering of arshavin in the penalty box that was curioulsy ignored by the ref.
when did wenger make comments about fletcher? howdo you all know they were made about fletcher?
Poor excuse by Wenger.Lets not forget that he was the same person who said after 24th October,2004 that ruud is a cheat who only knows how to cheat people.Shows hisutter lack of class.If we win tomorrow,hes likely to come with another pathetic excuse.
Off topic,can anyone tell me anything about ravel morrison? he seems to have vanished.
For Ole Gunner – see PRICK. Alex Song, 5 bookings, Darren Fletcher 3 bookings. I think you’ll also find that Diaby has committed more fouls than FLetch this season! Never seen Fletch crying pal?! Fuck off!
Ole gunner
“so-called hard men who cry when they get booked or get free kicks given against them. The real hard men knew they would be carded and would start to walk away as soon as they did their business.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0nE4bDl4V8
6:21
Fletcher walks away with no complaining towards the players or the ref
Against your team so surely you must remember yes?
I’m surprised at the amount of people on here that don’t follow all aspects of United. From academy, reserves through to the first team. Granted most people don’t have MUTV but they clearly have access to the internet but have no idea what is going on with the club other than how Rooney is playing. What happens at youth level is fundamentally the future of our club, particularly given the financial situation. Yet most people rely on Scott to spoon feed them news. I find this strange.
The majority of people don’t bother their arse to read into the ‘Club’ aspect and seem more focussed on the ‘Team’. It’s a shame really.
Maybe we need to add the “Football Club” element back onto our crest before people forget all together.
More factual injection into the delusional lives of manc airheads:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/294H6m2w6j1w9w5872K7
mikekelly12,
Yes, it’s the same way Arsenal got 6 cards when we came to Old Trafford this season despite the fact that your mob committed more fouls:
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11096_5530011,00.html
Alex Song has played more games than Fletcher. Not unsurprising that he gets more cards.
And Alex doesn’t boast about how he likes to kick players far his superior.
Also ole gunner that was a redcard to avoid permission to rome Even more excuses to complain to the ref yet he stayed quiet.
Read until Dead – Someone got out the wrong side of the bed this morning. Where’s that come from? I’m of the opinion that not everybody has time to follow the ins and outs of the runnings of our beloved football club. Some people have lives to lead as well as following our club. And might I suggest that if you do have MUTV that you cancel your subscription. Judging by your post you must be aware of everything that is going on at our football club, so stop lining the Glazers pockets! LUHG
Macheda – Good point well made. Did you also notice the hoards of Arsenal fans leaving the ground with half an hour remaining. Top quality support!
‘…it was fairly obvious who he was talking about’
said it yourself, no further comment needed.
Oh!
Now you’ve taken to silencing people pointing out your hypocrisy. You’re learning well from your manager.
Bet you get RoM time next?
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11096_5530011,00.html
@Red Until Dead – I think it is far healthier for us to have an interest rather than an obsession in Manchester United.
Knowing absolutely everything about a football team, always going out wearing the United merchandise, talking about nothing other than United. Constantly checking every possible media source for anything whatsoever to do with Manchester United, booking holidays around fixtures, placing everything else on hold before missing even a single game. Drinking tea out of a Manchester United mug and sleeping under a Manchester United duvet cover is never, ever, ever an excuse for having a real personality of your own.
@Ole Gunner
Not having a player like Fletch is exactly why Arsenal have won nothing for 4 years, make that 5 in 3 months time.Since Vieira left your midfield has been struggling against physical sides.
Wenger is just a poor loser who fails to give credit to a striker who rips your backline apart(drogba). Fails to shake hands with the opposition manager after his kids lose(Man City) and blames other teams for not playing the way Arsenal play(Aston Villa)
You still here?!!!
mikekelly12
there arent any half decent Arsenal blogs so dont be surprised to see more nonsense talking gooners here(excuse arsene wenger,the guy who posts comments i mean).
Common reason is ‘we found this link on newsnow and hence came here’
aig alex is god,
Maybe it could be because our old team reached the end of its circle, and you, Liverpool & Chelsea spent about a billion on players while we had to rebuild using a youth policy because of constraints imposed by building a new stadium.
Even when we won trophies, you and the braindead media said we couldn’t handle physical sides. We had Vieira and co when we lost to Bolton and Alan Hansen started the “Arsenal don’t like it up them” nonsense.
But make up your mind and stop being schizophrenic. Is Darren Fletcher a hard man or a mouse?
@Ole Gunner
Your manager touched my front bottom.
