Mourinho launches personal attack on Wenger

jank

Mourinho launches personal attack on Wenger
LONDON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has launched an astonishing personal attack on Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger saying he is a voyeur with an unhealthy obsession with the English champions.
Wenger had suggested Chelsea might have lost their "big belief" in themselves after drawing with Everton and then losing on penalties to Charlton Athletic in the League Cup last Wednesday.
Mourinho let fly after Chelsea beat Blackburn Rovers 4-2 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday to move nine points clear at the top of the Premier League and 14 points ahead of Arsenal, who could only manage a 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur.
"I think Wenger has a real problem with us, I think he is one of these -- how do you call it in English -- voyeurs," Mourinho said.
"He is someone who likes to watch other people.
"I don't know what is happening to him, but I think he is in love with Chelsea, he loves us. Maybe he wants to leave Arsenal and come here and take my job.
"There are some guys who, when they are at home they have this big telescope to see what happens in other families.
"He must be one of them. He is always speaking about other families. It is a sickness. Being a voyeur is a sickness."
SLOW START
Arsenal have made a slow start to the season and their 1-1 draw at Tottenham on Saturday left them in seventh place.
Mourinho added: "I don't care what Arsenal did at Tottenham. I am only bothered by my team. But he speaks and speaks all the time, but he never speaks about Arsenal, he only speaks about Chelsea.
"Now and again you have to talk about your opponents and answer questions about other teams, it is a part of the game.
"But when you do it all the time, in the same direction, it looks like a sickness and that's what it is. It does bother me because he must have a problem."
"You have to solve your own problems," Mourinho added. "I shouldn't be worried about what Arsenal did at Tottenham. I don't care about Arsenal.
"When you are on game number 11 and you still can't win away from home and when, without Thierry Henry, you can't win a game, Wenger should be worried about Arsenal."
Chelsea's win over Blackburn stretched their unbeaten league run to 40 matches dating back to October 2004 -- just nine games short of Arsenal's all-time record of 49 which ended last Octobe

http://football.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,14546,-5381494,00.html

Im getting sick of JM. The only person doing all the talking is him. IMO he has gone too far. Calling a fellow manager "sick in the head" is not on, no matter who he is.

Personally I just think he is doing it because he is so in love with his own importance. Wenger of course is an easy target, always has been.

Every ****ing week its either this or that. The press lap it up of course but when results dont go his way his true self appears(Last years Barca incidents speak to mind)

The guy has no class

Jivin Turkey

jank wrote:

Im getting sick of JM. The only person doing all the talking is him. IMO he has gone too far. Calling a fellow manager "sick in the head" is not on, no matter who he is.

Personally I just think he is doing it because he is so in love with his own importance. Wenger of course is an easy target, always has been.

Every ****ing week its either this or that. The press lap it up of course but when results dont go his way his true self appears(Last years Barca incidents speak to mind)

The guy has no class

Wasn't this in response to Wenger taking a swipe at Chelsea midweek? Where did he say he was "sick in the head"? I only saw that Mourinho indicated that there was a possibility that Wenger was sick due to his obsession with Chelsea.

Mourinho irritates me at times when I feel he trys to live up to his reputation for being outspoken, but when it comes out naturally like it appears to above you just have to laugh.

Fair play I say, he's hit the nail on the head.

mayordenis

Scum its all he is. no more needs to be said

Jivin Turkey

mayordenis wrote:

Scum its all he is. no more needs to be said

What are people getting worked up about? Isn't he just responding to a swipe by Wenger, and being totally over the top pisstaking?

jank

"He must be one of them. He is always speaking about other families. It is a sickness. Being a voyeur is a sickness.

Wenger was ASKED by the press what he thought about Chelsea. His response was that it may be an oppertunity for other teams to take advantage of this apparent slip up

Nothing wrong with that, calling someone mentally ill, is though.
JM knows what he is doing. Will be interesting how Wenger responds.
Publicly he will ignore it id say, privately he will be very pissed off/hurt about it.

Pepe LeFrits

On Arsenal after their 5-4 win at Spurs - November 2004
"That was not a football score, it was a hockey score...in training I often play matches of three against three and when the score reaches 5-4 I send the players back to the dressing room, because they are not defending properly."

On Arsenal and their vice chairman and FA board member David Dein - July 2005

"A person who works in the club should not work in the FA. The FA is the FA and the club is the club."

