Arsenal's Arsene Wenger hits back at Match of the Day pundits dismissing his Gunners' title hopes
Arsenal's Arsene Wenger hits back at Match of the Day pundits dismissing his Gunners' title hopes
Alan Hansen, Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy just giving opinions with nothing factual to back them up says leaders' manager
Watch it: Wenger has issues with the MOTD experts
Michael Regan
Arsene Wenger claims Match Of The Day's pundits are wrong to write off Arsenal’s title chances.
TV experts Alan Hansen, Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy have taken it in turns this season to claim that the Gunners cannot win the Premier League.
But
Wenger, who admits he is a regular watcher of the BBC’s flagship
football show, says he pays no attention to pundits who cannot back up
their argument other than not liking Arsenal.
Ahead of Wednesday's home match against Hull,
Wenger insisted his players are ready to prove their critics wrong and
claimed it is a nonsense to say they cannot win it just because they
have won anything for eight years.
Wenger said: “Sometimes I watch
it (Match of The Day), sometimes not. Sometimes it’s just someone
saying their opinion without an argument on something. That can make
sense. But if it’s something based on hate or love, or just gut feeling
then I just say, ‘Okay, it’s an opinion - he might be right, he might be
wrong.’
“Often, he [the pundit] doesn’t sustain his opinion by some work he has done to support that argument. Title shot: Pundit Hansen doesn't see Arsenal hanging onto their lead
BBC
“Of course (I have gleaned things from a pundit) - if you
make an article tomorrow saying, ‘I think Arsenal will win the
championship because of that, this or that' or 'Arsenal will not win the
championship because of something else. Look at these numbers or
statistics, they always repeat the same mistake’ or offer something that
is in there.
“If you just say, ‘Arsenal will win the
championship' or 'Arsenal won’t win the championship because they
haven’t won it for eight years’, then I think it’s just an opinion.
“When I arrived here, people explained I couldn’t win the title as I am foreign. Everybody has their own logic.
"I
just think you win the title through your quality. If we didn’t win for
eight years it is because we weren’t good enough in the important
moments of the season. We have a good opportunity to show we are good
enough, so let’s take it.”
Wenger also dismissed Hansen’s savaging
of Arsenal’s defending in their victory at Crystal Palace in October,
drawing comparisons with a similar mistake against Everton in January
2010.
The Gunners' boss clearly remembered the piece of analysis,
which came after Mikel Arteta was sent off at Palace when their
opponents hit them on the break.
“You can find that. One specific
incident,” said Wenger. “It was right on the night - we were caught on
the counter from a corner. Gibbs went forward, but he was supposed to be
at the back. Art attack: Defending that lead to Arteta's Palace dismissal was criticised
Shaun Botterill
“The ball was kicked to him and he went forward, and we were
caught on the counter-attack, and it ended up with Arteta being sent
off. It was an accident but it was, a little bit, the desire for us to
play.
“I have enough experience to analyse what we do and how well
we play. I don’t need someone else to tell me. I’m not upset by that at
all.”
Wenger will bring in Carl Jenkinson for the injured Bacary Sagna as the French right-back has a hamstring injury.
But
Wenger is convinced that Arsenal can stay top even though they are
starting a hectic run of fixtures which include Hull, Everton, Napoli
next Wednesday and then ends with a trip to Manchester City for a
lunchtime kick off on Saturday week.
“The only thing that is
changing is not our mind, it’s your mind,” said Wenger. “Because until
now you never ask me about the pressure, because you always thought it
was an accident that we are there (top) and it won’t last.
“Now
that it’s lasting a bit longer, you start to think, ‘We have to consider
them a bit more seriously.’ You start to think, 'Is it a pressure for
you?'
"No. We just continue to play well and that’s the pressure we have - the desire to play well.”
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