Bosses round on ‘moaning drain’ Wenger
PREMIER League managers last night rounded on “moaning” Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger following his latest outburst on weakened sides and fixture congestion.
Stoke City boss Tony Pulis accused Wenger of “moaning like a drain” after the Gunners chief hit out over Wolves’ decision to field a second-string side at Manchester United on Tuesday night.
Then, Hull City manager Phil Brown – his opponent tomorrow – said the Frenchman should have no complaints about having to play three games in a week given the size of his squad.
Wenger hit out at Wolves boss Mick McCarthy for selecting a weakened side in the 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford on Tuesday night – a move he claimed damaged the “international credibility” of the Premier League.
But Pulis insists Wenger is just arguing the case for his club, saying: “Wenger is moaning like a drain because it doesn’t suit Arsenal. He isn’t moaning because it doesn’t suit Stoke. He is saying it because it doesn’t suit him and that was what Mick has done.
“I don’t think it was the walk in the park [for United] that people are suggesting. The players Mick played, most of them are seasoned professionals – he hasn’t played the youth team – who he has spent decent money on.”
Wenger has also been vocal this week in criticising the Premier League for the organisation of their fixture calendar after his Gunners side were forced to play away games at Liverpool on Sunday and Burnley on Wednesday, before hosting Hull at the Emirates tomorrow.
Hull, in contrast, have enjoyed a free week, prompting Wenger to claim that “the guy who organised the fixtures this season must have come out of a special school because he is more intelligent than me”.
But Tigers boss Brown insists Wenger has no case to answer and is lucky with the squad he has to choose from. “I have looked at the size of squads,” Brown said. “We are probably trading at around the third or fourth smallest squad in the Premier League. But in the top half some of these teams can boast 50 or 60 players. With that in mind I can’t see any problem with two or three games in a week.”