The Thoughts of Arsene Wenger...

mike65

"Mwwwwaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, sniff, boo-hoo, I want my mummy!"

or

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists the Champions League is no longer a guide to the best teams in Europe.

Wenger's side face Liverpool on Sunday after Rafael Benitez clinched a date with AC Milan in the final.

But Wenger told BBC Sport: "It is not a reflection any more of the hierarchy in European football. It is a normal cup competition and there can shocks.

"It has convinced me even more that you cannot make a priority of the Champions League. It has to be the Premiership."

Wenger added: "In the championship you have to be consistent and that is a real reflection of your consistency in a season.

"I don't want to take any merit away from what Liverpool have done, but next season you can have two other teams in the final again.

"It will not happen any more that teams win it three or four times on the trot.

"The priority has to be the Premiership. If the Champions League goes well it goes well, but the Premiership has to be the most important by miles. The Champions League is too much of a surprise cup now."

and

Arsene Wenger has declared that Liverpool are "lucky" to be in the Champions League at all this season as he cast doubts on their claims to be allowed to defend the title if they beat AC Milan.

UEFA look set to dash Liverpool´s hopes of being granted a special place as winners if they finish outside the top four in the Premiership.

"Normally they should not have played in this cup. They are already lucky to be in it because of the advantage this country has in having four qualifying places," said Wenger. "Most countries have only three places, so they already had an advantage in qualifying last season after finishing fourth."

Yeah thanks for your insight Arsene. Could'nt be cos you're crap in Europe could it?

Mike.

case n basket

What part don't you agree with?

Chelsea are a better team than Liverpool, but Liverpool are in the final. Therefore...

jesus_thats_gre

I disagree with him saying that he no longer sees the CL as a priority. He would give his left leg to win that trophy and to suggest otherwise is sour grapes.

It is also just an attempt to start some **** before the match on Sunday. I don't think Benitez will be falling for that one..

Finally, whether a you deem a club to be the best or not is irrelevent. If anything, the fact that the same clubs are no longer winning the tournament every year suggests that the palying field has leveled out considerably. Or those teams are no longer good enough.. Take you pick.

case n basket

Obviously he'd love to win it, but I think the point is that the premiership is more important.

I don't deem anything. Chelsea are champions after 35(?) games, god knows how many points ahead of Liverpool in 5th. They are the better team. In a knockout competition, anything can happen. You can't equate for luck. You can't in the league either, but if you're better than the other team it will come through in the end.

jesus_thats_gre

More often than not, yes..

You cannot devalue a tournament just because you don't think the team in the final is better than the team they put out in a previous round. Thats the wonder of competition.

jank

The champions league is now the FA cup of europe. Who in your right mind would have predicted that liverpool would be in the final and PSV ( a side Arsenal beat and then got an away score draw) would push Milan to the brink!?

Porto/Monaco in the final last year??

I kind of like it that there can be shocks but what he is saying that the best teams in europe dont win the CL anymore! That is certainly true, although if Milan win it AND win the sceudeto then id say they are the best team in europe but def not liverpool.

Also they have been at an advantage too as they didnt have a title to fight over so could direct 100% attention to the CL something Chelsea/Juve/Arsenal/Man U could not do.

And yea Liverpool are lucky to be there but fair play to them. They were due a bit of luck though. Hopefully Milan will give them a footballing lesson in Turkey

jesus_thats_gre

jank wrote:

And yea Liverpool are lucky to be there but fair play to them. They were due a bit of luck though.

Lucky in what way?

What if Liverpool beat them? Especially considering the lesson they gave United not so long ago?

jank

The goal they scored?!?

Are you 100% sure it was over the line, and ya it should have been a peno etc....

L5

it would have been a penalty and red card either way

jesus_thats_gre

Exactly, Chelsea would have conceeded a penalty and had a player sent off otherwise..

Regarding the two fixtures, were Chelsea more deserving over the two legs? No.. Lets just bury this one yeah?

jank

Well if they actually played a wider game a really tested the liverpool defense it would have been different. Liverpool didnt exactly out play them did they.

LegacyUser

jank wrote:

Well if they actually played a wider game a really tested the liverpool defense it would have been different. Liverpool didnt exactly out play them did they.

Stop trolling.

jesus_thats_gre

Liverpool played to the best of their abilities. If you do not consider having a organised defence and hitting teams on the break as a valid tactic, it is pointless even talking. Chelsea are without the better team on their day but there arrogance was their undoing. They boasted that they would go to Anfield and win it. They had one or two chances worth talking about the whole match.


Both teams also had their fair share of injuries, suspensions and cup tied players going into the match. Chelsea were no worse off than Liverpool.

jank

cheesedude wrote:

Stop trolling.

Eh no.. :rolleyes:

JTG asked me a valid question and i gave a reasonable answer.

Uping the post count are you? <- example of trolling

Liverpool played to the best of their abilities. If you do not consider having a organised defence and hitting teams on the break as a valid tactic, it is pointless even talking. Chelsea are without the better team on their day but there arrogance was their undoing. They boasted that they would go to Anfield and win it. They had one or two chances worth talking about the whole match.

I agree, liverpool were better on the day and yes their arrogance did out do them at the end. But all im saying was to win football matches, especially tight ones luck plays a huge part in it. You only have to look at UTD 99.

LegacyUser

jank wrote:

Well if they actually played a wider game a really tested the liverpool defense it would have been different. Liverpool didnt exactly out play them did they.

Yeah yeah course it would have Jank. :rolleyes:

mr_angry

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

It is also just an attempt to start some **** before the match on Sunday. I don't think Benitez will be falling for that one.

