As we reported earlier this morning, Wojciech Szczesny says he’s eager to play in the FA Cup final, but accepts that the decision lies with the manager who thus far used the tournament to field Lukasz Fabianski.
“I would love to play but it’s the manager’s decision,” he said.
“It’s up to the him. I think Lukasz has done really well and he deserves a lot of credit. I’m an Arsenal fan and I just want us to get the trophy.”
So…that’s a player obviously enthusiastic about playing for his club at Wembley but aware that the boss is in charge and that the bigger issue is Arsenal winning a trophy.
Of course, armed with the first five words of Szczesny’s quote, some berk journalist (we’re pretty sure it’s Sky Sports News’ Gary Cotterill…but we’re happy to be corrected if not) decided to try and weave a new narrative around the situation during today’s pre-Hull press conference at London Colney.
Here’s how it panned out…see what a moron he looks.
Journalist: “Who will play in goal at Wembley?”
AW: “In goal at Hull, Szczesny. At Wembley I don’t know yet. So much can happen [before then].
Journalist: “You’ve obviously read Wojciech’s comments about he’s the no. 1 and he feels he should play?”
[whispers heard from others in the room]
AW: “Look, I don’t know where you read that and anyway, he will not decide that.”
[AW smiles]
Journalist: “Is it a concern of yours though?”
AW: “The players are responsible for their performances and I am responsible for the decisions I make.”
Journalist: “It seems he may not have said that, but is it a concern of yours that you’ve got a player who is leaving at the end of the season and maybe a player who is staying and is going to be a bit upset by not playing?
AW: “Look, I think what is important in football is the next game…and the next game is Hull. The Cup final is in one month. Who knows what will happen in the next month.”
You’ll struggle to find a clearer example of attempted media mischief/headline making. It’s disgraceful really, so kudos to those in the room who were quick to point out his ‘mistake’.
The line of questioning is an indication of the lengths to which some journalists will go to grab a sound byte that can be spun, but also evidence as to why players and managers are so suspicious of saying anything other than drab, token statements.
Mourinho’s rant at Wenger earlier in the season was almost (the Portuguese’s sociopathic tendencies aside) totally created by one Sky Sports broadcaster feeding him twisted comments which had themselves been prompted by another at a Wenger press conference. It’s mental really and amazing that Arsene Wenger hasn’t punched any of them over the last 17 years.
sky sports are the john terry of journalism
Sky sports are the John Terry of football. it was a working class game for the fans until sky pumped money into it. yeah we got better coverage of games on tv and more of them but the state of the game now is the price we paid.
Isn’t John Terry the John Terry of football?
That’s simplifying things too much.
John Terry is the John Terry of John Terry. John Terjohtenhjohnter….ack, my eyes. The goggles do nothing.
Er…. John Terry is the John Terry of football, but agree with the rest of your comment
John Terry is the John Terry of Football. John Terry is the Sky Sports of Humans. BT Sport are the John Terry of Sky Sports.
No, John Terry is the Cunt of football.
Going to have nightmares of being surrounded by John Terrys. Terries?
Charlotte Jackson, however, is nothing like John Terry. Much more a Bobby Pires perhaps?
Innocent bystander that one, resist the urge to throw the baby out with the bathwater people.
nc.
Eugh
Journalists: I read that you have punched many other journalists over the last 17 years. Can you confirm this? Will this affect future press conferences?
hmmm okay.
Can’t these journalists ask more important questions? Like what his tactical setup was for the Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton games? And why were we beaten so soundly against top teams. Or the progress of the internal inquiry on injuries or n=anything substantial?
That would require journalists to think and ask intelligent questions…
A few too many ‘journalists’ have strong ties with other clubs so they do their best to cause problems for the opposing teams. Unfortunately some of them even follow the spuddies so they have very little understanding of football and have to talk about non-football issues…. really sad when they get down to this standard though.
