Arsene Wenger enraged by World Cup mention
It takes a lot to get Arsène Wenger agitated, even more for him to turn the air blue. Yet
agitated the Arsenal manager did get yesterday and occasionally blue, too, as he was
questioned about the World Cup finals.
More specifically, it was when he was asked about Theo Walcott and how the young Arsenal
winger needs to keep fit and maintain his form if he is to be included in the squad of Fabio
Capello, the England manager, for the trip to South Africa next year.
Wenger bristled, using the F-word twice to emphasise his frustration at the subject matter.
“Why should I not be frustrated?” he said. “I’m asked if it’s an important season
because Theo is going to the World Cup. For heaven’s sake, the World Cup is in June.
“Is he on holiday until the ninth of June? You cannot be serious. Theo is paid by Arsenal
football club every week to perform. And well paid. Why should I today worry for what will
happen on June 9 at the World Cup? Theo Walcott doesn’t even know if he will go to the
World Cup. Let’s do well for Arsenal.”
It could have been a scene out of Fawlty Towers, when a concussed Basil Fawlty keeps
repeating “Don’t mention the War” in front of a group of German tourists. Wenger had not
suffered a bang to the head but perhaps “Don’t mention the World Cup” should become the
reporters’ catchphrase at future press conferences.
Admittedly, Wenger had been sidetracked. He also spoke about Arsenal’s chances of gaining
the one point that they need to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League, when they
face Standard Liège, of Belgium, in their penultimate group H match at the Emirates Stadium
this evening. “To finish top of the group, it would feel like job done,” he said.
Walcott is likely to start tonight, after recovering from a knee injury and playing for 19
minutes as a substitute in the 1-0 defeat away to Sunderland on Saturday. It was Arsenal’s
first loss in 14 matches and the first time that they had failed to score in 20 games this
season.
Yet the hackles of the usually urbane Frenchman rose again at the talk about, er, you know
which tournament. “It is the journalists and people in the street,” he said. “That’s not
the reality. The reality in life is ‘Do your job my friend’. And make sure that never
anybody can say: ‘You’re not committed every day in your life for what you’re paid for’.
“Listen, a guy who has a poor season has a poor World Cup. A guy who wins with his club
goes to the World Cup and has a good chance to win. The players are not afraid of you if you
do nothing all season. You have no respect from the manager if you don’t do anything at
your club.
“The only experience I have of players who won the World Cup is Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel
Petit. They won the championship, they won the FA Cup, they went to the World Cup and they
won it. Some people think that players can play within themselves and then turn up at the
World Cup . . . sport at the top level just doesn’t work like that.”
At least, Cesc Fàbregas, the Arsenal captain, is on-message. Sensible lad. He, too, wants to
travel to South Africa, with Spain, but knows that the club duties take precedence.
“I can understand his [Wenger’s] point,” Fàbregas said. “He is the manager and wants
Arsenal to do well. The national team is secondary, my first priority is to play well and
win titles for Arsenal. But to try to be a starter for Spain in the World Cup is also on my
mind.”
Fàbregas also intimated that he was happy to resist the persistent courting of Barcelona. “
I’m in a great club, a great team,” he said. “Stay here for ever? Why not? I’m only 22.
You never know what your career will bring but why not? I’m in my seventh season now, I’m
really happy, better than ever.” |