The FA have charged Arsene Wenger with misconduct after he clashed with fourth official Anthony Taylor during stoppage time of Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Burnley on Saturday.
The Frenchman, already seething about the red card shown to Granit Xhaka on 65 minutes, went apoplectic on the touchline when referee Jon Moss awarded the visitors a 94th-minute penalty. As Andre Gray celebrated his equaliser from the spot, Wenger was ushered down the tunnel at which point he appeared to push Taylor.
The boss had to make do with watching the dying seconds of the match from the bowels of the Emirates as Alexis Sanchez snatched a win in the eighth minute of stoppage with a penalty of his own.
The boss apologised for his behaviour in his post-match comments, however, despite being contrite it’s not a surprise that he’s facing the potential of both a touchline ban and a hefty fine.
A statement from the FA reads:
“Arsene Wenger has been charged for misconduct following Arsenal’s game against Burnley on Sunday [22 January 2017].
“It is alleged that in or around the 92nd minute, he used abusive and/or insulting words towards the fourth official. It is further alleged that following his dismissal from the technical area, his behaviour in remaining in the tunnel area and making physical contact with the fourth official amounted to improper conduct.
“He has until 6pm on 26 January 2017 to respond to the charge.”
Pardew got 2 games for similar didn’t he?
Yes, but he also got a 7 game ban for headbutting a player, a way bigger offence than slightly pushing an official. But since this is the FA, who has always had a grudge against Wenger, am not too hopeful.
I’d argue that the FA doesn’t hold a grudge really. He’s gotten off pushing Mourinho without any charges(and rightly so fvck that psychotic c**tbasket). On the whole though, Le Boss isn’t a touchline conductor like Pep and Jurgen so we shouldn’t be too affected 😀
I think that was more to do with Mourinho being an absolute c*nt and the FA wanting the world to know.
But I might just be reading into things here hehe.
True, the current lot do seem to be a bit more reasonable, and Howard Webb did also ask for a bit of leniency. But judging by the pure vitriol that old fucks like Graham Poll and Keith Hackett have been spouting on their columns, just hoping that sense prevails.
Graham Poll lost all right to comment on anything to do with refereeing when he issued three yellow cards to the same player in a World Cup match. Ever since then he’s been nothing more than a whiny opinionated little jerk with an axe to grind.
“whiny opinionated little jerk” is a pretty fair description of over half the PL officials….
Didn’t Pardeuax also help himself to the wife of one of his players? Such a classy guy.
Actually for the last couple of years FA been on his side. Mostly due to SAF leaving and Mourinho’s renewd hate-magnet. Wouldnt be more than 2 or 3 matches counting FA cup South. match.
How about if I say I’m really proud of AW because he has shown he feels for the team. He IS Arsenal through and through. As for our red carded Xaka well, about time someone showed his fight. Let Hackett and Poll expound their vitriol. 3 points and a heart attack. Pure Arse.
There’s a massive difference between showing ‘fight’ and getting red carded twice in half a season for someone who isn’t a defensive midfielder.
Aww poor anthony taylor
Lifetime ban, I’m guessing. You can’t do much worse than Arsene did, I’ve never seen bad behaviour like that.
Couldn’t agree more. You just can’t go around kung-fu kicking the referee, racially abusing the 4th referee and sleep with his wife, mooning the crowd and trying to make love to a taxi. Especially as the Arsenal manager. A lengthy ban surely awaits.
he’ll get a touchline ban and a fine, but part of me is happy because the boss doesn’t usually show so much emotion. I think this could galvanize the team to get (even more) behind the boss!
No word yet that Moss is charged with being a pretty inept ref? The Mustafi penalty missed call is still the worst (non)decision of the game.
I have to agree, I mean obviously its difficult to condone what he has done, but it is really nice to see a bit more passion formt he manager. I have heard people complain relentlessy about how he seems to have a lack of passion, whihc obviously any die hard Arsenal fan would disagree with, but I do agree With David C, hopefully this might put some fight back in the guys and show them that he is fighting just as hard for them.