It makes the term ‘gutter-press’ seem to high a standard for them
All Wenger has to do is ask. I’ll punch the tosspot. After all, he’s Sky isn’t he? And Sky’s totally staffed with Rupert Murdochs who like to stuff Arsenal fans in any way they can. (Statistically, very nearly proven.)
Fcuk skysport
WOW so wenger gets paid £7.5mill, and part of his job AND PAY (that we’re not able to compete financially with the big clubs but can still pay a manager £7.5mill and have been for years despite once again ‘not being able to compete financially with the big clubs’) ffs deal with it, it’s a small part to pay for that HUGE salary that makes him one of europes highest paid managers who wins naff all – who wouldn’t want his job ffs
Can someone interpret what Dan is talking about and what he really wants? As per the article, he might just be a journalist.
That comment may be adapted into a column for Sky Sports website, who knows…
“An insider at Arsenal said…”
Oh yes, if Wenger worked for free since we last won a trophy we could have almost bought us some Gareth Bale. Instead Wenger got paid and developed players like Ramsey, Walcott, Koscielny, the Ox and got Flamini for free on top.
Believe me, if you were as good a manager as Wenger, you wouldn’t be sitting in front of this blog typing nonsense into your keyboard.
You probably think anybody could have kept us in the top 4 for all this time and through a stadium move.
Reality check ffs.
‘Are you Cotterill in disguise? Are you Cot-ril-in-dis-guise?’
Dan, you were so busy slagging off Wenger you forgot to actually make a point with your post.
Must have choked on his own froth before he finished typing. Someone may want to check on him.
Dan …that comment was a bit desperate how about a new log in name?
I’d love it if Wenger just came out and said, “you know what just fuck off, Coterill! I bet if I bent you over this table you’d take it like a fuckin bitch, wouldn’t you!”
I don’t know what kind of weird fantasies you got going on, but don’t introduce them to the internet, there’s enough of that around.
It makes you wonder how much them twisting things has in the long run made players leave etc
Didn’t a similar thing happen in Shakespeare’s Othello? That ended really badly.
I got invited to go to an Arsenal post match presser but declined as I thought I’d probably get thrown out for kicking the crap out of one of these “journalists”. Scum of the Earth (after everyone connected with Man United, Chelsea, Na$ri etc.
Arsene just rose above it! I think we all know that barring injury or any other unforeseen circumstance, LF will be in goal (deservedly so) on May 17th. AKB! COYG!
I want Charlie Adam to ferociously shove his penis up the journalist’s arse while Wenger shits on his face.
^Tony Pubis, is that you??
Again with the Charlie Adam penis thing, Pedro? I’m concerned about your obsession. You should seek help.
Oh, and you forgot ‘veiny’ this time.
Hmmm…after we win the cup they’ll leave Wenger alone.
I wish you were right but I’d bet my house on the fact that (if we win the Cup) all media reporting next year will include the phrase, “Arsenal, who’ve only won one FA Cup in the last 10 years…..” They have no intention of giving Arsenal a fair deal andf they’ll find anyway of destabilising us they can.
I would like it if every team had a negative tagline just like Arsenal’s. ‘Chelsea- who’ve only won the league four times’ or better still ‘Tottenham- who’ve never won f**k all and probably never will’
Oh, come on now, be fair. It’s no good stooping to their level. You have to be honest about it….
“Tottenham, who had a reasonable season in 1961”
I’m sure Wenger can’t give a rats arse about this to be honest, he’s a big boy and knows what to expect from the journalists by now. Water off a ducks back
Cool article from ESPN about who we have missed more this season: http://snip.ly/Tpi
Wenger has many critics, but you have to give him credit for how he has handled the media/journos/hacks over the last 17 years. Always playing his cards in favour of the clubs best interests. Most managers in this era of hyper-sensationalism take the media bait too easily; Fergie opted for media black-outs whenever he liked, Pep showed he’s irritable only a couple of weeks ago, and Mourinho has shown that he’s a ‘Class A cunt’ in the pressroom on a regular basis. It’s a shame that the press find Mourinho’s spin ‘clever’ rather than downright ignorant, rude and ill-informed. Go… Read more »
You don’t give Mourinho enough credit. He’s consistently “shown that …” outside the press room, too…
He is a berk. I hate sky sports news, the sensationalist bull shit makes me feel a bit pukey
I remember when Graham Taylor, then England manager was being attacked by Rob Shepherd (not physically, although he later did 14 months in jail for a fight in a wine bar).
