Before the Blackburn game Fat Sam was trying to create some controversy by raising a ‘British V Foreign’ issue. I don’t know how the topic of sharing a drink after the game came up but this is what the master of the primitive arts said,
He’s [Wenger’s] never been the type of man to do that and neither have most foreign coaches that have been here. Rafa Benitez was the same and Carlo Ancelotti never came into my office last year. British coaches see it as an unwritten rule that no matter what they pop in and see the manager after the game. It has never been the case with Arsene.
At that time I just laughed it off with as a sensationalist comment from a man who wanted some airtime. Sadly, but as expected, those words launched a thousand headlines portraying Wenger in a negative light.
Then yesterday I read some quotes by Blackpool manager Holloway. Speaking with The Independent on Sunday, Holloway said:
It was great to sit down with Arsene Wenger and talk football for a few minutes after our game at Arsenal. He had a glass of wine, I had a beer and he was lovely to speak to.
As well as being someone whom I hugely admire, he is simply a very nice man, a total gentleman. He is quietly spoken, very thoughtful and he was very complimentary about us, despite the scoreline.
It’s funny how two ‘British’ managers have had such differing experiences while dealing with Le Boss. But it’s not surprising at all, is it? Clearly, Wenger understands and appreciates what Holloway is trying to do. So when such a man would have popped into his office after the game, it’s natural that Wenger would have shared a drink with him (I really can’t imagine Wenger drinking beer) and with that some thoughts on the game.
In contrast, I’d use the word respects and tolerates with a somehow thrown in when talking about Wenger’s feelings towards Fat Sam. I think most of us can appreciate a manager trying all kinds of tricks when he has limited resources but when such a man gloats in referee gifted wins for anti-football it really becomes intolerable bordering on the repugnant. If fans can get so riled up by a rival manager how can we expect the manager to feel much different?
Even then I think Arsene has been more than respectful about Allardyce and I wonder if Fat Sam ever did what he claims all British managers do i.e. pop into Wenger’s office after a game. After all, it does work both ways, doesn’t it? I tried imagining a conversation between the two over a drink and ended up in splits. One would talk about hoofing the ball and roughing it up while the other would be wondering when his misery will end.
That I think is the key. Holloway is a football manager. It’s possible to have a genuine conversation with him. Fat Sam is a relic. Drinks would not be an issue but talking to a man with such dated thoughts and an obnoxious attitude would be a serious challenge, one I’m sure Wenger can do without.
On a side note, does anyone else wonder why Holloway’s comments didn’t get as much media attention as those of Fat Sam? “Wenger is a total gentleman” doesn’t really cut it as a headline, does it!?
Good find, shows sluggy up for the mug we all know he is
Much as I love Wenger. (he likes Fellini and Fassbinder) it is easy to be nice when you just spanked someone 6 – 0. Would he do the same if Blackpool had won?
I think he would. If you observe what Wenger says and does, he’s always loyal to the principles. For instance, even though the 25 player and home grown rule is actually good for us, Wenger is against it on principle. I don’t believe he would let a result affect how he deals with the opposition manager.
Wenger struck me as a person who doesn’t bear a grugde against anyone for too long, be it journalist, football players or managers. He still answers all questions put to him by the media in a polite and frank way. He hasn’t spoken badly about any football player who left us even though some must have disappointed him for sure. Rembember Wenger loaned Song to Charlton even though Pardew had provoked us with his xenophobic remarks about the lack of English players at Arsenal and don’t forget his touchline spat with Wenger in the same season. Wenger wouldn’t act that way if he wasn’t such a principled man. In that he’s a bigger man than me by putting the interest of football and especially the ones of Arsenal football club above anything else. I’m thankful he’s our manager. But we shouldn’t expect him to be pretentious and have a drink with someone he doesn’t respect whereas this someone clearly expects Wenger to knock at his office door and ask for a drink.
hahaha. I can imagine Sam sitting in his office alone, getting more and more bitter as each passing minute (and bottle of beer) goes by without Wenger showing up.
Could be that Wenger sees Jabba the Hut as an ally to the Pisshead mate of his.
Maybe thats why he said this as pisshead always makes a point of telling the world how he and Jose like to get drunk over a wine after their teams play each other.
Funny how all Fergie the drunks mates hate Wenger too all except Steve Bruce.
I suppose it comes down to the fact that Aw is like most of us and funny who he drinks with.
