Morning all.
On Friday, Arsene Wenger threatened to walk out on a press conference for the first time during his time as Arsenal manager I think. It was clear he was stressed, it was clear he was pretty pissed off with the questions being asked and I’m not surprised. The press have an agenda, they don’t like our club and they certainly don’t like our manager.
Maybe that’s because he’s French, maybe it’s because he once fielded a side which didn’t include one English player, maybe it’s just because the press are gits and love getting up the noses of managers after a loss!
When Arsene Wenger fielded a non English side, we’d just beaten Crystal Palace 5-1, we’d had a few good years and had just gone the entire season without losing. Ok, we’d had a strong English presence in the likes of Adams, Keown, Dixon, Wright and Winterburn but as they left/retired, money was tight with the move to the Emirates going ahead and signing English players wasn’t cheap. A number who were signed, flopped! And would those same press vultures not wanted to have seen Bergkamp, Pires, Overmars, Anelka, Henry etc etc etc grace the English game?
They forget too that back in 1999 Chelsea became the first club to field starting elven which contained no English players but because they had a few English players on the bench, all was deemed ok. Arsenal back on their day had English players but they were injured.. But the press ignored that, they just laid into Wenger, because they could…
Then there was Alan Pardew who not so long ago ‘went foreign’ and he fielded an all overseas Newcastle eleven, but not a word was muttered about that really. Certainly not compared to the stick Arsene Wenger took.
Back to Friday. Later in the day, Dick Advocaat went one step further. A bad start to the season after saving Sunderland from relegation last term, the constant questions about his future became all too much. He walked out and who can blame him really. Sunday he went one step further and walked out on Sunderland. He wasn’t sacked but the pressure had all got too much to handle, maybe the press pushed him.
Rodgers too has been on the end of some tricky questions having had a pretty average start to the season, he’s even had to talk about Klopp and Ancellotti possibly replacing him which although funny for us, must be really painful for him. Like Advocaat, he’s gone, sacked on Sunday and after spending millions in the summer. Odd one really as why didn’t they just sack him in the summer if he wasn’t to be given time with all of the new players…
The press also like to ask other managers about things which are going on at other clubs which I personally believe is all wrong. Look at how many times Wenger has been asked about Mourinho and Chelsea and what other clubs do. It’s clear there’s an agenda. They are simply trying to stoke the fire between two clubs and two managers, especially when it comes to Mourinho and Arsene Wenger.
Is it right though?
Surely a press conference held before a game should be all about that game and nothing else. Why keep harping on about the game before when it’s over and done with? Why when managers are going through a tough time should they be asked about their future and there’s certainly no reason to be asking any manager his thoughts on another club or it’s manager.
Perhaps a few more managers should follow Dick Advocaats lead.
Or better still, Fergie’s and take the fine….
That’s today done, just food for thought about our dear media….
Morning rico, interest question.
Personally, I’d like the press to ask Wenger more searching questions sometimes. Those that we all want answers to. After defeat in Europe when 5 fringe players come in, or after injuries to a number of players, ‘Do you not think that your transfer activity of the summer will come back to bite you?’. Or ‘Do you realise how the fans, particularly season ticket holders, feel knowing money is available and it is staying earning interest while Sneiderlin plays elsewhere?’. If he storms out so be it. AW has been fortunate that with Welbecks injury, and Akpom’s release, that Walcott has come good. How would we have done with just Giroud and his bans? This season is pretty open and again we are in with a chance, but when you look at City’s squad I expect we will fall short. Two big signings and I think we would have been flying now.
How many of us would tolerate the nature in which questions are asked?
Quite often I wouldn’t.
Too often, the questions aim is not to find an answer, but to draw a reaction.
Personal attacks should never, ever be allowed, IMO.
We all must remember these managers are also just men doing a job.
