Wenger blasts Stoke 'cowards'

Gunners chief left fuming by tactics

Last updated: 4th November 2008

Wenger blasts Stoke 'cowards'

Wenger: Furious

Do you really feel that Delap tried to play the ball when he tackled Walcott or that Shawcross tried to play the ball when he tackled Adebayor off the pitch? All the players have been injured deliberately.

Arsene Wenger on Stoke tactics
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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has accused some of Stoke's players of deliberately trying to injure his players.

Gunners stars Theo Walcott and Emmanuel Adebayor both picked up injuries during last weekend's 2-1 defeat at the Britannia Stadium.

The duo will miss Wednesday's UEFA Champions League clash with Fenerbahce as a result with Walcott having the better chance of returning against Manchester United this weekend.

Wenger was unhappy with Stoke's physical approach and has described those who injured Walcott and Adebayor as 'cowards'.

Courage

"For me, you need to have more courage to play football when you know somebody is tackling you from behind without any intention to play the ball, with only one intention to hurt you and I can show you some tackles where I can prove what I say," said Wenger.

"The one who is tackling is not the brave one, for me the brave one is the one trying to play football.

"Do you really feel that [Rory] Delap tried to play the ball when he tackled Walcott or that [Ryan] Shawcross tried to play the ball when he tackled Adebayor off the pitch?

"All the players have been injured deliberately.

"For me, the brave one is not the one who tackles from behind, but the player who tries to play football. That's the coward."

The Frenchman was also adamant it was not the first time opponents had hurt his players with reckless challenges, with the badly-broken leg Eduardo suffered against Birmingham last season the most notable example.

Defender Bacary Sagna was also hurt against Stoke and had been receiving treatment on an ankle injury in a bid to be fit for tomorrow's game.

Wenger added: "Do you want me to tell you the players we have lost here? Diaby, deliberate foul from behind, Rosicky, deliberate foul, Eduardo, deliberate foul. Now we lose Walcott, deliberate foul, and we have lost Sagna - deliberate foul on him.

"There is only one intention when he is tackled and that is the ankle. And you want me on top of that to sit here and say, 'Yes, sorry we are not brave'?"

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Comments (59)

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Michael Nwaukpele (Arsenal fan) says...

No where in Wengers complaint does it say "We lost because Stoke were dirty" Wenger didn't change his story of "they deserved to win" but quite rightly is sick and tired of making th point that kicking our team does not make good football - or prove that they are cowards. I wonder if any of those who have commented negatively about his quotes have ever literally been subjected to the sort of tackles that our players have had since they dropped the "boring, boring Arsenal" tag! I live in Switzerland and have the benefit of watching Italian, German and Swiss football on a regular basis. If Stoke had played in Serie A, they would have left the pitch with 8 players. Tackles from behind - not late arrivals or mistimed challenges - would have sent them to an early shower. How the hell can we export and condone that kind of football. If thats all it takes to build a premiership team, then I'm going down to pick up 15 thugs from North London and make myself a quick £50 million. Emphasis on "quick" because I'm sure that they will be found out to be crap nearly as quickly as Stoke.

Posted 07:48 6th November 2008

Andrew Snart (Manchester United fan) says...

Surely the most deliberate foul of the Stoke game was the one that earnt van Persie a red card? Or was he going for the ball?

Posted 22:34 5th November 2008

Darion Naylor (Stoke City fan) says...

Mr Wenger has made the most ridiculous comments I have ever heard. Delap and Shawcross are honest, hard working players! He needs to face tha fact that is team were once again too frail to deal with a stronger more physical side. Arsenal have been like this for a while now (eg. recent years against Bolton) and there is only Wenger to blame for releasing players such as Viera and not bringing in a replacement with the same grit and determination. He believes Stoke are a dirty team yet Van Persie clearly commited the worst foul of the game and was rightly red carded. Wenger needs to stop moaning, be gracious in defeat, and man up!

Posted 20:59 5th November 2008

Pete Machin (Stoke City fan) says...

