'Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser'

yiddo

Great article by Il Falcone on Topspurs

‘Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser’ is the common retort to those who criticise sportsmen who cannot react with decency in the face of failure. All football fans would probably take a bad-tempered winner over a generous defeatist any day of the week, but the truly great managers tend to rise above the petty squabbling and combine success with good grace and perspective. Bill Nick was exemplary in this respect, similarly Clough, Busby, Shankly, Paisley and even Alex Ferguson: for all his red-faced tantrums and one-eyed tendencies, Ferguson does acknowledge good football when he sees it, as with his admirable praise for Real Madrid after they handed his team a lesson in the 2003 Champions League.

Contrast this with Wenger’s nauseating whinge at the end of the CL final two years ago. Soundly beaten by a better team, Wenger and his players wallowed in their own self-pity, complaining loud and boringly long about perceived injustices that had no substance, encapsulated by Wenger’s ludicrous, hissy demand that ‘something must be done’. It’s part of the reason why Ferguson is a great manager. And why, unless he mends his juvenile ways, Wenger will never be a great manager.

Wenger may be able to assemble winning teams and has an eye for talented players, but, for a supposed disciple of ‘pure’ football, he blots his record with a mean-spirited approach to the game that should be roundly condemned. For all the contrived reputation for respectability Arsenal’s myth-makers like to perpetuate, the club has a long and sorry record for misbehaviour, and Wenger fits the cap very well. His players follow his lead, which resulted in the disgraceful scenes amid their humiliation on Tuesday.

On show were all the familiar Arsenal traits: the cowardly, cynical fouling of opponents to (unsuccessfully) neuter Tottenham’s attacks; the haranguing of referees after mild fouls committed against Arsenal; snide off-the-ball challenges; and most disgracefully of all, a ‘friendly fire’ punch up between so-called teammates so frustrated with their own ineffectiveness that they resorted to hitting each other. At the final whistle, the prime offender had to be held back from continuing the argument. So much for Arsenal's wonderful team ethic.

The tone for Arsenal’s night of shame was set from the moment Wenger’s tiresome mantra about his ‘young players’ was exposed as a con. Even allowing for the falsehood that an expensively assembled squad stuffed with internationals with considerable European and domestic experience represents Arsenal’s ‘second team’, Wenger had spun a web of deceit. Claiming earlier he would not break with the habit of blooding his precious youngsters, Wenger instead started with at least five first choice players, one of whom is a World Cup winner. In short, he was ‘economical with the truth’.

It’s worth asking why the media allow him to get away with this, when Glenn Hoddle made enemies in the press corps for doing much the same thing while England manager, but returning to the ‘urbane Frenchman’ many in the media fawn over, his behaviour left him glaringly open to criticism. With 30 minutes remaining in the tie, his substitutions meant that no less than eight of those in red shirts were what can be described as fully-fledged first teamers. And they were humiliated, by a rampant Spurs side playing Arsenal at their own game: defending in numbers, working tirelessly in the middle and hitting their opponents with devastating speed and skill on the break.

Wenger should have taken it as a compliment. Instead, in a familiarly sour, mendacious and self-serving moan, he refused to accept that the best team won, complaining without a shred of justification that the score was unfair, and rambling incoherently as to his true feelings towards the outcome. Most pathetically of all, he wheeled out the usual ‘I did not see it’ line regarding Adebayor and Bendtner’s very public disagreement. A few years back, Wenger’s ‘see-no-evil’ posturing was mildly amusing, now it’s just a tired gag wheeled out by a graceless egotist, a default bleat that fools no one save for the deluded man saying it.

It brought to mind another North London derby, another League Cup semi final. In 1987, after Arsenal had stolen a tie they had no right to win, their players understandably celebrated in boisterous fashion in the away team dressing room. Their then captain David O'Leary later recalled that there was a knock on the door. It was Tottenham's chairman at the time, Irving Scholar. Scholar had many faults, but a lack of sportsmanship, it seems wasn't one of them. He presented the Arsenal players with a case of champagne. 'That was class' wrote O'Leary. Something the current manager of O'Leary's beloved Gooners conspicuously lacks.