Scott for me the problem is Arsene is actually liked by the press because they know he is savvy and clued up and answers most of their questions which leaves him open to various avenues of attack from others. My issue is if he just said “look i understand there are things going on at other clubs and in football but for me it’s a matter of what goes on at Arsenal and my opinion about other clubs and issues is a private matter ask me questions about my club my players and I will answer you if it’s about other matter then I am sorry but I am not interested in giving my opinion”
That would stop all the outside influence of them trying to bait him on what this one or that one thinks and cut out all the crap from other teams. Stick to Arsenal questions and if you don’t then sorry but I am not interested in replying……….. Then maybe the questions would stop because they know they wasting their time asking..!
He has been way to open and nice to the press so they think they can ask anything and infer anything and he will answer and give an opinion.
I think it was the ‘so is Mourinho right’ question which really cheesed me off Andrew..
I get your point about the money etc….
Yes Wath, I’d have stopped answering questions about other clubs/managers a long time ago…
Wath, I reckon I’ve seen it a hundred times…….the person holding the Press Cnference stating they do not wish to discuss a certain topic, and the first question is about it.
They don’t care…..too many just want that reaction.
Its almost as if they don’t care what the manager has to say, as long as they get their own voice on tape lol
I do agree he’s been too open and honest for his own good, though.
Scott, look how easy AW shut them up last Friday though. As soon as he threatened to walk out, the media wound their necks in.
He has to answer questions, but those should always be about Arsenal and not driven by that Portuguese pigmy or any other manager….
I did like the Jacqui Oatley interview last year though… 😉
Off again, laters..
Wath, he has just that to the press many, many times, and not answered or given any opinions thereafter. They persist though, the press that is, because they think, one we’ll catch him out! Then we can pin him to the mast!
I cannot remember him ever sounding off except when Fergie was in his arrogant pomp!
To be fair I haven’t seen the interview in question, Rico, but if that’s the case, maybe he should adopt that tactic more often.
Fire up Arsene 🙂
To my mind Wenger lost he’s temper when the press started acting like mouth pieces for Mourinho.
So why wouldn’t he get angry maybe he should do it more often with does idiots
All part of the media propagation of their daily soap opera.
And rightly so Joe. imo anyway…
When the team is winning the press conferences have a very different tone to when it’s losing. Rather like the blogs. Most of the London-based journalists are either West Ham or Spurs fans though there are some recent Chelsea converts, presumably after a free lunch or air fare.
John Cross, who claims to be an ITK where Arsenal are concerned is a very stupid man in reality. We should have a little more faith in the club and pay less notice to the journalists who, when you meet them, are actually little more than alcoholic scum with a chip on their shoulder. They are fine to take the piss out of but should be regarded with the derision due to such low-life’s.
What Arsenal fans should never do is to foster an atmosphere where the club are victims of these people because they really are not worth it and it demeans Arsenal to suppose that they matter at all.
Win the PL and shut them up Adam, that’s the best way….
Rico. Bang on. They’ll still have plenty to say though. 🙂
Good Afternoon Lovelies and Hunkies.
Ahhhh. Press conferences. They are opportune moments when journalists poke their noses up the shit creek of other people and end up mixing the ingredients and becoming confused with what the little pygmy farts and the suave utterings of AW
But good points Rico.
My modest opinion is that AW should take heed of one of our politicians who, when he is asked about other politicians always answers …..I do not answer hypothetical questions…….OR….I can only answer questions about myself.
Won’t they just Adam, after all, they’ve nothing better to do eh… 😉
Devil, I think they are well planned myself, and all with an agenda..
AW is an easy man to interview as he’s obliging, too much imo….
Rico. I think Arsene’s a bright bloke and most likely a deep thinker about the game. So when someone asks him how he feels when the team lose of whether Mourinho is right with some of the many insults he has launched Wenger’s way I should think he is both irritated and disappointed. Because I doubt he gives a creature like the Portuguese Prick much thought and that he probably can’t believe the shallow and rather unpleasant tone of the questions from people that earn a good living on the back of football. Most football writers are just drink-sodden parasites as far as I can see and Wenger finds them boring.