“Wenger is just a poor loser who fails to give credit to a striker who rips your backline apart(drogba). Fails to shake hands with the opposition manager after his kids lose(Man City) and blames other teams for not playing the way Arsenal play(Aston Villa)”
thats why he spent the last few days blowing hot air up rooneys arse (much to my annoyance) and saying united dont rely on them when everyone else says they do.
you got all them facts from the sun did you?
aig alex is god – I want to clear something up is this Ole Gunner a united fan or an arsenal fan because he is using a united legends name.
if he is serious that muppet should ask himself why arsenal cant win nothing
oh yes the clown as gunner on the end of his name
mikekelly12 – thanks for your reply mate – I don’t often get a response! Ha.
I’m in a fine and dandy mood this afternoon. Who wouldn’t be after Wednesday!?!
My comment just came from the amount of comments saying “whats happened to [insert player name here]?” and “Where is…these days?”. It’s just strange that no-one knows.
Do you really believe “that not everybody has time to follow the ins and outs of the runnings of our beloved football club”? If this is everyone’s beloved Club, then they should make the time. Particularly if they are going to come on here and wax lyrical about “being a red”.
As for saying MUTV is lining the Glazers pockets – bit of a topic change – but I agree with you – they own the club so yes – my £6 a month goes to them. But where do you draw the line my friend? What about £75,000 reds going to the game every week? Those reds travelling up and down the country and accross europe? Those parents buying their young kids their first ever red shirt? I want the Glazers out as much as the next red, but I also want to watch re-runs of the old games pre-Sky Sports. I want to see a 30mins TV show on our local scouting operation looking for young players. I want to watch quotes from players mouths, rather than what Sky Sports “Sources” have to say on things.
Like I said Mike, it’s hard to know where to draw the line.
Very good points made here and by Alex Ferguson as much as it pains me to say it.
But really, you should all have got the jist by now that Wenger will NEVER publicly critisize Arsenal players or there actions. He will always detract attention from his team and put it on something else – mainly himself.
rtnk
he is an arsenal fan
@ole gunner
when vieira was there you dominated most of the games. i am talking post vieira. is it merely a co incidence that you havent won anythinh since vieira left?. i dont think so.
As for your problem, it is that players who mature at Arsenal leave the club without delivering trophies(adebayor,flamini,hleb). You came so close in 2008 to the league but the lost flamini and hleb and struggled last season.Thats the problem.Fabregas is looking excellent and your main player but he will go to barcelona in the next 2 years and you will have to rebuild again.At United the investment made in players like Ronaldo and Rooney bore fruit in the end. Thats the reason we won all these titles in the last 3 years.The players must stick together and finally a good enough squad will come around that can win trophies
@ole gunner
u seem to be quite sly coz u jst leave out da part of da dbate whch u knw u cnt answer (u faild 2 respond to the 2nd part of aaig’s post @1427) cos u cudn dfend it.
nw hw bou u stop whining n fuk of bak 2 ur ARSEnil blogs (if u hav any) n mke xcuses as 2 y u dint win da league. . .fukn crybaby
@ Ole Gunner
I dont remember Fletch crying mate!! when was this?? I will tell you something I do remember tho pal, Winterburn thinking he was a hard man then nearly diving to the ground coz he thought Di Canio was going to deck him!! or the time Vieira was being a hard man and tried to pick on GNev only for Keano to step up and make Vieira’s arse drop!! Fletch doesnt think he is a hard man he just likes to get stuck in and there is nothing wrong with that, its football not fucking ballet kid!!
Ole Gunner – “Alex Song has played more games than Fletcher”
Don’t come on here claiming to talk about facts and then make shit up.
Song has played in 17 league games this season and committed 38 fouls (making him statistically the 11th dirtiest playing in the Premiership). 2.2 fouls per game.
Fletcher has played in 18 league games and committed 26 fouls. 1.4 fouls per game.
D’oh.
@READ CAREFULLY WHAT I.
First things first – where did you get your mug and duvet from?
Not sure why you went overboard on your comment. Bringing personality into it doesn’t hold any weight at all to your point. Using the word “obsession’ is also a bit heavy.
What makes Manchester United different from the rest is that you get fans that do care about the ins and outs of the club. Some fans couldn’t give a shit what the academy coach/players’ names are. I do care. I cheer when a 16 year old red goes into a 50/50 tackle against a scouse 16 year old and comes out with the ball.
Maybe that’s just me anyway.
off topic
Anyone read/heard about this keith harris `united takeover`? Sounds good on the face of it. Lets wait and see….
Gooner fans on ROM again making shit up.
Must watch/read: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8488910.stm
Arsenal fan here, I actually rate fletcher as he is very good at what he does, He isnt the greatest technically but his main qualities are as a competetive all action in your face midfielder, harrassing opponents, sometimes through niggly fouls & breaking up play, maybe a modern day Nobby Stiles for older readers?This type of player is very difficult to play against & often has a great influence on the game. Sometimes i think arsenal lack that that sort of attitude though flamini had simila energy qualities a couple of years back & now song does break up play from time to time.