You are also very correct to point out the media being cvery selective in what stories they push and only a fool would say there is no agenda.
here is another chestnut from the weekend that they completely ignored because they want Redknapp to get the England job. Not before he bankrupts Tottenham say I!
LOL. That’s hillarious, thanks for sharing.
hahahahahaha!!!!
let’s face it there are managers with a semblance of civility and who you can respect
and others who are frankly peasants. Messrs Redknapp and Allardyce fall into the
second category.
I disagree on Harry..although I am a gunner fan,.
I have n’t heard Redknapp putting a bad comment on Wenger. On the contrary he comesup with intelligent observations many a times.
Redknapp, for all his many faults, and they are legion, at least plays football.
The list of managers with whom Wenger doesn’t share the time of day is essentially limited to thos ewho through lack of talent,or sheer indolence don’t even try to play football on the one hand, and the likes of Mourinho and Ferguson on the otjher: Managers who are succesful but who in terms of personality are as attractive as being asked to drink a bucket of cold sick. Both of the above groups are fawned over by the largely talentles hack fraternity for whom the facts never get in the way of a good story since they provide them with easy quotes and copy which a public largely devoid of critical faculties is incapable of unpicking. Let’s just be thankful we have a manager with the integrity of Wenger who doesn’t play these ridiculous media games and clearly holds those that do in the disdain usually reserved for the kind of stuff left behind by dogs on the street.
Yeah its hard to favor a manager who plays football like Fat Sam. It is why England cannot produce world class as not enough coaches are committed to producing the technically gifted player. The national teams suffers and will continue to do so. The days of the Ryan Shawcross mold are over. On another note, Van Persie and Bendtner are walking injuries. I really think we need another striker. We are 1 injury away from Arshavin playing up front and its only August!
Yeah the striker situation is not good. But I’ve a feeling we will have better luck this year. It’ll be difficult to find a quality striker right now. Maybe Walcott will get a chance centrally in the worst case.
There is no doubt Fat Sam, Pulis, and their ilk harm English football more than any foreign manager or player ever will.
I think that JET could hold the fort for a few weeks. If we got another striker things could get messy when they are all fit. Chamakh seems much less injury prone so lets just think positive until the others get back.
I don’t think that Wenger is very good at pretending to like people to be quite honest and he has far too many reasons to dislike Allardyce. I think that drinks-after-a-game charade is load of rubbish anyway. Why should Wenger share a drink when he doesn’t want to… the whole thing is way for Fergie to play king pin of the Premier league. Right from the word go Wenger set to be his own man, do his own thing and say his piece no matter what… and that is the reason for all the bullying comments from Fergie and his lap dogs. Incidentally it was the same with Benitez.
Allardyce can go screw himself.
Well said, Jacob. I think this is spot on.
Spot on.
I really do think FatSam’s “drink after the game” comments should be viewed in the brilliant Film The Damned United, when Clough has set it all up for Revie to join him an after game drink, but Don Revie walks straight out of the ground, back onto the bus with his gang of thugs, and leaves Clough alone in the room. wondering what he has done wrong. The hospitality at The Emirates is beyond compare, FatSam can even get his favourite “eckythump and plastered” Ale there, whereas at Blackburn, they think a bottle of vintage wine is last years Chateau Nouveau. Cannot blame Wenger for passing him up on the offer, if it was EVER there.
Allardyce is just bitter, and i love you’re idea of what they would talk about if such a meeting every took place. I think someone needs to do one of those animated youtube vids, that’d be hilarious!
Re Ian Holloway, i wouldn’t mind if they talked over the possibility of Arsene loaning Blackpool a couple of our youngsters to bolster their squad. God knows they need the extra numbers and it would benefit all parties, but i suppose even our kids, or those that need the prem loan experience at least are on over 10k a week so that’s probably why we haven’t heard anything about it. Such a shame really!
How did Owen Coyle get Wilshere last season.. Maybe they have drink after the game. Owen admit he talked to Arsene after the games.