Taylor was much maligned, with good reason I suppose. Slthough, he went up in my estimations after this. Comedy gold.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4EZa0Dn8FY
They never interrogate Mourinho like that.
They’re too busy knocking one out.
* about 2:20 into the video
What an amateur.
When corrected the proper response should have been “new sources coming to light inform me that Szczesny does not know if he wants to play in the final. How much does the threat of a player strike undermine your position as manager and highlight the unprofessionalism of your players? How much has the continental socialist menace infiltrated the club under your watch Monsieur? “
Now you know why he hasn’t put pen to paper on a new contract. Sky.
Look at Cotterill’s cunt face in that pic. It’s a miracle Wenger didn’t just coldcock him right then and there. That face/voice/attitude/nose/toothgap just screams “hit me”. PS: the man only owns 1 suit.
Oh I don’t know, when it comes to shite journalism and writing stories that are completely fabricated and utterly lacking in any substance other than a personal agenda that cunt @LeGrove – AKA – Peter Wood writing for The Daily Heil comes close to being the absolute spunk bucket!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2604218/Steven-Gerrard-best-Premier-League-player-Liverpool-win-title-Mersey-Beat-Dom-King.html
This may be one of the worst pieces ever in the Daily Mail and that’s saying something
It’s all down to that ‘inspirational’ speech on the pitch that he accidentially on purpose had in front of the cameras. The speech that basically consisted of ”Keep it up lads. One game at a time.” Remember last season? Gerrard was slow. Like really slow and he tired in the second half of games. See him this season? A year older and as quick as lightening. No injuries and great stamina. Is it REALLY possible for a 33 year old to have increased stamina and pace? Check out those bulging veins in his arms and bulging eyes. His sudden sharp… Read more »
Sports journalism in general isn’t great but around football it is shockingly bad if the same standard was held to in other fields they would be laughed out of the sector. 90 percent of the ‘stories’ are fictional with only a vague correlation with the truth and most have some pernicious agenda. The rest of the time they are poorly researched, poorly written opinion pieces written by over inflated ego’s who bring no insight or understanding of the game. On TV its worse as the more ridiculous a statement the more it’s lauded. I used to have a grudging respect… Read more »
Journalists are always at this kind of thing. It’s nothing new although they need for sensationalism is much greater than it used to be when you could just have one big headline in the morning papers. Now they need a headline every few hours because of the internet. My father was a newspaper man. He was a typesetter and the pressure they used to work under was immense. One day his boss pulled him aside and asked him for some advice. My father was a wise man and he took him out for a cup of tea (there was no… Read more »
Probably should’ve read the name first
I love Rambling Pete. His rambles may seem pointless but there always is a point to them if only you have the wisdom to find it.
I have often wondered how to pass on my experiences of life to my son, so that he might avoid making some of the more embarrassing mistakes that I made. Now I know exactly how to do it….
‘Son … djufuf fish shnnnnwi arrrrr …. hahaaaaaaaa …. fjeopropa parp’
Wise words indeed Pete… I’ll do my best to remember them
Nothing is is the John Terry of anything except maybe John Terry and we all know what he is. Talkshite Radio, particularly Durham are the worst
journalists = professional trolls
they get paid to write shit and provoke
scum of society.
Ergo, readers of newspapers = scum of society
There was a time when sports journalists reported on the sport in question. Not now thought. Happened to see that Sunday supplement programme in TV once. A table of overhyped , overweight poor quality journalists wanting to be TV stars.. I blame piers Morgan ..
