Last week I wondered whether Arsene Wenger was ‘doing a Rafa’ with his comments siding with the Spaniard, claiming United had an unfair advantage with their fixtures. He had a problem with our Premiership match falling on a Tuesday, when Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea’s are played today. However, United played in the Cup on Saturday, whilst Arsenal and Liverpool played in the Cup on Sunday. It makes perfect sense.
He then claimed United had an unfair advantage because our game wasn’t due to be played until the Monday. However, just the week before, Liverpool had exactly the same situation, with ten days between their two Premiership games. That Monday fixture has now been changed to Saturday tea-time regardless, so he certainly has nothing to complain about now.
Just to make sure we were totally clear on Wenger’s state of mind, he has today revealed he thinks Everton could win the league and that United aren’t guaranteed a Champions League spot. Interesting.
“There are five or even six teams who could still win the title,” said Wenger. “Do not rule out Aston Villa and even Everton. It is much tighter than people think. When there are still 16 games to go and we are just four points behind third place, you cannot say that the final positions are already decided. Why does everyone think that Chelsea and Liverpool are guaranteed to be in the Champions League next season? I do not understand that. Even Manchester United are not certainties. Everyone says they are the favourites yet they are not winning 4-0 or 5-0 every week. So why should the other teams not have hope of coming back?’’
Man Utd News 24/7
Well, there’s a 5-0 in the bag for you Arsene. Let’s all hope that we can get 4 or 5-0′s every week or we’re stuffed!
What a plonker!
what the hell is he talking about? this time its truly crazy. but i do feel that the last article about wenger doing a ‘rafa’ was a little over the top. if you read his entire talk you would see that he wasnt really saying that the fixtures were favoring united…..
loved last nights game…. we tore them apart……
hahaha! You are right Scott! He has lost it!
Points don’t mean everything at this stage of the tournament. one has to look at the fixtures list as well. United have a game in hand, and our toughest games are going to be against Liverpool, Arsenal ans Villa all at home. While all the other top four (plus Villa) have really tough away games to Anfield, Stamford Bridge and OT.
Not to mention the huge gap between the depth of the squads of Everton and United! We are just getting started as far as our top stars are concerned. Rio has hardly played in 2 and a half months. Wes hasn’t played shite yet! Not to mention the fact the Giggsy, Carrick, Ronaldo, Berbatov and Tevez are all hitting top gear at about the same time! With Rooney too set for a comeback in the coming months, we have more top players on form, and top players with fresher legs (Rio, Wes, Park, Rooney) than any other team in the whole league. Tosic adds another dimension too.
Whenever Nani returns, it just adds the icing on the cake that spells HAPPY QUADRUPLE OF 2009!
does wenger, after being top top manager for so many years really believe that a top team wins 4 or 5-0 everytime?
And let me add this.
If United aren’t guaranteed a CL spot at this stage, Arsenal aren’t even guaranteed a top flight league spot!
Of course, the truth is that you’re not winning 4-0 or 5-0 every week. You’re scraping away wins by the odd goal. They all count but you’ve hardly looked dominant.
Wenger clearly said that he felt that fixture arrangements in one week favoured Utd. He did not say that he felt that was always the case.
No-one disputes that Utd are an excellent team. Unfortunately, no-one disputes that Utd fans are a bunch of charmless ingrates either.
Ahem, Wenger has not lost the plot (*cough*). Arsene knows! He is just being realistic. Everton are tittle contenders! Dont write off Spurs and Hull, they are also title contenders! And ManU’s ECL spot (*cough*) is also not gueranteed.
As in any business your only as good as you last success you are judged by results.
Results and trophys have been lacking and there has been many mistakes in the last 2 years here are just a few
Mistake 1. failing to strengthen the team in January 2008.