Similar to Keown at Old Trafford.
Not sure I agree with the “boss doesn’t show that much emotion” part. As far as I can tell, he is filled with angst and passion from the time he exits that tunnel – all the hand wringing, hiding his face in Pat Rice’s shoulder, bottle-kicking, c**t-pushing, and all that.
It’s just that he does not prance around the sideline like an in-heat peacock, like that c**t Mourinho. Boss is as passionate as anyone, and I think the team know that.
In-heat peacock! hahaha…. I can’t stop laughing. That just made my day.
A push from a frail old man = top priority for the FA.
While I agree that the hand-wringing in the media has been pathetic, and he barely touched him, you definitely couldn’t call Arsene Wenger frail. And I don’t really think that 67 is that old any more either, especially for someone who is as healthy as Wenger. He’ll likely bury us all. Definitely me, as I like doughnuts and bourbon.
Wengers response: F*ck off FA.
Fucking Atrocious refereeing.
When Moss went to confer with the sideline ref: “1000 quid if you back me up?”
Let’s take it on the chin……it was stupid…..but there’s clearly still a fire burning in him…pleases me mightally! :-))))
Uh-oh spaghettios.
Two charges tells me it won’t just be a one match ban.
its really sad. the fact that xhaka’s challenge was bad but was not malicious and Wenger gave a small push are both being charged while Gary Cahill went late into Ryan mason and because it was a head collision its absolutely fine?!
He out of all should be banned and fined for violent conduct!
I thought Marney’s challenge on Ozil was easily the most dangerous and red card worthy challenge of the match. Not a football tackle, just an awkward and dangerous haul down from behind. The he hurt himself doing it might have saved him the red and people criticising it.
Far more dangerous than Xhaka’s tackle IMO.
Thats why i hate those ‘text book’ arguments on fouls. Two foots and show some studs then its red. Slam someone to the ground and u probably get away with.
Just ask Arnautovic or Debuchy.
I don’t recall Ozil being pushed into a ditch, that Marney tackle was a yellow card offense, nothing more.
You step up and fuck with the prof blad and you bare get smacked down innit fam
I’m imaging Wenger saying this with that charming French accent of his, and it’s making me pee myself slightly.
Well done, sir. Well done.
Respect for getting this comment published :0
It’s blud you prat lol
actually it’s either..
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Blad
awks LOL
I understand Wengers reaction since the feeling on all decisions against us was harsh. But looking on replay I can’t argue with Moss over the decisions. Xhaka tackle for me was a red (yes there have been cases where that wasn’t the case, but that doesn’t matter) and it was a clumsy leg from Couqelin. For me, penalty. We had a tremendous amount of luck getting the late penalty when Kos was offside (if he would be onside it would be a penalty ofc). The only decision I don’t agree with is the Mustafi incident, that was a clear penalty.
I’m with you on the penalties–all three should have been called given the offside was missed–but I think Xhaka’s reputation bought him that red. True, he didn’t pull out of it, but it was ground level and did no damage. I’m imagining Ramsey doing the same thing and I don’t see Moss ejecting him.
His punishment will be severe.
Two weeks waitressing in a Spurs themed sports bar, surrounded by people not demonstrating ‘a little bit the mental strength’
*Shudder* That’s some gitmo level punishment. I swear the spuds as an entity must be in violation of several Geneva conventions simply for existing.
Ah come on, where would we be without everyone’s favourite comedy club and their hilarious slapstick routine that they perform every season for us, without fail?
#COYG 3points number 2, after that game! If FA had their office here in Kenya I will arrange a peaceful demonstration
I heard foul and abusive language from Dyche every time a decision went against him. He should get sent off if that’s the norm. I don’t like this refs union thing, they always seem to close ranks and nobody can say anything about them. They make plenty of mistakes and are never really made accountable.