Many, many terrible things in this world of ours should be blamed on Piers Morgan.
Fuck Piers Morgan.
Nice of Piers to join us. I wonder how his thumb got so red?
This is not as bad as the spin Wenger puts on things. So stop being a hypocrite, Mr Arseblog.
Sounds like a quote from Sunday Supplement.
I”m guessing Goonshooter is more into suppositories than supplements.
At least he/she didn’t try to hide the fact they’re trolling with that name.
Pedro looks like you’re gonna be busy all journalists are disrespectful cunts it’s in the job description.
Reporter shortly after Cotterill desperate for a bite from Wenger over Chelsea getting the break between their matches next week. Cunts.. all of them. Wenger the master at making sure they dont get their ‘Arsene slams Prem over Chelsea favouritism’ headline.
The solution to this nonsense is for Wenger to give all his press conferences in his native, a la Pochettino.
He’s still be obliging his media duties and couldn’t be fined by the FA. Better still it would annoy the hell out of all them scribbler cunts.
What troubles me that they can ask hundred of quality questions like us fans want to ask. But they always go on and ask some random stupid questions who no one really cares about.
…and then TELL US that we care about it, and that we are angry about it.
What a douche.
An aside issue did anybody hear Neville saying Jarvis shdda dived. And further encouraging england to dive at the wc. As a player he was very vile but as a pundit up until now he has been alright but I guess once a cunt always a cunt
Again…. couldn’t expect any better.
Said journo is only mugging himself off. See where you are in 20 years you puppet.
well played arsene. for me, fabianski has to play. szczesny doesn’t deserve to play when he hasn’t contributed to the run and maybe it will shrink his enormous head a little to have to take a back seat for this one. i love him and think he will be a great keeper one day but he is over-confident in his own ability and needs to be more focused. i actually think fabianski might be a better keeper right now as he really seems to have matured in the past couple of years and has developed that aura of calmness around… Read more »
Wenger has previous for dropping the “FA Cup keeper” for the Current Number 1 in the Final. Richard Wright’s keeping got us to the final in 2003 but he was dropped for David Seaman. I was hoping til the death that Wenger would bring Wright on in place of Seaman if only for the last few minutes, but he never did. This year I wouldn’t mind seeing Szczezny brought on with a few minutes left as he is the only senior player who hasn’t featured at all (other than Park). 24 players have been involved so far. It would be… Read more »
Wouldn’t it be satisfying if Arsene arrived to his last press conference (regardless of when that happens) with a big ass flamethrower and declared “This is my final gift for Arsenal Football Club” before turning every single one of those pundits into ashes?
Of course, the media would instantly harvest more pundits from the garbage to replace ’em. But still, it would be a beautiful sight…
Arsene is a very patient man. If it was me, the first thing that comes out of my mouth after the first question will be “Did you spend all knight trying to come up with this? Look, I’m a busy man. Don’t waste my time with these childish questions. If you don’t have any football related questions, I’ll suggest you sit, listen, and learn a thing or two from (I’ll insert the name of a friendly journalist)”
Sets the tone for the rest of them not to ask stupid questions
what a stupid man that journo is. as if wenger is psychic to know what can come between now and may. what a tool…….absolute tool hahaha
good on wenger, journalist are always trying to twist every word
Now if I were AW, any question I didn’t like the sound of or thought was a setup I’d begin my response with: “well we’ve seen some of you like to make up stories to try and get quotes (flash a look at Cotterill) so…”
John Terry journalist and intelligence the original juxtaposition of the oximoron
Jouro: Arsene, you are currently fourth and in the cup final. Is this a good season? AW: Well, if we get top 4 and win the cup, it will be a reasonable success and one that we hope to improve on next season. Journo: Do you think you will win the cup? AW: Nothing is ever certain, but I’m confident we can do it. Journo: It’s still mathematically possible for you to win the league. Do you feel that you have a chance? AW: Not really. We’ll focus on fourth but if the others slip up we’ll try and take… Read more »