Mistake 2. letting Diarra go when he knew Flamini was going to run down his contract
Mistake 3. retaining Gallas as captin after the Birmingham game
Mistake 4. Not replacing Flamini.Gilberto in the summer
Mistake 5. Going it cheap with silveste rather than buy a world class defender to shore up leaky defence
Mistake 6. Not even trying to put right the defence and midfield this january
There are many others like playing Eboue,subs at the spurs game this year etc etc
Whilst other teams are using this window to strengthen there squads we again do nothing we can not compete in the top 4 without spending money and getting some players
I have just seen Heskey score on his first Villa start.
All i can is that if we dont win anything and if we finish outside the top 4 Wenger must go
anon i swear you were an arsenal fan before?
nothings worse than a dirty gloryhunting c***!!!
wenger just trying to take some pressure of his stuttering team
What a bender!
See you in May Arsene – will let you know if Utd are playing Champs League next season.
Arsene Wenger is attempting a bit of a Rafa rant to try to do what Mourinho did so successfully. Maybe, just maybe, Rafa & Wenger are preparing themselves for failure so they can claim at their last press interview ‘ManUtd was always a FA-favoured team, we ___________ are as good, but the fixtures were ‘made’ for ManUtd’. (fill in the blanks with ‘L’pool’ or ‘Arsenal’).
Arsenal will be lucky to make UEFA Cup at this rate. Deluded French twat.
“Wenger clearly said that he felt that fixture arrangements in one week favoured Utd. He did not say that he felt that was always the case.”
hey Pete, no one is saying that Wenger said it is always the case. If you have read what has been written properly, it has been proven that Wenger is WRONG. The fixtures list for this week does not unfairly favour us. The same happened to Liverpool, and Wenger obviously had no problems then, so whats bothering him now? Just coz its United?
In other news, Robinho has been arrested over allegations of serious sexual assault in a nightclub.
the problem you have here mate is with titles like yours they’re gonna show up on newsnow under arsenal, hence the floods of gooners reading this, trust me it’s not down to the sheer populairty of your ever-bias blog.
everyone knows playing your game a day or two after your rivals have played theirs gives a psychological advantage, hence the last games of all group rounds be played at the same time, and all games kick off simultaniously on the last day of the season, but naturally united have a nice savings account of games in hand due to their partaking in some mickey mouse tournament that really should have been played in their own time and not when premier league games were scheduled, so can you really blame other managers for having a dig when fergie would have undoubtedly done the same. when your beloved scott winds up other managers he’s “king of mindgames psyching out the opposition” but when one of his rivals do it they’re “losing their minds”….right
and as for everton winning the league, of course he doesn’t think that, he’s merely making the point that it’s a deadlock between places 1-6 right now, and mathematically no one can be written off, he’s showing equal respect to everyone in the title race, whilst mathematically any of those teams could finish 1st or 6th, respect for other clubs, try it some time, or maybe just have a go at realising your club don’t have a divine right to be in the champions league, no one does, but then i guess the mighty united do get special treatment from the authorities, no one’s denying that.
Is this an Arsenal blog then?
Don’t rule out Everton? If Everton win the league this years then I’m a Dipper.
this i how it feels to be wenger, this is how it feels to be vile, this is how it feels to be hanging out the back of a child
Take a comment, out of context and what do you have? He’s lost the plot.
Get over yourselves, I and Im sure many fans couldn’t give a stuff about the fixture list and will quite honestly admit we know we have no chance of the title. Scott you love stirring don’t you?
Keith
When will you stop spouting your shite across every blog concerning Arsenal. Noone gives a flying fuck what you think.
In relation to Wenger’s comments about Man U, he just mentioned that while they were winning, they hadnt hid top form. Although he was proved wrong by that scintillating performance against WBA, he is just highlighting the closeness of the race, with Everton hitting form, Villa’s lucky run continuing and Liverpool and Chelsea struggling
Islington
And you must have been a Leeds fan? Just get the crap outta here if can’t talk football!
Gooner, that seems reasonable to me, but is he just making excuses in saying the race is very close when Arsenal are simply not equipped to win the title, why buy Arsharvin when really a nasty centre back or likewise midfielder is more needed?
Wonderboy – no, it’s a United blog. Some fella said United were not a certainty to play in next season’s Champions League. I will respond to what that fella said.
