Tuesday, 19 October 2010

Wenger - We are not dirty

Arsene Wenger has defended Arsenal's disciplinary record after Jack Wilshere became their third player this season to get sent off.
Ahead of the match against Birmingham on Saturday, Wenger had used his programme notes to again highlight the importance of clamping down on bad challenges.
Having seen the likes of Abou Diaby, Eduardo and Aaron Ramsey all suffer horrific injuries in the past, the Gunners managers has regularly championed the need to protect players and rid the game of over-the-top tackles.
However, he later found himself on the back foot after Wilshere was sent off for a foul on Blues striker Nikola Zigic towards the end of Arsenal's 2-1 victory.
Laurent Koscielny and Alex Song have also been shown red cards this term but Wenger insists that Arsenal are not dirty and observers must look at the bigger picture.
Asked about his views on bad tackling, Wenger said: "I am still calling for it (clampdowns), I defend football. Whether my players are involved or not doesn't matter.
"Look at the Fair Play table in the last five years - you will always find Arsenal in the top two or three. That speaks for the consistency in our behaviour.
"It is true occasionally we go overboard, but that does not mean in the longer term our record is not fantastic. That is what you have to look at."
Wenger continued: "The problem in the modern game is one incident makes a lifelong story. It is not like that.
"You have to look and take a distance with our record and the way we want to play football.
"You will not find many people in Europe who will tell you Arsenal is a dirty team."
Speaking after Saturday's 2-1 win, which halted a run of successive Premier League defeats, Wenger stated that some people will always claim Arsenal are 'wrong' - no matter how he tries to approach the game.
However, the Gunners boss insisted that was very much part and parcel of life at a top side.
"I have no paranoia feelings at all," he said.
"I think to live in a big club you are more highlighted than other clubs and you have to live with that.
"As well you have to take a big enough distance to feel if it is true or not."
Wenger added: "We are here to make sure football is played in the right way.
"I don't say we're untouchable and that we don't make mistakes, because we make them as well.
"But overall I believe we commit very few fouls in the game and we try to play in a fair way.
"When we make a mistake, we come out and say sorry and we won't do it again."
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