"I am not concerned about how Chelsea are viewed morally. What does concern me is that we are treated in a different way to other clubs. Some clubs are treated as devils, some are treated as angels. I don't think we are so ugly that we should be seen as the devil and I don't think Arsene Wenger and David Dein are so beautiful that they should be viewed as angels."

"Is Jose Mourinho the only one who can look at the fixtures and find something very strange?"

On Arsenal's French farce of a penalty - October 2005
"You have to wonder why they did that penalty. Because they have so many penalties in the season, that's why. They have to do something special and different."

On Arsene Wenger - October 2005
"I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea."

He's a proper shít-shirrer.

p.pete

I think Mourinho is great
Pretty much every time Wenger makes some kind of comment in the press about Chelsea within a few days JM comes back with a retort that totally blows what Wenger had said out of the water. The best example for me was when he attacked Dein's position on the FA, classic.

There's a lot to hate about the guy but personally I think he's a breath of fresh-air after listening to AF and Wenger having a go at each other for years.

mayordenis

Jivin Turkey wrote:

What are people getting worked up about? Isn't he just responding to a swipe by Wenger, and being totally over the top pisstaking?

no you can't publically say these things,
would wenger not have every right to sue for slander here?

jank

He is all that is wrong with the game today, no class, no conscience.

It seems that he is obessed with Arsenal! Do he see them as his biggest threat?
Not a peep about Utd then even after they lost 4-1. Myabe he knows they are a spent force.

Proper **** though.

p.pete

Cheers for that post kaids, great stuff (of course I love a good bit of sh1t-stirring, when artfully done of course).

Soon he'll merit his own section in the guffbank on dangerhere!

growler

It's so easy to wind gooners up lately :-)

I think this is very clever of JM, Wenger spouts some wishful thinking and JM shuts him up good and proper, great to see someone speaking like a human instead of the usual platitudes. It's hardly slander either, wouldn't AW look very funny taking JM to court for this, instantly becoming a laughing stock in the english press and football fans everywhere.

mike65

would wenger not have every right to sue for slander here?

Only if he has no sense of proportion, it might fall under 'fair comment'

Mike.

blu_sonic

he (JM) does have apoint though a few seasons back AW was on about man u every other game now its chelsea, although i do feel that JM could have worded his statment a little differently.

Jivin Turkey

mayordenis wrote:

no you can't publically say these things,
would wenger not have every right to sue for slander here?

Yeah definitely.

It might take a while though to get to court because I think things are still held up with Alex Ferguson's case of GBH caused by flying pizza.

Pepe LeFrits

Wenger responds to questions asked to him by journos at post match conferences, as does Mourinho. There was a fresh story every week over the summer with Mourinho having a whinge about Arsenal, so I think his most recent claim is amusing (particularily given only last week he was going on about Arsenal getting so many penalties - who got more penalties last season?). Wenger laughed it off over the summer when Mourinho claimed that Arsenal were getting fixture bias and OPTA showed that it was Chelsea who were getting the easier run, so I expect him to do so again.

p.pete

Regardless of what Wenger comes back with the press seem to give more coverage to what JM says - the bit about OPTA showing he was wrong for instance, I don't even remember that. The part I remember is what Jose said, I think the press probably love him too...

Pepe LeFrits

p.pete wrote:

Regardless of what Wenger comes back with the press seem to give more coverage to what JM says - the bit about OPTA showing he was wrong for instance, I don't even remember that. The part I remember is what Jose said, I think the press probably love him too...

Well I think that may be selective memory on your part because you love him, because there was an article on the SSN website and I recall the TV channel running the story ad nauseam too.

blu_sonic

he is a breath of fresh air for football

Lemlin

Mourinho is fanastic IMO. Wenger regularly trys psychological crap like this on Mourinho and SAF. Mourinho just doesn't take it sitting down.

IMO Mourinho is absolutely right. Wenger should be worrying about his own team's problems, not Chelsea's.

jank

Lemlin wrote:

IMO Mourinho is absolutely right. Wenger should be worrying about his own team's problems, not Chelsea's.

Thats all well and good, but why the personal insult then after?

People say he is a breath of fresh air. **** that. Napalm was a breath of fresh air in Vietnam, doesnt mean its good does it?