In fairness... Liverpool after a midweek Champions League match? I don't think we need to wind anyone up!

jank

cheesedude wrote:

Yeah yeah course it would have Jank. :rolleyes:

lol

so you telling me putting Robert Huth all 6' 3", 14 stone of him up front to try and bulldoze his way through on goal was a good tactic and NOT playing narrow. lol

What I was saying that route one didnt work out for them so they should have tried to play a wider game then just lumping them straight down the middle for droga to latch onto.

Who knows maybe liverpool would have stood firm but the way chealsea played played into liverpools hands...you cant deny that. U bieng a mod and all.

jesus_thats_gre

Good to the see the good old Jank back again anyway.... Bye now..


As for Angry, I can't help but wonder whether Wenger has lost the run of himself..

jank

Fair enough. I stand by my words as a neutral outlook on the game.
You would swear I was slating liverpool or something.

The best team won and ill repeat it.

I agree, liverpool were better on the day and yes their arrogance did out do them at the end. But all im saying was to win football matches, especially tight ones luck plays a huge part in it. You only have to look at UTD 99.

The only point im making was the tactics used by chelsea werent clever, as reasons stated above Even the tv3 commentators (as bad as they are) said the same thing!!!!!

With the question of luck where we got this started, well every team needs a bit of luck. Would i be trolling in saying that Milan were lucky to get by PSV? Any clear minded neutral would agree with me here.

Thanx 4 The Fish

PLease keep it civil gents.

Thanx

jank

Anyway...

When are Arsenal playing Liverpool is it the live sunday match on sky?

Or is it tommorow. It will be intersting to see what Liverpool team shows up for it. The one Vs Chelsea or the one vs Crystal Palace.

Im sure Campell will start as the Fa cup final match is coming and he needs a few games to get back to match fitness. I dont think Wenger will risk Senderous yet in such a big match. Not that he is a bad player or anything but Campell is still the main man in the Arsenal defense and his experience will be vital in the final.

Gangsta

jank seriously man, shut up. The thread is on something totally different.

I reckon Wenger is right in saying that it is luck etc. etc. But it's still Europe's most coveted prize and anyone would love to win it, especially himself as it's the only thing he hasnt won.

sleepwalker

mourinho also said the premiership is a bigger priority than the champions league, i think most other bosses would agree.

i dont get what all the fuss is about

jesus_thats_gre

I think the fuss is being made out of Wenger playing down something that he has not won but would give his left testicle to win.. It is also more than a coincidence that he has made such a statment a few days befrore he plays a team who are CL finalists and have had a poor league campaign..

mike65

Exactly, he speaks from a position of weakness not strenght on this matter.

Mike.

Jivin Turkey

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

I think the fuss is being made out of Wenger playing down something that he has not won but would give his left testicle to win.. It is also more than a coincidence that he has made such a statment a few days befrore he plays a team who are CL finalists and have had a poor league campaign..

Sums it up really. And does he really believe the only reason Arsenal havnt got this far before (or even the semis) is because of bad luck?

As regards Sundays game, whats going to happen depends on todays game between Everton and Newcastle. If Everton win I cant see Benetiz putting out a full strength side, there would be no point as 4th would be pretty much out of their grasp.

Having said that some people returning from injury will definately play, Cisse, Alonso, and then of course Morientes. And at that there is enough class to hurt Arsenal, and given the game thats in it, I wouldnt be shocked of a Liverpool win no matter what team is put out.

mr_angry

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

As for Angry, I can't help but wonder whether Wenger has lost the run of himself..

I have to admit, its a pretty rediculous statement in some aspects. But then again, its not as if he's never been paraphrased before is it? Remember the confusion when his "Of course it is possible that a team can go through a whole season unbeaten because AC Milan did it..." statement suddenly became "We will go through this season unbeaten"? Thank God we did it the following season, just to shut everyone up.

In any case, yeah, maybe he is a bit mad. Then again, maybe its just some journalist trying to spin us a story and sell us a paper. By 4pm on Sunday, nobody will care!

sleepwalker

of course he would love to win it hes always said its something that would be a great achievment for the club but his point is that to be consistent over 38 games is more impressive than to win the champions league.

managers have pre-match conferences every week so of course he is going to be commenting on liverpool

ah whats the point everytime the man comes out with any sort of mildly interesting comment theres a rush of salivating man united fans on hand to pounce

redspider

Arsene Wenger is clearly trying to excuse his team’s lack of success in the CL.

Obviously Arsene is speaking through his arse. Can he not remember his own selections for games in the league and the CL where he put his best players on for the CL and played weaker selections in the league? Or is he saying that TH14 is a reserve player that he keeps for the 2nd priority CL competition? He is clearly contradicting himself with his previous actions. He is full of bull at times and has a serious case of sour grapes if he said whats quoted. I think Arsene like some other managers speaks far too much. Basically his strategy over the years has failed in the CL.

BaZmO*

jank wrote:

The champions league is now the FA cup of europe.

What does that say about the European Champioships then?

B.

elbow316

Bring back the second group stage!

I dunno whats up with all the bitter comments directed at Wenger - you know as well as I do that the media gave him questions at his press conference that he simply answered honestly.
He agrees that Liverpool can count themselves lucky to reach the final as they certainly aren't one of the top 7 or 8 sides in Europe football at the moment, hence a load of "Wenger Slams Liverpool!!" headlines.

uberwolf

/aside

Liverpool are to wear thier red strip in the final, with milan wearing white. All the European Cup finals liverpool won were wearing red against a team in white...

BaZmO*

Don't forget the Pope!

B.

The Muppet

And Ken and Deirdres wedding.

mike65

Its in the bag I tell ya, its in the bag!

Mike.