HENRY BACKED OVER KIRKLAND SPAT

zocoss SG

Arsene Wenger backed Thierry Henry after his angry exchange with Wigan's Chris Kirkland at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Captain Henry exchanged words with goalkeeper Kirkland, who more than took his time at goal-kicks throughout the match. Their row came as the Gunners came from a goal down to notch a 2-1 Premiership win.

Denny Landzaat fired struggling Wigan into a first-half lead with a brilliant strike, but Arsenal regrouped following the interval and hit back to level through an own goal from Fitz Hall before Tomas Rosicky's late winner.

"Thierry was upset - but what he did, for me, was right," said Wenger afterwards. "People do not pay money to see people waste time, they come to see football.

"Okay, he should not have done that but it is not the biggest insult we have seen in football. "The time-wasting started in the first half - the goalkeeper kept crossing over his area to take kicks."

Gunners keeper Jens Lehmann received a caution for just such an offence late in the match, which rules the German out of the Carling Cup final later this month.

Wenger said: "Jens got a yellow card which I do not understand because Kirkland was doing it all game. "Why should it only be on one side?"

Wenger added: "Lehmann would not have played in the Carling Cup final anyway - but I would rather he had not been booked because if we have injuries, you do not know what might happen."

Henry meanwhile insisted: "Kirkland started to waste time from the first minute. "This is one of the games when I have run the most because I was trying to get the ball off him. "When we scored I asked him if he wanted to waste any more time. It was just a joke but it was a bit annoying."

R3SsH|n SG

big mouth wenger at it again... Rolling Eyes

Patrik SG

Tsk tsk tsk.
They own self also waste time.
I dunno why la,But Wenger always appears to me as a sore loser.

used SG

kirkland was taking his time but lehmnan was clearly wasting time. so i think the ref was right to book the arsenal keeper.

but such things coming from someone like henry is really surprising

zocoss SG

Whelan calls for Dowd probe

Dave Whelan wants the Premier League to investigate claims referee Phil Dowd swore at Wigan Athletic players during the 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.

Dowd's performance at Emirates Stadium enraged Paul Jewell, with the Wigan boss later accusing the official of using foul language towards his players. Latics chairman Whelan was also told by his players of the referee's conduct and is keen for the authorities to act.

"When I went into the dressing room afterwards, the lads were down at heart because they had played their socks off and deserved at least a draw," Whelan told Sky Sports News. "What they did complain to me about was the referee using foul and abusive language to them - that's something I've never heard of and something I couldn't understand.

"He's using the F-word to our players and I could not understand it. I said to Paul Jewell 'that's not acceptable and we should take that up with the league'. "If a player uses foul and abusive language to the referee, the referee will send him off, so surely the league cannot condone the referee using foul language like that to our players, and I suppose he's using it to Arsenal players as well."

Whelan also feels that Dowd's general level of performance throughout the season should come under scrutiny from Premier League chiefs. He added: "You expect to get fairness. Refereeing is not easy, it's impossible to get it right all of the time. "But this particular referee seems to get it wrong quite a lot and surely they've got to look at his performances over the last season.

"He gave something around 10 yellow cards yesterday and there was only one real foul in the whole game."

anhydrouscoppersulphate SG

Laughing

zocoss SG

Jewell blasted referee Phil Dowd after Wigan
lost to Arsenal

Alan Hansen's column

Arsenal's comeback to beat Wigan was a massive result for the bottom three. If Wigan had held on for victory then Watford, West Ham and Charlton would have looked absolutely doomed. It could have been all over for them but now they have a lifeline.

When you play as well as Wigan did and the major decisions not only go against you but also affect the result then any manager would go ballistic. There is nothing worse than going somewhere where everybody is expecting you to get thrashed and putting on an unbelievable performance only to feel like you have been done by the referee - so I completely understand Paul Jewell's reaction.

If you look at how Wigan played, they don't look like a side that is going down but they are still in big trouble. It was a massive result for Sheffield United to beat Tottenham and they are now 10 points clear of danger. It is not an absolute certainty that they are going to survive but it looks likely and I can't see Manchester City being dragged into it either.

So it looks like being between the four clubs down there now and the next three games will probably decide what is going to happen. Out of the bottom three Charlton look the team most likely to have a chance to me - and if you had said that to me six weeks ago I would have laughed at you.

That is the beauty about the battle at the bottom - there are swings and shifts from week to week. The only thing you can say that is an absolute certainty is that if the bottom three do not start winning, and quickly, then they are doomed.

If West Ham go down there will be inquests for years to come into how it happened. How can you have a great season, nearly win an FA Cup final, and look like a team that is going from strength to strength - then see it all fall apart?

Luck has gone against them this season and Alan Curbishley probably cannot believe what is going on. He came in as manager and they had a great result against Manchester United and everyone though they were going to come back into form - but it has not worked out.

On the other hand, Alan Pardew has done incredibly well at Charlton because I watched them play Liverpool in December and they were a shambles. Against Manchester United on Saturday they were organised and solid. They were fighting and they had belief. They made life difficult for United and you can see them winning games.

And Watford just keep on going. It doesn't matter how many times you batter them down, Aidy Boothroyd will come on TV and be very honest while remaining completely positive. It would be one of the greatest stories of all time if they stay up, because up until Saturday they had only won two Premiership games this season, but they just keep going and that is a tribute to him and his players.

leddy SG

to be honest, henry and wenger are both poor losers. how many times have we seen them behave like that in losing matches and matches they could potentially lose. Man utd have their losing times, and they simply put it behind them and look towards the next match, rarely do they kick up a fuss and behave like the way those two frenchies did. sick and tired of the wengers whinning like pussycats. Hope arsenal lose the next match.

T.Ryousuke SG

Media dislike Arsenal, and so do million of football fan worldwide. Very normal to see ppl fire them once they did something wrong. And so far Arsenal yet to be bought over by any foreign investor, show that nobody really like them, if there is one I think solely for the money. And ppl putting pressure on home grown talent on Arsenal which you can find afew in Bolton and Villa, and why wanna keep pressing on them. It look like even they play nice football, they still can't win ppl heart, that's maybe 1 day we will miss them when they nolonger play like this and become the next Bolton, a boring boring Arsenal like the 90s.

iveco SG

Because gay MUFC supporters have the final say. Laughing

Bontakun SG

Who you refering to? Confused

the Bear SG

do not feed the troll