So, Wenger wants pure football does he? Well perhaps he, Sir Alex and the managers and chairman of the so called big sides should put a cap and reduction on transfer fees and wages so that newly promoted teams have a chance of signing creative flair players. Until this happens, we, and the other promoted sides will have to play to the strengths of the players we can get. Stoke fans would love to see expressive football, but it aint gonna happen with our budget. As for the charge that Stoke players deliberately went out to injure his players. well Mr Wenger must need a rest from the game. Yes, we are physical, but we are not dirty. Delaps challange on Walcott was clumsy at worst, deserving of the yellow card he recieved, but lets not forget, the boy does have a bit of pace, and Rory is no spring chicken! Plus, the injury he recieved had no direct consiquence to the challenge in the first place. Shawcross's card was deserved too, but he had not long been the recipient of a worse challenge! And yes, the only RED card of the game was correctly given to Van Persy for a blatent and deliberate show of unsportsmanship, on top of challenging with first studs, and then elbow leading his chalange to a keeper who had already picked up the ball. Mr Wenger was gracious in defeat on Saturday, but has decided to backtrack without looking at his own players actions first. A man loosing his credability me thinks.

Posted 19:42 5th November 2008

Paul Spencer (Liverpool fan) says...

It's a good job half of these big girls blouses wern't around when tommy smith or ron chopper harris were playing.We'd never finish a game with 11 men.

Posted 18:54 5th November 2008

Daniel Foster (Arsenal fan) says...

Let's put it this way - what would Ferguson have said if Ronaldo suffered an injury as a result of the challenges that were made from behind with no chance to win the ball, on Adebayor and Walcott?

Posted 17:59 5th November 2008

Luke Gillespie (Arsenal fan) says...

At the end of the day stoke beat us fair and square. we created no chances and were pathetic overall! So i cant say im guna back wenger up on this one cos i dont we were beat fair and square! And how are we gunna win the league when we keep leaking goals, our defense is pony, we need a new holding midfielder and get eduardo back in the fold up front! I mean it was like the spurs game why bring on song he is poor, when we had ramsey on the bench sorry we was just second class again just like we was when we played hull city!

Posted 16:58 5th November 2008

Damian Lord (Rotherham United fan) says...

I agree that he should just accept it, the way some teams play in simply good old-fashioned English football - strong challenges and simply more determination in winning the ball. Teams also have to play to their strengths, and if those strengths are physical or loading the box from a long through then sort your defence out and deal with it! I do still think that some are being over-critical of Wenger (just because it's him). What he's saying is no different from Fergie's (and other top-tier club managers) constant moaning that Ronaldo et al don't get enough protection from refs. That's only again because they don't like to see their top (assets!?) players getting involved in strong challenges, even though they're legal challenges... bless em!

Posted 15:52 5th November 2008

Nick Berry (Manchester United fan) says...

Same old Arsenal, same old Wenger. Would he have been moaning if they had beaten Stoke 2 nill. No course not. Its time he left Arsenal and left the Premiership. He has nothing more to offer the game. Far more suited to the Spanish La Liga or Italies Serie A.

Posted 13:26 5th November 2008

Rob Freshwater (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

Oh no here we go again.... another pathetic Arsene Wenger moan.... this man has got to be the biggest moaner of all time, it's actually getting comical

Posted 13:05 5th November 2008

Mark Tierney (Arsenal fan) says...

I don't think the Stoke players went out onto the pitch to deliberately injure any of Arsenals players but I can see where Wenger is coming from. Stoke look more like a rugby team than a football team, with most of their players 6 foot plus and big bulit for footballers. Pulis likes to play direct and phyiscal football and playing this way with big footballers, players on the other team are going to get hurt. I personally dislike watching stoke play, as pulis makes his team play football like a pub team. But thats the way they play and there is nothing wrong with it, its just not pleasing on the eye.

Posted 11:29 5th November 2008

Phil Oakley (Arsenal fan) says...

Firstly Wenger has admitted that Stoke deserved to win. Personally I think this would have been the end of the story had the Stoke goalkeeper not found it necessary to pass judgement on the character of Arsenal players. Yes I get bored with Wengers constant moaning about over physical play. Its part and parcel of the Premiership so, admirable as his philosophies are, it is his fault that we do not have the personnel to cope. However in this instance he has a point. The tackles in question on Adebayor, Walcott and Sagna were not genuine attempts to play the ball. I'm not suggesting they were intended to cause injury, although unfortunately in each case this did occur, more cheap shots to rough up the players concerned. Having recently suffered career threatening injuries to 2 players as a result of 'violent' tackles perhaps we can understand Wengers viewpoint. Aggression should be controlled, not removed completely, but deliberate foul play which is a threat to the players welfare suitably punished. It is in the hands of the referee to be firm, fair and consistent. At the moment this is not the case and some clubs are suffering more than most as a result.

Posted 11:27 5th November 2008

Ingolf klein Olsen (Liverpool fan) says...