Good one Desi. I really like the attitude of Holloway, its a far cry from several other EPL managers and oafs like Alladyce. I read an interview at the start of the season that after Blackpool qualified for the EPL and many “Plundits” were nt only predicting for Blackpool 2 go down but several were predicting the lowest pts tally ever. Steve McMahon even said he was willing to put money on Blackpool nt scoring a single pt. Holloway admitted that the day after Blackpool qualified he sat up in the morning and wondered where the hell he was gonna get the pts from, bt later decided what has to be will be and he will cherish the experience none the less. Seems like an honest guy, he does and 4 pts frm 3 matches doesnt seem too shabby too. He also said in the article you mention in the post that signing players has been really difficult for them majorly cause they hadnt even planned for a scenario of playing in the top flight (I think they qualified for the play offs on the last matchday of the championship). Would be great if some of Arsenals young guns are loaned out to Blackpool for the seasons, would serve both parties really well.
P.S.: Regarding the Blackburn game, I was surprised you didnt use the famous dialogue “kitne aadmi the re Samba?” somewhere. Thought you would considering the ‘Gabbar’ impersonation.
Yeah I also heard an interview in which their Chairman (now he’s resigned it seems) was talking about their problems in the transfer market. He said they’d contacted close to 40 players but nothing had worked out. Everyone was asking for crazy money simply because they were in the Premiership. Good to see that they were sensible in the way they did their business.
When I’m immersed in football I often forget other things otherwise a Gabbar line might have popped into my head
Fucking WELL SAID that man !!!!!!!
Just saw this posted on another site. JAJAAJ fucking hilarious!!
Same thing without the Harry Potter background.
I think all this meeting for a drink after the game b/s is so trivial – who cares anyway?
It’s not only Sam who’s a relic, so are the journalists for giving credence to Sams spawn universe. Even after Englands World Cup debacle it’s the anti-football managers (Sam, Pullis, Brown etc) who get bigged-up by the media. The day England again win a tournament is the day those relics are put out to grass so we can produce proper footballers again. The last time England won anything was 1966 when Sir Alf Ramsey was manager – a real gentleman.
That’s true. To an extent I wrote about this in an earlier article after England’s exit from the World Cup. The coaches, Refs, FA, and the Pundits have to change their approach to the game if England wish to have serious ambitions at the international level.
@Alibaba
Now you know why he has got a twitch. It must be fer fer fer fer fucking hard to not swear all the time. Fuck him he is a theiving bankrupting cunt. And no I aint got a twitch. I sleep at night.
Even his playing staff want to knock the fecker out and put an end to his perpetually annoying drivel. Maybe that’s why Gallas went there, to do the job properly because the spuds are so incompetent.
I can understand Gallas’ thinking now. It might be a big compromise to playing real football with a real team but he’s taken one for the whole of humanity there. And he’ll still get paid 50k a week to take shots at the cunt. I say well done Willy.
keep up to date with everything harry redknapp when you follow him on twitcher
Pardew is now on the slippery slope! His comments are coming back now to haunt him and his career. Saints got rid of him 24 hours ago, funny how things turn out in football. Wouldn’t be surprised if Blackburn Rovers attendance start to average out at about 15,000 for home games from now on with the brand of football that they’re playing. He could get fired by xmas if their also in the bottom third of the table… fingers x
Would depend on the vision of the guy taking over I guess (I’m assuming the takeover story is genuine, haven’t spent any time on it)
Loved the videos, keep up the good work. Nice blog Desi, our squad is looking awesome and I’m thinking we might get a surprise signing on the last day. It could be a keeper or just a young talented player that was going cheap. Probably the expected Schwarzer but i’m excited no matter what happens! We are looking much more mature and I think this is going to be a great year for Arsenal.
oops, nothing on the transfer front, you jinxed it
On a serious note, I agree we have a much more mature side now.
[...] Wenger Shares A Drink With Holloway But Not With Allardyce?! Before the Blackburn game Fat Sam was trying to create some controversy by raising a ‘British V Foreign’ [...] [...]
>> (I really can’t imagine Wenger drinking beer)
He’s french, he wasn’t drinking beer, he was having wine!
Yeah he was having wine, I was just trying to imagine Wenger with a pint in his hand. Just doesn’t go with his personality.
[...] sam allardyce and Tony Pullis are 2 good reasons i am glad not to live in England now. Wenger Shares A Drink With Holloway But Not With Allardyce?! Before the Blackburn game Fat Sam was trying to create some controversy by raising a ‘British V [...]
Sandeep: doesn’t mean all French do drink wine rather than beer… I for one drink beer more often…
Now I’ll have to admit that one of the reasons is the price of wine in this country ^^
Fat sam, dont behave like a child please.