Is this type of play Anti football from a purist point of view? fletch commited a number of niggly fouls against Arsenal last time that disrupted the flow of the game & went unpunished, So technically yes it is & im sure Man U fans or fergie would think similar if an opponent did the same & interfered with Uniteds flow . Is this part of the game? well obviously though Im sure these type of repeated incidents infuriate opposing football fans & managers far more than a full blooded commited challenge, However supporters of the same team love these type of players. Its that fine line, Is it ‘clever’ proffesional play, gaining an advantage for your team or should it be punished more? Another example is defenders holding in the penalty area, If you look at someone like Carvalho at Chelski (he has toned it down lately as refs are now clamping down on it) he would though do this repeatedly but very rarely get punnished, Clever Play or cheating? Its all are matter of opinion & opposing managers & fans are always going to have differing views on such matters as its the very nature of the beast. Also Arsenes not the best loser always
Red Until Dead – I have to agree with you mate. I work from 8 in the morning till 7.30 at night yet I still find time to watch reserve and academy games etc. I won’t be cancelling my subscription either as it keeps me up to date with everything United and I just love watching the re runs. Oh and you cannot beat the Paddy show although given some of the ludicrous callers to the show you have to wonder what sort of “fans ” they are.
aig alex is god,
Have you seen Wenger’s disgraceful comments about Giggs?
“”He will stay until the end of his career at Man United,” said Wenger ahead of Sunday’s clash with United. “But he is an exceptional player. For me, he really is an exceptional player.
“What is a shame is this kind of player could not go to the World Cup or the European Championships because they are from Wales.”
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/-it-s-a-shame-giggs-didn-t-go-to-a-world-cup-?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+arsenal-news+%28News+Feed%29
He called Giggs an unadventurous player who’s not good enough to play in the World Cup.
Of course he did not. But I’m just illustrating how the likes of you and your disgraceful football media continually twist Wenger’s words.
Words said in praise of Aston Villa and Drogba were twisted to say the exact opposite of what he was saying.
I expect people to be smarter thanthe blogger here who claims Wenger said Fletcher is anti-football.
Just hope it isn’t Keith Harris of “Orville” fame.
Well, if fletcher is not hard he seems to be thick as you manc fans:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/8487895.stm
enjoy the defeat girls
As long as hes not in debt ill take him
GLAZER OUT
Cocky arsenal fans on ROM today.
@rooneyisclass
ravel Morrison has been struggling with injuries all season nothing serious but been picking up a lot of niggles hence the reason there has not been much said about him! He was back on the bench in the youth cup the other night!
This Keith Harris fella seems genuine. Fingers crossed.
@The Shankill Skinhead
The problem is Keith Harris talks about ‘Super Rich INVESTORS’ and that’s an issue.
More than one owner is asking for trouble. Looks at Liverpool where so many of their issues come down from the two owners not agreeing on direction and then falling out
And then you have the issue in that Investors are almost certainly going to fall into one of the following groups
1) Glazer Type business people who want to make a profit at the end of the day. MUST and alot of the Fans will declare a win initially with this type of investor but in a few years the same issues will exist. Prices will rise, they will take alot of money out of the club and transfer budgets won’t be any higher
2) A status symbol type owner as we see at City and Chelsea. Much like City and Chelsea fans the fans will be happy at the start as the owners will buy players left right and centre BUT that’s worrying because these type of owners are flakey. They get over involved, buy players over the head of the manager and spend way too much money on transfers and wages until he gets bored and stops paying attention and if he quits the club leaves us in debt to them and with a business that isn’t sustainable.
Plus Keith Harris doesn’t fill me with much hope. Lets look at his history of the takeovers he has overseen
1)Chelsea
2)Aston Villa
3)Shinawatra’s take over of City
4)Eggert Magnússon takeover of West Ham
The Villa one was pretty well done, Chelseas I guess is successful but theres alot of negativity to it. CItys was a failure and West Hams was a complete and utter Farce.
And he is the guy responsible for trying to sell Newcastle and also for trying to sell Everton.
And this is the problem, the Grass always seem Greener beforehand but its riddled with potholes and we shouldn’t delude ourselves that getting the Glazers out will improve things
while i don’t like opposing fans coming on here trying to wind us up, it does make for good banter, and to be fair some actually come on here and make some valid points.
anyway, let the gooners come on here and crow if they want to, most of the idiots get found out immediately. my policy is to generally ignore the opposing fans who post on here spouting rubbish and inaccurate facts. talk is cheap, the only facts are what happen in the match. so let the idiots talk, and we’ll see what happens on the pitch on sunday.