Royale with Cheese

Cmon people. I don't understand how people can still love Mourinho. Ok he is an extremely talented manager and was a breath of fresh air at first with his controversial outspokeness but he just does not know when to shut his mouth. Even as an Arsenal fan I can find him funny sometimes, but every now and again he just has to go and say something that reminds you how much of a tosser he is.

bizmark

If i was an arsenal fan id be more concered with wigan than chelsea

jm is a legent :P

Gangsta

I think someone really needs to put Mourinho in his place. Wenger was just responding to a question from the media which is 100% normal from any manager but to make a personal insult about anyone is just not on. He may be an excellent manager but he has no morals or sense of what is right and wrong and feels he is above the law while thinking everyone is against him:rolleyes: Complete bull$hit.

He needs to get charged heavily sooner or later or will continue acting and saying what he pleases

Lafortezza

Jos&#233 wrote: »

"If I was a chocolate bar.....I would eat myself.."

*May not be a JM quote

astrofool

and just yesterday Kenyon was saying how he wanted Chelsea to become a more liked club

Lemlin

jank wrote:

Thats all well and good, but why the personal insult then after?

People say he is a breath of fresh air. **** that. Napalm was a breath of fresh air in Vietnam, doesnt mean its good does it?

Because some people believe all press is good press. Chelsea made the back page of all the paper's again today so maybe Mourinho got what he wanted.

Either that or he could be just trying to wind Arsene up. Jose has said from the start that he didn't like SAF or Wenger. SAF showed him common courtesy last year when United lost to Chelsea in the League Cup though and Mourinho was quoted as saying that he needed to be more gracious in defeat like SAF.

SAF followed this up by getting his United players to recognise Chelsea's achievements at Old Trafford when they played after Chelsea had won the PL.

Pretty good thinking by SAF if you ask me, now Mourinho tends to leave United alone and concentrate on Arsenal and Wenger.

Thanx 4 The Fish

mayordenis Banned for a week for abuse, sponsors checked later.

Royale with Cheese

Excuse me, maybe I'm missing out something here, I'm quite drunk right now. But are you banning somebody for abuse aimed at Jose Mourinho rather than a fellow board member?

Big Nelly

Dr J wrote:

Excuse me, maybe I'm missing out something here, I'm quite drunk right now. But are you banning somebody for abuse aimed at Jose Mourinho rather than a fellow board member?

Read the charter!!!!

p.pete

Is it me or is it mostly Arsenal fans who hold vitriol towards JM? Obviously fair enough if true because most of his "banter" is aimed towards them. When AF took over at Manchester United he saw his main rival as Liverpool and saw the most important thing that he had to do was knock Liverpool off their pedestal. Personally, I hated AF for a long time (either he's mellowed or I've mellowed but the hate isn't really there at this stage) and I guess he was doing a good job for MUFC.

If JM is concentrating on Arsenal because he sees them as the team who are Chelseas biggest threat in English football then I'd congratulate him on a job well done.

growler

Gangsta wrote:

He may be an excellent manager but he has no morals or sense of what is right and wrong and feels he is above the law while thinking everyone is against him:rolleyes: Complete bull$hit.

He needs to get charged heavily sooner or later or will continue acting and saying what he pleases

no morals ? on what do you base that bizarre statement ?

"continue ..saying what he pleases" , well of course we wouldn't want managers saying what they please, oh wait, why not ?

Seems that Arsenal fans ( like their manager) seem to be more wound up by anything Chelsea do or say rather than worrying about why their own team are failing to challenge Wigan for second place.

jank

growler wrote:

no morals ? on what do you base that bizarre statement ?

"continue ..saying what he pleases" , well of course we wouldn't want managers saying what they please, oh wait, why not ?

Seems that Arsenal fans ( like their manager) seem to be more wound up by anything Chelsea do or say rather than worrying about why their own team are failing to challenge Wigan for second place.

Just like their manager, classless rent boys.

Does the Barca incident last year refresh your memory where he just basicly made up lies about the Ref and Barca manager. Wasn't he fined?

p.pete

jank wrote:

Just like their manager, classless rent boys.

Do you've a source for that?

jank

What that they are classess or rent boys?

growler

jank wrote:

Just like their manager, classless rent boys.