That is what most annoys me. Dyche and all his lads can swear and shout at the officials all game long, but Wenger gets done for it after having enough of watching inept officials control a game of football. Wenger’s behavior is perfectly understandable and any one of us in that position would be fuming.
The referees are struggling. Instead of closing their doors and pretending everything will be OK, why don’t we utilize technology to improve the standard of officiating. There are no excuses anymore.
Articles galore in the papers today hunting for Wenger’s head. The Prof has made it a habit to point out how much more intelligent and perceptive he is than most of the officials who preside over the game, and this is a choice opportunity for the little men to strike back. Though you could barely qualify his hands-on approach to the fourth official as a ‘shove’ or even anything more than a stern ‘push’ (I’d like to think he was doing what he always does, and merely guiding or directing the fourth official to watch the game … properly), he… Read more »
Does anyone know what the alleged abusive and/or insulting (but probably completely accurate) words were?
“Kindly step to the side so i can view the game knobhead”
I’d wager that Wenger was simply pushing the 4th ref to get him to do his job. “Stop talking to me! Turn around, the game is still on! Do your job! Pay attention!”
I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!
I really cant understand why Moss is getting so much stick for yesterday. Average ref for sure but what did he actually get wrong apart from the Mustafi penalty?
Ah yes the essential point I believe is that : Moss is a cunt. Therefore stick is applied. The cuntishess is produced by a cuntish combination of being too fat for a ref, missing a blatant foul on Mustafi in the opposition box, failing to spot a Burnley player elbowing and fouling on every occasion, and seeming to enjoy sending off Xhaka for a challenge that didn’t hurt anyone and could’ve been a yellow – fair enough that last one could’ve been a red but something about it tells me there was an element of cuntishness in it.
You want us to sing praises for not giving that penalty?
Im not asking for praise. I just don’t think we can complain massively about refereeing when we won via a penalty awarded for a foul on a player in an offside position. As for elbowing etc, I was at the game so didn’t catch any of that, fair enough to complain if it was happening
I’m totally lost as to this offside argument. If Koz doesn’t play the ball there is no offside. The foot is high when Koz heads it. Penalty first, offside second.
Why did that knob-head who raked his studs across Kos’s face not get a red? That seemed like a far more dangerous incident than Xhaka’s. Granted, Xhaka opened himself up to it by leaving the ground, but a ref that was not looking to give a red would have given out a yellow, with a warning. But if that is his standard for a red, then the boot to Kos’ face should have been red too. But no, the knob-head got a yellow and a stern warning (plus the obvious penalty). So at best, Moss seems to not have a… Read more »
Why have a go at Moss you say? – For the red on Xhaka for a tame low scissor style challenge – For not sending Dyche out for swearing and shouting (yet sends Wenger off instead) – For not sending off a Burnley player for aggressively shouting in his face – For not giving a clear as daylight penalty on Mustafi – For not giving the penalty on Koscielny (the assistant signalled it) – For looking so annoyed to give Arsenal the win at the end of the game after reluctantly pointing to the spot after his assistant signaled it!… Read more »
Pretty sure Wenger was preventing the 4th official from touching him, reverse the assault charge Wenger. Pretty sure the refs are officials of a governing body not state troopers. After the way he was treated after being sent off against Man U (have u ever seen a more disgusting disrespect of a manager) and making him stand alone in the middle of the home fans, can’t blame him. Refereeing in general, season after season gets worse and worse – anyone see the Hull Penalty shout against Chelsea that was waived away ? Mustafi penalty shout and elbowed twice – Mike… Read more »
MotD blamed the lino for both the non-penalty and the Kosco kick in the head.
At full speed the lunge by Xhaka looked bad. But Defour or whatever he is called over reacted after minimal contact. The FA should look at these incidents of faking injury.