And imo he’s right to think/feel that way Adam…
I hope the same media scumbags give that under tall twerp as much grief as they have Arsene Wenger over the years when results haven’t gone well…
The press loves to set AW up for a ‘he said: – he said: ‘ merry go round. And as said Wenger seem to like to pass across his view- maybe he thinks it will make the world a better place but it doesn’t work that always.
I think it goes with envy. Arsene will always be remembered as the one who built that beautiful monument at the grove, with self sustainance and playing sleek beautiful passing game on top of that he still maintained champions league football. They can’t take that away from him and no other manager in modern Englad repricated that or will ever. Not even the knighted SAF.
To be safe at the beginning of the conference AW should be clear that he will answer qs about arsenal and arsenal alone.
Spot on Marshall…. If it isn’t Arsenal, shut up!
Catch up tomorrow – night all
Night Rico
I see that Monsieur Benzema is back in the rumour pages again, yawn…
I do hope that we aren’t gonna have to put up with that boring saga all the way through to January 31st..?
€50m for a 27 year old who’ll be 28 by this December, seems a lot of dough as he’ll take another six months to settle…
So it ain’t gonna happen…
Well, not for €50m….
Diamond Zagreb player Ademi fails drug test following Arsenal match. Unlikely any action to be taken regarding the result.
Diamonds are forever
So is the result. Not sure about this bloody phone though.
Potter, apparently they are testing the whole team and if another players tests positive they’ll be booted out of the CL!
Good morning all, what’s the point of drug tests in football if players failing them doesn’t effect the results it would in Olympic team sports.
Morning Rico and all..
how have you been joe?
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend!
So what is a drug cheat if he can get away with it and contribute massively to his side”s result?
Priorities, integrity and honesty called into question again! This time it’s UEFA who are to blame. Are they FIFA’s clone, are they corrupt too? The football authorities need to get a grip and apply a little common sense to the modern day footballer’s frailties and proclivities and bloody well deal with them!
The FA, UEFA and FIFA are all a thorough waste of space and all need total restructuring and re staffing with people of honest intent! What we have now are authorities who have total control almost nil accountability and a tendency to undermine or fudge their own rules!
Are they corrupt, bent, economical with the truth? Who can say but, their interpretation of their own rules seem to be applied or not according to the position of the moon in the firmament at any particular time of the year!
Give me strength!
Morning all! Beautiful blue skied Autumn day here. God should be in his heaven and all should be right with the world……….but he’s not and its not!
Time for a change.
The olympics ethics commitee was sorted out a few years ago.Football is stillLooking to see if there are any bribes about.
Morning Tsgh I in good form found it hard to engage with football this season.
Not sure the IOC is as clean or innovative as we are led to believe.
The likes of Thomas Bach and previous presidents plus IAAF’s Coe are all affiliated with societies linked with the path of the ‘hidden hand’.
Imo- The difference may be that those organisations have less commoners amongst the hierarchy and so are able to suppress all the ills…
I know I sound like a broken record but we are only 8 games in refs have cost us 3-5 points it’s going to be a long season.
Tsgh I wonder is Dean a member of hidden hand ?
Lol Joe. Dean is more like the puppet
Are Kev and Adam attending the Privy Council today. 😉
One thing I know is Micko won’t be trusted to kiss the ring without a cheeky comment
Agreed Joe. Football is losing its touch and appeal to many people.
Its like the colosseums before Imperial Rome first fell…; with the resurrected Rome on the bring football has become a very good distraction for the 1%ers to cash in whilst worry about not spending £50m on another player. 😉
Morning you all..
Wonder if Alexis will start tonight.
Yep tsgh I’ve been feeling like a bit of a Christian of late ?
I thought someone said on here that AS17 did not join his national team?
Let’s hope not Ts, but I thought he’d travelled…
New post up now..