Does the Barca incident last year refresh your memory where he just basicly made up lies about the Ref and Barca manager. Wasn't he fined?

you're showing a lot of class there yourself jank ( ironic for someone moaning about personal attacks)


He didn't "make up lies" he questioned the impartiality of the referee given the number of decisions that were given in Barca's favour, a bias that was obvious to most neutral observers of that game. Of course St. Wenger has never questioned referees decisions has he ?:rolleyes:

p.pete

jank wrote:

What that they are classess or rent boys?

Source for them being rent boys will do - where the line is drawn between classy and classless could lead us to something of a grey area.

MrJoeSoap

While I think Jose is a great manager, I really dislike when he moans after not winning (e.g. - Charlton and Everton). These metaphorical attacks on Wenger are only a bit of craic, theres no need to get worked up about them.

jank

A rent boy is a common nickname given to Chelsea and their fans.
Think its something to do with renting Stamford bridge for a period of time or something to that effect.

After a google I also learnt that it means that you maybe renting out parts of yourself to others. Never knew that but Londeners are known for their unique slang.

Its used by opposition fans and even Chelsea fans themselves. Aka like Liverpool/scouse.

Perhaps Growler can fill us in on the history of it

Lemlin

jank wrote:

A rent boy is a common nickname given to Chelsea and their fans.
Think its something to do with renting Stamford bridge for a period of time or something to that effect.

After a google I also learnt that it means that you maybe renting out parts of yourself to others. Never knew that but Londeners are known for their unique slang.

Its used by opposition fans and even Chelsea fans themselves. Aka like Liverpool/scouse.

Perhaps Growler can fill us in on the history of it

Even if you have an explanation for rent boys, I don't know how you could describe Chelsea as "classless" when they are blowing away the rest of the PL. What does that make the other 19 teams then?

Royale with Cheese

Damn straight, http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?HLID=321650&CPID=8&title=WENGER+HINTS+AT+JOSE+ACTION&lid=2&channel=Football_Home&f=rss

Gangsta

growler wrote:

no morals ? on what do you base that bizarre statement ?

"continue ..saying what he pleases" , well of course we wouldn't want managers saying what they please, oh wait, why not ?

So Mourinho is allowed to make personal insults if he wants?

growler wrote:

Seems that Arsenal fans ( like their manager) seem to be more wound up by anything Chelsea do or say rather than worrying about why their own team are failing to challenge Wigan for second place.

The issue here isn't about Arsenal's position in the league, it's about Mourinho launching a personal attack on Wenger. If we wanted to discuss that we would start a new thread

growler

jank wrote:

A rent boy is a common nickname given to Chelsea and their fans.
Think its something to do with renting Stamford bridge for a period of time or something to that effect.

After a google I also learnt that it means that you maybe renting out parts of yourself to others. Never knew that but Londeners are known for their unique slang.

Its used by opposition fans and even Chelsea fans themselves. Aka like Liverpool/scouse.

Perhaps Growler can fill us in on the history of it

Rent Boy = male prostitute , I've only heard this in the last 121 months or so, from Man U , Pool and Arsenal mostly, don't know about Chelsea renting out the Bridge ( certainly not in my time) to the best of my knowledge this was aimed purely at Chelsea players who opposition fans assumed ( wrongly) had only signed for Chelsea to get their hands on some extra roubels. In olden days ( like early 80's) Chelsea had to rent Stamford Bridge as they couldn't afford to buy their own stadium, though how exactly that has turned all CFC fans into gay hooker I don't know! Maybe Arsenal fans think the only way we can afford our season tickets is be renting our bottoms out ( but not me :-) )

If you ever hear a Chelsea fan referring to themselves as a rent boy, you're probably in a public toilet and should probably leave :-) , it's nothing like Liverpudlians referring to themselves as scousers, it's a slur , a slander an unqualified spurious allegation.

gracehopper

I think Mourinho is ruthlessly good at his job. Any public comments are calculated and aren't just babble. I hate to say it but chelsea are now one of the best teams in europe they'll proably win the CL this year.A lesser manager would not be able to do the job he's done in such a short space of time. All the hullabaloo about Chelsea creates a hatred towards them and puts them at an immediate advantage before a ball is kicked in any match. This hate is then obviously stoked by mourinho's comments about his opponents in public. This type of slagging works in chelsea's favour, Ferguson has been doing this for years although he definitely wasnt as controversial as Jose Mourinho. It would be interesting if Man U hopped off them next week. Would he have a go at Ferguson???

tred

p.pete wrote:

Is it me or is it mostly Arsenal fans who hold vitriol towards JM? Obviously fair enough if true because most of his "banter" is aimed towards them. When AF took over at Manchester United he saw his main rival as Liverpool and saw the most important thing that he had to do was knock Liverpool off their pedestal. Personally, I hated AF for a long time (either he's mellowed or I've mellowed but the hate isn't really there at this stage) and I guess he was doing a good job for MUFC.

