The world's against Arsenal: Wenger

zocoss SG

Wenger: Losing his marbles?

The world's against Arsenal: Wenger reinforces siege mentality with astonishing outburst

Arsene Wenger outlined a conspiracy theory that he insists is undermining Arsenal's title challenge. Lashing out at various targets, the Frenchman pointed his accusations at fellow managers sending their teams out to kick his League leaders, as well as referees picking on his players when dishing out bookings.

Clearly unforgiving of Birmingham defender Martin Taylor for the tackle which broke Eduardo's leg a week ago, Wenger reinforced the siege mentality that has engulfed his squad ahead of today's home game against Aston Villa. Sadly for Wenger, his figures didn't quite add up, proving only that Arsenal have developed the paranoia that has a habit of cloaking England's dominant clubs when they stride to the top of the table.

Wenger said: 'The real basic problem in this League is that for the past three years we are the team which has committed fewer fouls than any other team, the team who is fouled more than any other team and the team who is punished more than any other team, yet I do not read that anywhere. 'I have no suspicions. Facts are facts. It is true. Every four fouls Arsenal gets a yellow card and every nine fouls some other teams get yellow cards. The numbers are available for everybody in the Opta statistics. Look at them.'

Wenger's statistical tour de force was not, however, wholly validated by Opta, the organisation which collates statistics for Barclays Premier League games. While it is true that Arsenal have committed fewest fouls over a three-year period, Manchester United are, in fact, the team with most fouls committed on them (1,467) with Everton second (1,465) and Arsenal third (1,449). Close, but not accurate.

On his assertion that Arsenal receive a yellow card for every four fouls committed, Wenger is horribly wrong. Over the past three seasons, the figure is actually 7.95 fouls per yellow card, level with Blackburn in joint third place, but behind both Chelsea (7.51) and Bolton (7.81) in terms of punishment.

Asked if he felt his initial outburst that Taylor should never be allowed to play football again — later retracted — had contributed in a small part to the death threats received by the defender this week, Wenger's spikiness returned. 'Yes, I'm responsible for everything in this country,' he said. 'How much unemployment have you? I'm responsible for it as well. I said what I said in the heat of the moment and I took responsibility to retract what I said. But frankly I am not taking responsibility for idiotic people who send death threats.

'Basically, only Martin Taylor knows about his intentions and he has to deal with that. I had a chat with him after the game. Frankly the tackle looks bad. It looks really bad. He told me he didn't do it intentionally, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt and I retracted what I said because I am not 100 per cent sure.

'Don't get me wrong. There are a lot of things I love here; the passion, the commitment. I do not want England to lose that because that is above every other country in the world. It is in the hands of the referee to protect, to make the distinction between how far you can go and what you cannot do. 'I should invite you sometimes to come into the dressing room and look at the legs of Alexander Hleb after a game. You would be amazed.

But what is happening is not a surprise to us. Frankly I do not want to know if other managers send their teams out to bully Arsenal. It's not my responsibility to think about other teams. I ask my teams to play football and what the other managers do is their responsibility. But I've been long enough in the game to know what happens in the dressing rooms before games.'

Some believe, though, that Arsenal have recently been fortunate at the hands of FA disciplinary chiefs. The clash between team-mates Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicklas Bendtner during the 5-1 Carling Cup defeat at Tottenham saw both escape because video evidence was inconclusive. This was accepted, even though Bendtner's father accused the Togo forward of a 'mad' attack which left his son with a cut nose.

In the FA Cup defeat at Old Trafford last month, William Gallas escaped action despite TV pictures of his off-the-ball kick at Nani. At St Andrew's, Gallas had to be restrained when he kicked out at advertising hoardings in front of Birmingham fans after the late penalty award which forced the draw. Again, there was no FA sanction.

Wenger defended club captain Gallas, saying: 'Ideally he should not have responded like that. But he is a guy who is highly committed and sometimes when he goes overboard he can respond like that. He's an explosive one. When he is fed up, he is fed up. 'You want people in this job who care. What I hate the most are people who are nicey, nicey and behave well, but at the end of the day they cheat a bit with their commitment. 'I prefer a guy who goes overboard without hurting anybody and who cares about winning. That is William. He cares about winning.'

Wenger insists Arsenal are the most victimised side in the Premier League and claimed:

Arsenal are fouled more than any other team.

Arsenal commit fewer fouls than anyone else.

His team are punished more than their rivals.

Alex Hleb is a target for hatchet men.

He has never told a player to kick an opponent.