Football is a contact sport, live with it or go home! But The Man. United Supporters should not be blasting Wenger without first looking at Mr. Ferguson. He moans every time someone tackles Ronaldo, it's just useless. I do admit, that Benitez does the same sometimes when it's about Torres. Your star players are targets for people that play dirty, that's just a fact. My friends that don't like football say when I ask them why they don't, that it is a chick sport, unlike Rugby and American Football where when you get tackled it really shows on your body after the game and I try to say that football is almost the same but that's almost a lie, unless teams that aren't good technically get to play hard. The best tackle ever done in The premier League has to be the one Neil Ruddock did on Andy Cole (then Man. Utd player) in 95-96 I think it was, when he broke both his legs in 1 tackle and guess what, he got a yellow only for it. The reason for this has to be that it wasn't from behind or anything that normally gives you a red for such things, Andy was just weak! So Wenger spare us the moaning will you!

Posted 09:52 5th November 2008

Sam Mervyn (Manchester United fan) says...

What does he want the Stoke players to do? Stand back and let Arsenal play foreign football? This is England and you get hard tackles and limited time on the ball, get used to it. Stoke had no intent to injure but they did have intent to tackle and thats completely legal. As usual, 'I didn't see it' Wenger hasn't seen anything done by his own players but when another team make tackles he won't hesitate to criticise.

Posted 09:52 5th November 2008

Mark Grassick (Arsenal fan) says...

I'm embarrassed to be an Arsenal fan after reading this. Shocking stuff from Arsene, bang out of order. We played awful football and didn't deserve a single thing from that game. Our defence is about as watertight as a sieve, our midfield has no strength or leadership and our forwards are erratic. Stoke saw a way to exploit our weaknesses and did so effectively. It's all well and good being able to play flashy football but we need some grit and force to go with it. Arsene has lost control of the players and what we have now is 11 players out for themselves. How can we talk about winning a title with Song, Silvestre, Diaby and Eboue in the team regularly? These are not world class players. Arsene needs to sort out his own affairs before criticising others, if he can.

Posted 09:47 5th November 2008

Ashton Villa (Aston Villa fan) says...

Barmy comments from a very intelligent manager! You gotta admire the way he will stick up for and argue for his players even when there is no feassible argument. Good way to get respect from your players I suppose, just won't win over any neutrals, who lets face it all absolutely loved seeing Stoke beat Arsenal.

Posted 09:46 5th November 2008

Ryan Teagle (Manchester United fan) says...

This is just a smokescreen to divert attention away from the fact that his team lost. Wenger has come a long way from the man who claimed "I did not see it" when Arsenal used to have one of the leagues worst disciplinary records. Does this mean he's going to fine cowardly Van Persie? Last season he blamed Nani for showing off when Gallas deliberately kicked Nani after some exquisite ball juggling! Maybe Gallas and Van Persie should sign for Stoke.

Posted 08:54 5th November 2008

Antony Moran (Stoke City fan) says...

I would have to disagree with Mr Wenger. There was no malice in the Walcott tackle and the resulting injury could hardly have been foreseen. I have yet to hear him mention or yet apologise for the blatant body check by one of his 'star players' on our keeper that rightly resulted in a red card. Grow up Arsene! You got outwitted by a smaller team - accept the defeat and move on.

Posted 08:20 5th November 2008

Gaz Waldo (Newcastle United fan) says...

"watch the tackles" Football is becoming more and more a game for wimps, divers and tarts. Stoke played aggressively as they are a more physical team than Arsenal. Its called tactics, and hey, it worked. Ever stepped up from junior to senior football? Get roughed up? Course you did, and it puts people off. Arsenal are a young team so roughing them up puts them off their game. There were no Stoke players deliberately looking to injure players or guess what they would be sent off....... only Van Persie did, elbow to the face is hardly "Trying to play football" eh? You got beat by a team who played to their strengths and because Arsenal did not have the power or courage to get in amongst the rough stuff. Too many fairies in the game nowadays.

Posted 08:08 5th November 2008

George Mvula (Manchester United fan) says...

I think Mr. Wenger has just realised after this interview that he is the one who is a coward! Has he forgotten that football is a game of contact? At first I thought that Mr Wenger should have known that footbal is getting more physical and needed to prepare his kindergaten players to adjust to the current needs of the game. What difference is there between what Delap did to Theo and what Gallas did to Nani after a 4-0 baptism at Old Trafford? Sorry mr.Wenger, you gotta swallow your pride and accept defeat with grace.....

Posted 07:53 5th November 2008
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