Gooner77 – you call it stirring, I call it having a laugh. It’s funny to see Wenger jumping on the Benitez bandwagon, rallying against United. If I find it funny, I will post about it. Fair do’s eh? It is my blog afterall.
It is really laughable that people still think United gets favoured by the FA! All those crying about the fixtures list right now were quite mum during the first half of the season. Din see either the Frnechman or the fat Spaniard complaining about Liverpool and Chelsea having easier fixtures than United? Now when the the whole thing comes a full circle, and United get their share of the easy ones, every one is up and about crying to any one willing to hear!
Want to take some heat off your players Arsene? Here is a tip, BUY! So pre-occupied in saving his pennies, that he would happily settle for a CL spot and no trophies. It seems even that is deserting his team this season, and he joins the mad Raffer at Anfield in trying to take credit away from United. The FA helping United will be the biggest wonder the world will never see.
But WTF! Let em all cry, as they watch us bag a third successive PL!
Utd-10 (+1)
Arse- 3
Cheksea- 2
Looserpool- NIL
Stirring, having a laugh, it’s the same shit mate. Wenger hardly jumped on the Benitez bandwagon he said one week the fixtures might look like they favour one club and another week they might favour a different one. I think it was a long winded way of saying it all evens itself out. There you go, you stirred me into a response.
Gooner77 – that’s where you’re wrong. He said United had been “extremely advantaged” by playing on Tuesday instead of Wednesday… despite us playing in the Cup on Saturday and you playing in the Cup on Sunday. It was just normal logic that’s how it goes. He also said it was “an unfair competition” because of United’s fixtures. If he thinks they even themselves out, then how is it unfair? Hmm.
Come back when you can explain that one.
Fair do’s, but i heard the whole interview, Wenger was very gracious towards Fergie, he certainly wasn’t doing a mad Rafa.
keanesmagichat Said,January 28th, 2009 @10:35 this i how it feels to be wenger, this is how it feels to be vile, this is how it feels to be hanging out the back of a child
————————————————————————————————–
Did you go to school to learn how to be an idiot or does it come naturally – Im betting on the latter!
Plus it must be one of the fews time this blog gets a hit when you have anything to do with Arsenal in the title.
Do us all a favour mate – dont write about us and we then would have no need to be dragged in here under the false pretence of you writing anything readable.
Go through Arsene’s comments properly before you jump to conclusions.
He said that the match arrangements favoured United this time but had also favoured Liverpool in the past. So get your facts right!!
Mrs Walcott – one of the few times this blog gets a hit?
Read it and weep: http://www.itv.com/Sport/Football/News/Holdingstory/Soccerlensawards/default.html
On d gooner – it is you who needs to get your facts right. Wenger said the Premiership had been made “an unfair competition” by United’s fixtures. How do you figure Wenger thinks it evens out in the end if he says it’s unfairly favouring United? If it was Liverpool one week and United the next, then the fixtures would be fair, right? Christ, it’s getting far easier to cut Arsenal fans down these days.
Not winning a pot for three seasons is obviously getting to these gooners, accept the fact that your manager has got things wrong, and he is trying to mask his mistakes by saying other sides have an advantage.
in fairness saying we’re ill equipped to compete for the title is true whilst we’ve had a first team forward and 3 of our 4 first team midfielders out for the best part of the season if not all of it, in fabregas, walcott, rosicky and eduardo
i’d love to see you lot fair without rooney ronaldo scholes and carrick for a season.
We have twelve/thirteen players out at the moment and won five nil, and are top of the league.
To be honest Scott, I cannot explain it and don’t have enough interest in this topic to even think about it anymore. It’s a non event mate
I think maybe it was said by Wenger to maybe keep his team on its toes.
Seriously? We Gooners cant compair ourselves to the Mancs. We’ve won fuck all in 5 years, and the Mancs won 3 trophies last year alone. I miss the days where i would bash a Manc and back it up with a trophy or two, it sucks really! Arsenal is not the team it was a few years ago, FACT! Maybe we will be a great team in 3-4 years if we can hang on to our young guns. But for now, we have nothing against the Mancs, they are out of our league.