He was not responsible for death threats against Taylor.

zocoss SG

ARSENAL'S RED CARDS UNDER ARSENE WENGER

1996 Sep 28: Arsene Wenger appointed

Nov 26: Steve Bould v Liverpool

Nov 30: Tony Adams v Newcastle

Dec 21: Ian Wright v Nottm Forest

1997

Jan 1: John Hartson v Middlesbrough

Jan 11: Dennis Bergkamp v Sunderland

May 11: Tony Adams v Derby

Oct 14: Jason Crowe v Birmingham

Oct 26: Emmanuel Petit v Aston Villa

1998

Jan 17: Patrick Vieira v Coventry

Feb 18: Patrick Vieira v Chelsea

Mar 17: Dennis Bergkamp v West Ham

Mar 31: Martin Keown v Bolton

Aug 29: Emmanuel Petit v Charlton

Sep 9: Lee Dixon v Chelsea

Sep 26: Martin Keown v Sheff Wed

Nov 25: Ray Parlour v Lens

Dec 20: Gilles Grimandi v Leeds

Dec 28: Patrick Vieira v Charlton

1999

Jan 24: Emmanuel Petit v Wolves

Mar 13: Emmanuel Petit v Everton

Apr 6: Martin Keown v Blackburn

Apr 11: Nelson Vivas v Man Utd

Sep 29: Gilles Grimandi v Barcelona

Oct 2: Patrick Vieira v West Ham

Nov 7: Fredrik Ljungberg and Martin Keown v Tottenham

2000

Mar 19: Gilles Grimandi v Tottenham

Mar 23: Thierry Henry v Werder Bremen

Apr 1: Oleg Luzhny v Wimbledon

Aug 19: Patrick Vieira v Sunderland

Aug 21: Patrick Vieira v Liverpool

2001

Apr 18: Gilles Grimandi v Aston Villa

Aug 18: Ray Parlour v Middlesbrough

Aug 25: Patrick Vieira v Leicester

Sep 11: Ashley Cole v Real Mallorca

Sep 29: Martin Keown v Derby

Oct 30: Oleg Luzhny v Schalke

Nov 5: John Halls v Man Utd

Dec 18: Ray Parlour v Newcastle

Dec 23: Giovanni van Bronckhorst v Liverpool

2002

Jan 27: Dennis Bergkamp and Martin Keown v Liverpool

Jan 30: Oleg Luzhny v Blackburn

Feb 19: Ray Parlour v Bayer Leverkusen

Sep 1: Patrick Vieira v Chelsea

Nov 23: Sol Campbell v Southampton

Dec 12: Kolo Toure v PSV Eindhoven

2003

Mar 25: Pascal Cygan v Chelsea

Apr 16: Sol Campbell v Man Utd

Aug 10: Francis Jeffers v Man Utd

Aug 16: Sol Campbell v Everton

Sept 21: Patrick Vieira v Man Utd

Dec 6: Ashley Cole v Leicester

2004

Feb 4: Martin Keown v Middlesbrough

Nov 24: Lauren and Patrick Vieira v PSV Eindhoven

Repeat offender: Patrick Vieira

2005

Feb 19: Dennis Bergkamp v Sheff Utd

Feb 26: Robin van Persie v Southampton

May 21: Jose Antonio Reyes v Man Utd

Sep 14: Robin van Persie v FC Thun

Arsene Wenger argues his point with a UEFA official

2006

Jan 21: Cesc Fabregas v Everton

May 18: Jens Lehmann v Barcelona

Nov 29: Philippe Senderos v Fulham

2007

Jan 13: Gilberto Silva v Blackburn

Feb 3: Philippe Senderos v Middlesbrough

Feb 25: Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor v Chelsea

Sep 2: Philippe Senderos v Portsmouth

Dec 18: Denilson v Blackburn

Dec 29: Nicklas Bendtner v Everton

2008

Feb 16: Emmanuel Eboue v Man United

72 not out: Eboue becomes the latest Wenger red card

TOTAL: 72

Comments: I was wondering how many people have been sent off against arsenal in the same time?

- Phil Molloy, Belfast

sand king SG

Paranoid.

zocoss SG

Martin O’Neill has branded Arsene Wenger “a bad mathematician”.

Villa boss O’Neill saw his team denied three points by Nicklas Bendtner’s equaliser in added time. After the match, Gunners boss Wenger argued that Arsenal commit the least fouls in the league and are the most fouled themselves.

O’Neill blasted: “While Arsenal are a very good side, they can’t just corner the market on being the only side that has to resist a challenge. They put in a few challenges themselves.

"He said they were the most fouled team and they were this, this and this.

"Then a stat said they were the 12th most fouled team and another stat had Manchester United as the most fouled team.

“He’s a brilliant manager but a bad mathematician.”

Told Wenger had an economics degree, O’Neill added: “Then I’d better get one!”

the Bear SG

Ferguson use this before and it worked..

it doesn't matter if the world thinks otherwise, as long as the players react with solidarity and close ranks..

omgukilledkenny SG

“Do I agree with Wenger? Absolutely not,” he said. “I think Arsenal are a very good side, but they can’t just corner the market on being the only one that has to resist a challenge.

"They put in a few themselves. Mathieu Flamini, for instance, and William Gallas also.

“I thought there was a challenge by one of their players, Flamini, going in pretty high and with two feet against us, and he got away with it. It was off the ground, it was a two-footed challenge. Arsène is a brilliant manager, he’s a bad mathematician.”