If JM is concentrating on Arsenal because he sees them as the team who are Chelseas biggest threat in English football then I'd congratulate him on a job well done.

Have to say, hes a great coach, but you know what, the premiership is boring since he joined, no one is going to the games anymore, and you know, woudnt it be great if he pissed off to real madrid, took a few players with him, and Abromivich jumped ship and bought the new york yankees....its complete ****e right now. Be interesting to see who gets second and third...chelease are palying some good stuff....but i watched the Arsenal/ tottenham highlights at the weekend...and that was a great game to watch, because in the first half arsenal were crap, and totenham played great, second half arsenal stepped up a gear, and it was a great derby...it was attack attack until the end...full house as well i believe

growler

tred wrote:

Have to say, hes a great coach, but you know what, the premiership is boring since he joined, no one is going to the games anymore, QUOTE]

Breaking News

Mourinho single handedly ruins the English Premiership !

Fed up with Chelsea not losing enough games and only occassionally drawing with their opponents the Manchester Broncos and Arsenal today announced that they would no longer be taking part in the Barclay's Premiership 2005/06 season. "It's just not fair" said Arsenal PR Director at a conference today to announce their surprise withdrawal from the English premier league, " when Arsenal go unbeaten at least everyone knows that we'll probably lose sometime soon, we at least have the good grace to give opposing teams a chance by playing people like Senderos, having key players refuse to travel further than Newcastle, always screwing up in important Champions League games and every now and then having players locked up pending police enquiries in foreign countries, Chelsea do none of this and so it's no longer a level playing field".

Echoing the sentiments of Arsenal, a Manchester Utd spokesman said today " we made the decision that if Arsenal aren't going to play any more then neither will we, we've had a long standing arrangement with English football then Arsenal and Man U would share the honours of English football while giving the lesser teams a break every 5 or 6 years or so, Chelsea have come along with far more money and suddenly think they can go around winning trophies. Well they can, but theirs will ultimately be a hollow victory because we won't be there to play against them". Speculation abounds that Arsenal are going to swap with Celtic and plan to dominate the Scottish league for many years to come. Rumours that Manchester will be relocating to China to start their own league have yet to be confirmed.

Manchester and Arsenal fans worldwide have been supportive of their clubs actions, "what's the point in playing in this poxy league if we can't win it?" said 75 year old Anthony Adams from Highbury. " I go to Old Trafford to watch my team win same if the knowledge that we've every chance of winnig the league and can have a big party in May, just last week we lost a game, I don't pay good money for that kind of entertainment" said lifelong Man U fan Harry Sun Li from Singapore.

therecklessone

tred wrote:

full house as well i believe

Indeed it was, the only seats we have trouble selling are the restricted view seats in the east stand (for games against less popular teams).

The tickets for the Goon match sold out an hour after going on sale to club members. Pretty much the same story for the West Ham game in November. IIRC, our Monday night fixture against Fulham was the only one not to sell out to home fans (Fulham took less than 1/2 the away section)

jank

Where did you rip that from growler?

MrJoeSoap

growler wrote:

Breaking News

Mourinho single handedly ruins the English Premiership !

Fed up with Chelsea not losing enough games and only occassionally drawing with their opponents the Manchester Broncos and Arsenal today announced that they would no longer be taking part in the Barclay's Premiership 2005/06 season. "It's just not fair" said Arsenal PR Director at a conference today to announce their surprise withdrawal from the English premier league, " when Arsenal go unbeaten at least everyone knows that we'll probably lose sometime soon, we at least have the good grace to give opposing teams a chance by playing people like Senderos, having key players refuse to travel further than Newcastle, always screwing up in important Champions League games and every now and then having players locked up pending police enquiries in foreign countries, Chelsea do none of this and so it's no longer a level playing field".