“I’ll see you out there” – roy keane to viera
If you read/watch the story, you`ll apprecitate Harris is being approached by `a wealthy group of investors`to broker a buy out of united. If it is indeed true that these `knights` are united supporters and have united at heart then this news can only be good news.
Americans and particularly debt ridden americans should never be allowed to own manchester united. Fit and proper persons they are not.
It might be acceptable for other clubs to welcome unknown foreign owners with open arms but not this club. Matt Busby built this club through hard work and commitment.
Lets stand up and not let him down.
It is all so fucking obvious. Fletcher is an honest player, everyone knows it. The ones who disagree are just biased deluded fans of the other clubs.
I am being honest and said a few times that Rooney sometimes dives in order to help THE TEAM win games.
Ah yes the mouthy gobshites from north london they can give it out but can’t take it. Never seen a ground so empty after 20 minutes as I did last year at the world biggest library aka emirates. Promise not to leave and go running back crying to your mummies if we go 2-0 up in 15 minutes this time.
@ The Shankill Skinhead
You’re last paragraph says it all mate.
@The Shankill Skinhead
So the owners have to be from ‘Manchester’ in your eyes then to be acceptable?
As for the Investors being United Fans, I must have missed that. I see Harris saying that HE is a Fan but I don’t see them saying the investors are Fans or that they are from Manchester or even England
This is what i called a sour grape. LOL
Wakey
I did not say the owners had to `come from manchester`. I said american ownership was not acceptable. Can you imagine barcelona being happy with american owners or the new york yankees, new york giants or dallas cowboys clamouring for a hostile foreign bid. Thought not.
for welbz 19, thanks mate,i missed the youth game the other night,not heard much about ravel for a while.
For red until dead,Im glad to hear you are some kind of superfan,well done!
I too like to keep up with all the man u teams,but I havnt heard anything about morrison for a while,if thats ok with you?
Wakey – I saw the interview and he did say that the investors were fans of United. He also said that they had their own money and any potential purchase would be made without debt. Can’t be all bad.
Ole Gunner – Wanker Eboue high kicking Evra in the 2008 FA Cup tie at OT. Gallas and Flamini scything Nani after his ball juggling antics in the same game. Two examples of anti-football. Fuck off you cunt.
ole gunner
dont pick out one out of 100 things wenger said which were good.More often than not he says silly things and those words of his about Fletcher and Drogba were not twisted or modified.You know that so dont talk nonsense
Honestly now, they’ve known each other for more than a decade. Can’t believe Fergie didn’t expect Wenger’s usual whinging when clubs don’tt play into their hands and actually stand up to them.
@ Ole Gunner – Find a video/picture of Fletch crying, and then you can call him a “mouse”.
ole gunner,you should see the guy who cries actually.its wenger who cries after every match.last week against villa where he says all bullshit and he’s a freaking blind guy.he never see’s his player fouls but all others.alex song played lesser matches and more fouls u blind cribber.and remember patrick viera is a wuss.he TRIED picking on gary and then keano made him shit his pants….i’ll never forget that.but i must credit you gunners for one thing.even though u dont win anything u always think u will.keep thinking.
I know Dara O’Briain is an Arsenal fan but I didn’t like his comment on his Guardian blog that…
“And Darren Fletcher! Jesus, Darren Fletcher. Running around kicking people and then screaming in the ref’s face when he gets a card for running round kicking people.”
… I think that’s factually incorrect, I usually enjoy Dara’s blog but that is just not true!
@arsene wenger
He made those comments after the 2-1 game at Old Trafford at the start of this season
Ole Gunner secretely loves the club……Hence the name.
You are some twat. What do you expect teams to stand off and allow you play to your strengths and then bitch about it when they play to thiers?
Its that lack of drive and conviction that has let arsenal down since viera. You lot could could do with a Darren Fletcher battling in midfield and getting in peoples faces.
In saying that I actually respect the way arsenal play (and for the most part the fans too….apart from clowns like you of course), and look forward to to the games between the two best pure footballing teams in the Premier League.
LUHG
Ole Gunner – you are talking absolute rubbish mate. Every team would want a Darren Fletcher in the team… he is a very good player and will still develop more in the next few years. He hasn’t put a foot wrongs for 3-4 years now.
He is NOT a dirty player, we have watched him for so many years. Sometimes players make a bad tackle in frustration, like Rooney does, van Persie does and so many others great players have too [zidane], we don’t claim them all to be dirty. Even Giggsy has gone down softly for a penalty few years ago if I recall, just like Fabregas did [IMO] in lsat year’s CL match.
Every player in their career, does a few things they are not proud of. If they are so frequent as Drogba’s, then he deserves to be labeled a disgrace… which I’m sure anyone with eyes can see that Fletcher is not.
Us United fans are proud of Darren Fletcher, he is a very honest player and should be appreciated.
football genius