BTW, if Wenger really believes Everton are title contenders, then he’s really loosing it.
You’ll never win anything without a good mixture of Youth and experience, a slight change on Hansens famous rant! But Fergie has the balance BANG ON, with plenty of youngsters still to shine. keep hold of your players you big goon and we will still be a better team in 3-4 years!!!
Gooner77 – so you take time to make a couple of posts on this blog, claiming I am wrong and translate Wenger’s comments for me. When I show you that your translation is wrong, that Wenger wasn’t actually saying the fixtures even out, rather the league is made unfair and United have an advantage, suddenly you have no interest in the topic. My my, what a coincidence. You suddenly couldn’t care less once I’ve shown you to be wrong. I didn’t see that one coming pal, I swear
Mate I haven’t been shown up as wrong, I was saying it’s a minor issue and if the press have made something of it, it’s because they have nothing better to write about. Rafa’s rant smacked of paranoia and Wenger’s point was that at some stages over a season every team will be advantaged/disadvantaged by the way the list turns out and that it is not the fault of any club but a result of the way the fixtures are worked out.
Quote:
“I don’t know, you would have to analyse that better. It is not Manchester United’s fault, it is not Liverpool’s fault. It is the organisers of the fixtures. They have a case to explain.”
How you have insinuated that this is actually Wenger attacking Utd I don’t know. Start a fight? Empty room? Anyone?
Gooner77 – like I just said fairly clearly, Wenger’s point clearly isn’t that every team is advantaged/disadvantaged over the course of a season, because then, it would be FAIR. It is FAIR if all teams have the same advantages/disadvantages. Wenger says it is NOT FAIR.
“He said one week the fixtures might look like they favour one club and another week they might favour a different one. I think it was a long winded way of saying it all evens itself out.” Well, you are wrong, because that’s not actually what he said at all.
“You can say that Manchester United have been extremely advantaged. It is difficult to explain why one team plays on Tuesday and the others are all on Wednesday. It is unfair competition. I do not think you need to be a specialist in football to understand that in this case it is an unfair advantage for Manchester United. Will it have an advantage on the global season? I don’t know, you would have to analyse that better in time.”
What you have just quoted shows that Wenger isn’t blaming United for the fixtures, yeh, so what’s your point? Obviously we know the fixtures aren’t dictated by United. The point is Wenger says United are given an unfair advantage which could have an effect on the whole season.
The fact that United’s Monday fixture has been changed to a Saturday negates Wenger’s silly “fact” *snigger* anyway.
At no point did I claim Wenger was attacking United. I’ve simply pointed out that the point he is trying to make is wrong and silly, which it is.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wenger-fixture-list-assists-man-united
This is what AW said about fixtures. Mathetically it has also been proven to be correct that a team as far back as 15points can still win the league, In the late 90s Arsenal came from 10points down to win the league (or maybe only ARSENAL can do that?).
Yesterday’s red card was rather dubious, even Giggs was surprised. That ref must be red through and through.
We would have lost if Robinson had stayed on the pitch.
Stephen, don’t start an argument on whether the point is silly or not silly. Nobody said you would lose.
At an educated guess I would say he was probably asked a question by a journalist and he gave his opinion, which is valid. Obviously his opinion means something to you or you wouldn’t of brought it up. Two posts back I said that this doesn’t even really warrant discussion but you would’t let it lie would you
It really is a non issue, your team won 5-0 away from home last night. That’s more to shout about eh?