Maybe poor Arsene is feeling the pressure, burdened in part by his own smug arrogance at how his 'great' team were so comprehensively thrashed. You lost, monsieur Wenger. Have the good manners to accept it.

http://www.topspurs.com/thfccol-ilfalcone.htm

tippspur

Excellent read and very true.

WhiteWashMan

all a bit jingoistic to me.

'On show were all the familiar Arsenal traits: the cowardly, cynical fouling of opponents to (unsuccessfully) neuter Tottenham’s attacks; the haranguing of referees after mild fouls committed against Arsenal; snide off-the-ball challenges; and most disgracefully of all, a ‘friendly fire’ punch up between so-called teammates so frustrated with their own ineffectiveness that they resorted to hitting each other.'

hardly familiar arsenal traits. TBH, i ve seen arsenal play plenty of times, and they generally play clean free flowing football. IN fact, I dont recall the last time i saw anything particularly cynical about arsenal. Hell, im still embarassed by Zakoras dive for a pano against portsmouth last year.

brousuka

WhiteWashMan wrote: »

all a bit jingoistic to me.

'On show were all the familiar Arsenal traits: the cowardly, cynical fouling of opponents to (unsuccessfully) neuter Tottenham’s attacks; the haranguing of referees after mild fouls committed against Arsenal; snide off-the-ball challenges; and most disgracefully of all, a ‘friendly fire’ punch up between so-called teammates so frustrated with their own ineffectiveness that they resorted to hitting each other.'

hardly familiar arsenal traits. TBH, i ve seen arsenal play plenty of times, and they generally play clean free flowing football. IN fact, I dont recall the last time i saw anything particularly cynical about arsenal. Hell, im still embarassed by Zakoras dive for a pano against portsmouth last year.

Don't forget that for anyone who leafs through the history books that the gunners have had 8 years of joy over the Yids. BTW, you guys look at a bit of argy bargy between team players as "punch-ups", not at all, thats just passion showing from a great team. In the earlier rant above, it just shows how you boys are so inferior to the Arsenal!!!

therecklessone

brousuka wrote: »

Don't forget that for anyone who leafs through the history books that the gunners have had 8 years of joy over the Yids. BTW, you guys look at a bit of argy bargy between team players as "punch-ups", not at all, thats just passion showing from a great team. In the earlier rant above, it just shows how you boys are so inferior to the Arsenal!!!

Goon, or neo-Goon.

Either way banned.

therecklessone

WhiteWashMan wrote: »

all a bit jingoistic to me.

An element of truth in it Eamo, even if he does let his hatred of the Goons get the better of him.

Not fond of sh1ting on about the number of first teamers they played, IMO they started with 3 (Gallas, Sagna, Hleb), brought Fabgegas on early doors, but by the time the His Mum's a Whore and Eduardo came on the game was won.

Gilberto is not first team anymore, if anyone needed that proving Tuesday night should have been an eye-opener...:D

That said, they've had more than their fair share of red cards and temper tantrums over the years, despite the quality of their football.

yiddo

Not bothered that the piece was a little over the top. Its only balancing the usual w*nk fest that we get in the media over arsenals football, youngsters etc etc. When you scratch below the surface of the goons beautiful passing football, which they've only started playing in the past decade under wenger, you'll still find the same niggly narky snide side present that has characterised them over the decades.

Kold

They dive. They really do.

Did Wenger do any post match interviews? I wouldn't mind seeing what he had to say.

Kold

Actually never mind, found one on BBC.

WhiteWashMan

therecklessone wrote: »

An element of truth in it Eamo, even if he does let his hatred of the Goons get the better of him.

oh, dont ge me wrong Ro, you know im a true spurs fan through and through, and yes, there are elements of truth in there.

But its very mch like a certain mr wenger being jingoistic about his teams statistics. I prefer good grace in my articles rather than rabel raising stuff.

Stance

WhiteWashMan wrote: »

oh, dont ge me wrong Ro, you know im a true spurs fan through and through, and yes, there are elements of truth in there.

But its very mch like a certain mr wenger being jingoistic about his teams statistics. I prefer good grace in my articles rather than rabel raising stuff.

Ah but you can't beat a bit of rabel raising from time to time , maybe a pinch of good grace aswell .