Echoing the sentiments of Arsenal, a Manchester Utd spokesman said today " we made the decision that if Arsenal aren't going to play any more then neither will we, we've had a long standing arrangement with English football then Arsenal and Man U would share the honours of English football while giving the lesser teams a break every 5 or 6 years or so, Chelsea have come along with far more money and suddenly think they can go around winning trophies. Well they can, but theirs will ultimately be a hollow victory because we won't be there to play against them". Speculation abounds that Arsenal are going to swap with Celtic and plan to dominate the Scottish league for many years to come. Rumours that Manchester will be relocating to China to start their own league have yet to be confirmed.

Manchester and Arsenal fans worldwide have been supportive of their clubs actions, "what's the point in playing in this poxy league if we can't win it?" said 75 year old Anthony Adams from Highbury. " I go to Old Trafford to watch my team win same if the knowledge that we've every chance of winnig the league and can have a big party in May, just last week we lost a game, I don't pay good money for that kind of entertainment" said lifelong Man U fan Harry Sun Li from Singapore.

Post of the month, Growler, you are a legend.

growler

jank wrote:

Where did you rip that from growler?

wrote it , I have too much time on my hands today !

should really fix those typos though, must be something wrong with my keyboard.

Necronomicon

I do enjoy Mourinho interviews but he's not going to get away with personal attacks, and he shouldn't. I believe in mind-games and all that, but there is a line. And it wasn't the wisest, seeing as though the victim of his attack has a friend in a high place at the FA.

Pepe LeFrits

Wenger's response:

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has hit back at Jose Mourinho's comments about him - and has not ruled out taking action against his Chelsea counterpart.

Mourinho labelled Wenger a "voyeur" and claimed he was obsessed with Chelsea.

"I find it out of order, disconnected with reality and disrespectful," Wenger said in response on Tuesday.

"I will see if I take any action. I don't know yet but I will leave that door open. I don't know what I said that was malicious."

Wenger added: "I was asked a question about Chelsea and gave my honest answer, just like I expect any other manager to do when he is asked about Arsenal.

"It's as simple as that and I can't see what is wrong with that and if there is we would all have to close our news conferences.

"I've said what I had to say about that. I'm not obsessed at all with Chelsea.

"I'm at a club where I'm very happy. Things have changed over the years in English football."

Wenger warned of the dangers of getting embroiled into a battle of personal attacks which he believes would end up restricting people having an opinion.

"When I came to England, I was happy to come and be confronted with the English culture, where the owners of the clubs were English and they opened the door to foreign people.

"Now, in some clubs, it looks like it is becoming different and that's where it's important not to lose your values.

"It is important that the respect you have always shown stays but the ways are becoming different in English football.

"It looks more like foreign people are buying the clubs and employing English people.

"For me, that's not a problem but it's a change and it's very important that the values of the game remain as they were before - respected and admired everywhere.

"Part of it is that everyone can have an opinion about the game."

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has hit back at Jose Mourinho's comments about him - and has not ruled out taking action against his Chelsea counterpart.
Mourinho labelled Wenger a "voyeur" and claimed he was obsessed with Chelsea.

"I find it out of order, disconnected with reality and disrespectful," Wenger said in response on Tuesday.

"I will see if I take any action. I don't know yet but I will leave that door open. I don't know what I said that was malicious."

Wenger added: "I was asked a question about Chelsea and gave my honest answer, just like I expect any other manager to do when he is asked about Arsenal.

"It's as simple as that and I can't see what is wrong with that and if there is we would all have to close our news conferences.

I don't know if he wants my job - he loves Chelsea

Mourinho on Wenger
Read Mourinho's best ever quotes

"I've said what I had to say about that. I'm not obsessed at all with Chelsea.

"I'm at a club where I'm very happy. Things have changed over the years in English football."

Wenger warned of the dangers of getting embroiled into a battle of personal attacks which he believes would end up restricting people having an opinion.

"When I came to England, I was happy to come and be confronted with the English culture, where the owners of the clubs were English and they opened the door to foreign people.

"Now, in some clubs, it looks like it is becoming different and that's where it's important not to lose your values.

"It is important that the respect you have always shown stays but the ways are becoming different in English football.

"It looks more like foreign people are buying the clubs and employing English people.

"For me, that's not a problem but it's a change and it's very important that the values of the game remain as they were before - respected and admired everywhere.

"Part of it is that everyone can have an opinion about the game."