to be fair…I didn’t think Wenger’s original comments were what they were made out to be by the press and ROM but I accept this is a bit of a blinkered United blog so there is no complaints…However, if we are going to rail against the press for their hyperbolic reporting about Ronaldo’s comments, we should try to not commit the same offences…Also, i knew some half-wits like you Arselicked would be chirping up today about the red card and I think Stephen sums it up aptly you complete div kid…It’s not our fault that Rob Stiles is incompetent, he’s incompetent all the time…we hadn’t conceded in ten games, 1-0 up against bottom of the league and you think the sending off of Paul Robinson made a difference…says it all for your embittered lot
The same old Gooner shit on here the whole time, spouting crap as usual… “oohh Scott, dont use Arsenals name in your blog titles, cause that attracts us like flies round shit, and you just want us to read your crappy blogs cause no one else does (voted best british football blog by the way).”…
Fair enough Gooners, so ye come on here, see its a crap blog, leave a slightly insulting post and than go? do ye fuck! ye stay here for the fucking day whinging that ye dont get a fair go, answering any posts going, moan that we’re all so bias towards United on here, and that Scott stirs it a bit with the way he writes??? Will ye just fuck off to your own web pages, instead of moaning on her ALL THE FUCKING TIME???
Arselicked, why make the point then?
Surely you are not saying the referees are biased against all teams bar United, and we get favourism?
Jake, how could you lose with Scott Carson playing the way he is playing.
I also think Rob Stiles got a little help from the way Park Ji Sung lay on the floor as if he was seriously hurt. I think he was doing an Eboue.
I think Stiles is one of your own, you should be happy.
Same ol’ gooner tripe… always failing to accept the fact that their manager is losing his edge. Now Wenger is saying: “There are five or even six teams who could still win the title. Do not rule out Aston Villa and even Everton. It is much tighter than people think.” This being the same Wenger who ruled out Aston Villa as potential champions in December by declaring: “Don’t think Villa can win the title. Mathematically, they are in there but if you ask me if they can win the title I would say no, because there are other teams who look to me better equipped”?
Glad to see Wenger is preparing gooner fans for the disappointment of coming fifth this season and predictably enough, they are all falling for it.
“or maybe just have a go at realising your club don’t have a divine right to be in the champions league”. As Champions of Europe we do pal!
Scott, you’re really starting to utilize the tabloid way to write news now… He said ‘even Everton’ and ‘even United’. And, if you look at the table, you’ll see how right he is.
It must be awful to be mediocre. United fro their third title on bounce. Who is there to stop us?
Wenger is a statistician and a numbers man, if its mathematically possible, then Wenger sees it as a possible outcome, albeit an unlikely one.
Arsenal stopped the Mancs once and it can stop them again… well i hope so.
Big Goon, we stopped you when you thought you were invincible – then you capitulated like the soft Southern ponces you are.
Colbert – well said. Big Goon, we stop ALL teams MOST seasons, so go harp on your about past glories somewhere else, we’ve a league title to go win AGAIN!!!
I think he just meant to say “anything is possible” aka “Arsenal can win the league”.
United ARE guaranteed for the simple reason that United won the Champions league last year
The thing I don’t like about the Emirates stadium is the fact that around the top stands the balcony front has the details of all the titles and cups that Arsenal have won – it’s really in your face and to be honest the first time I saw it I turned to a mate and said – “What’s happened? Did they run out of paint after the 05 Cup Final? Is that why there’s nothing up there since then?”
Its fucking pretentious and it’ll remain unfinished for a few seasons to come. Arsenal are in serious trouble this year and Fergie knew they wouldn’t be title contenders – that’s why he let Sylvestre go to them – he would never let a player go to a team he thought would be challenging for the title.
I reckon the only titles the Gooners will be picking up will be from their ladies team.
Will you Arsenal lads please leave the Forum, after all we don’t fuck about on yours, do we?
Mrs Walcott a message for you
Ill start by saying i like arsenal
i like football played well and on there day they can turn it on
but my point(s) to you are this …
manchester united made history in 99 with there greatest season they have ever had..still to this day
the league they won that year was the first in a historic 3 in a row
then united hit a transistion were they had to rebuild straighten and get back to been number 1 which they did
money or no money chelsea built a team that it took alot of hard work to overtake
all due respect to chelsea.
now all due respect to arsenal
to win a league undefeted is historic and amazing but instead of rebuilding and straightin and working out your problems arsenals fall was shockin.
blackburn level shockin.
and dressing room fallouts have happened in manchester united
boardroom staff have changes
backroom staff have changed
united sold one of the worlds best strickers to a spanish team
united lost there midfield world class captain
but it all lies in how well it is managed
and that lands on the manager
He is not stating “FACTS”
what a stupid speech from Mr. Wenger…
we have some more facts after today’s results. dippers dropping more points, arsenal losing. Maybe their managers should concentrate on football, and not compete in mind games with the heavyweight Sir Alex
OH WHAT A WEEK!!! RAFACT BENEATH-US HAS JUST LED HIS TEAM TO ANOTHER DRAW AT WIGAN.( HE PULLED OUT TORRES AND BROUGHT IN RIERA, PULLED OUT BENAYOUN AND BROUGHT IN KUYT AND THEN BRINGS OUT STEVIE ME AND BROUGHT IN KEANE)
ARSENE WANKER HAS PREDICTED THAT EVERTON ARE TITLE FAVOURITES BECAUSE HE KNOWS THEY WILL NEED A 92ND MINUTE EQUALISER TO GETA POINT AT GOODISON PARK. CHELSEA SEEMS TO BE ROLLING AGAIN WITH A 2-0 WIN OVER BORO AT THE BRIDGE.
I THINK WE REALLY NEED A WIN OVER EVERTON AT THE WEEKEND AND THEN HOPE THAT VILLA, ARSENAL, CHELSEA AND THE DIPPERS WILL ALL DRAW THEIR GAMES. I REALLY HOPE THESE WIL HAPPEN.
Mrs Walcott is your first name Theo and you occaissonaly play for Arsenal?
*occasionally…
oops, one ‘s’ too many! I must have been s-s-s-s-s-star struck!?!?!
Olusanjo: Do you have an option on your keyboard that says ‘caps lock’?
addmittedly i havent read all of his comment through properly cos tbh with ya i dont realy give a rats ass what hes said but from what iv read to me it sounds more like he said everton could win the league to give everton a lift vs the dipper …but that kinda depends on when he said it
anyone got any new on robiniho?
Why cant we all get along?
This lack of understanding is just down to pure greed; everyone wants what they can’t have, shouldn’t have or won’t have.
Lets start with what everyone has now: Chelsea 1/2 European Cup, Arsenal 0 Cup (am not sure if the won the Emirates Cup), Liverpool : 5 CL crowns prints at the back of your shirt, United: 1 PL Crown, 1 World cup, 1/2 CL crown (keeping the trophy for not missing the penalty).
Fixture standings: 1. United 50, 2. Chelsea, 3. Liverpool, 4. Aston Villa, 5. Arsenal. If you arent happy, lets see the results on the pitch to justify your arguements.
No one has ever argued with the official records and won!
i think he wishes we would ruin everything as they did last year but he forgets something, we don’t have a RafaWenger-mixed-minded manager.Until they do not stop blacken us they can not get away from this idiotic situation.Just try playing footbal huh
hahaha i am enjoying this really. so many goners here.. haha
I bet it must be really hard to swallow reading the headline “Wenger has lost the plot” on the news list… but i think its harder to swallow when your team is not even in the top four now haha. and that’s why Arsene actually came out with that hilarious statement. It’s true, very clear to everyone who can count, that this season’s the tightest ever. What Arsene said is true mathematically, but, it’s just hilarious. So dont get mad at us for having laugh.
HAHAHAHHAHA
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA
anyway i still think Mr Arsene Wenger is a smart man, because obviously he can count, haha, and he’s using it just to take away the pressure on his team.
But the way he’s telling it, it’s just..hahahaha
great joker when losing(the p**t) nope?
Ok, so first it was Benitez, now Wenger..big Phil or Ray Wilkins next week? Hopefully they do a powerpoint presentation of their “opnions” and not paper of off heart.
why wenger so obsessed with mathematically this and that? may i say at the 1st game of the season it is mathematically possibble for wba to win the league? of course but do they have a chance in reality?