Xhaka was going for the ball and barely clipped the player. The way the other player went down faking injury contributed to the incorrect decision. We can’t forget though that Moss clearly wanted to see something that did not happen. And so, he walked over to his linesman to get clarification, to ask if he saw what he thought he saw. “It looked bad that eh?…” then after getting the answer he was looking for, sends Xhaka off. Can anyone imagine a United player getting sent off for that? How about Xhaka’s other red card earlier in the season… no… Read more »
In my opinion it is quite unfortunate how players and managers have to follow the rules and get punished for not doing so, yet referees pretty much get away with being incompetent twats (officiating lower league games is nothing in comparison to costing a team points or wrongfully sending off key players). And it gets worse that you can’t even point out the referees’ faults without facing a fine from the FA. Here in Africa such instances are often resolced by just beating the shit out of a ref! sad (I dont agree with it or encourage it) but sometimes… Read more »
Mike Dean has been relegated though 🙂
Why does this kind of incident seem to happen less in rugby? Because their refs don’t act like pricks who want their moment of “me me me!” glory. In rugby they explain their choices and have technology to help them. If we want an atmosphere of respect, maybe everyone should play their part, and that includes the jokes in this sport called referees.
Since they are miked up,perhaps they should explain their decisions like in rugby particularly if it is a card or a penalty.
I think they should have access to video replays in the professional game too. I know the argument that this makes the professional game different from the amateur game but the professional game is already so different that I think it is just innate conservatism by the powers that be. Having these facilities have not destroyed Rugby so we should push for these faculties.
I dont like Burnley. Didnt know before the game, but I werent surprised to see Joey Barton was there..
That long-haired beanstalk annoys me too.
Heaton is good, but thats it.
Amazing Shaun dych was in Taylor ear the whole game. We all know what arseholes Taylor and Moss both are and should expect nothing less than their dodgy shit.
well a fine aint gonna bother him,he earns 8M a year!!!!
The club would surely pay it.
I believe that’s against the rules.
Since Wenger arrived, this type of club (Burnley, Barnsley, Man Utd) have been given free reign to kick the fuck out of Arsenal. Exhibit A: the 50th game at the Theatre of Dreams. In Xhaka, we’ve finally got a player with a nasty streak, which is what the team’s needed for years. The response of the Arsenal faithful? To pontificate on how the ref, who appears to be a complete and utter cunt, got it right. I suspect Xhaka’ll be sent off a few more times over the next couple of seasons, during which, the opposition’ll come to understand that… Read more »
Not sure that Burnley, Barnsley & Man Utd are the same sort of club……
Really?
I don’t think Xhaka’s actions do a thing to deter the opposition from kicking Alexis, Ozil etc.
Think again then.
Wenger is a badass?
The moment i read G Poll’s and Souness’ comments i knew they were out to get Arsene … real shame … will he be on the touchline at S bridge i wonder ?
Rich coming from Souness. I recall a “tackle” from him that was so over the top it literally caught the other player in the bollocks!
I love how the FA focus on punishing the reactions of emotionally invested managers, rather than the shit cunt decisions made by referees that elicit those reactions…
Shame on Wenger!! I would have kicked the ref in the nuts!!
i’m trying to guess, with that accent what abusive words could have Wenger uttered. Come on FA!!!!
Moss has far too big an ego! Has to BIGGER than the teams in the pitch! But at least he gave an offside penalty for us to win with 10 men. Lol
Reading all the comments was fun
It’s easy to talk. Leave the man alone
WOW way to go wenger, he has got the fergie passion showing the fergie time late drama goals just need to break the tea cups at half time and we have a hat trick boom boom
Arsene is too classy to kick tea cups.
Water bottles, on the other hand ….
I await the same charge for Sean Dyche for his behavior both during (towards Anthony Taylor, he’s clearly touching him and shouting in his ear), and after the match (post match interview he complains about decisions). Both of these have precedent (with Mourinho, but he was banned for both), so I expect the FA to be as non partisan as possible. Also, MOTD2 coverage of the match was shameful. They gloss over both incidents with Mustafi getting fouled in the box, no mention of Moss and his assistants terrible performance for the whole match, no mention of the deliberate fouling… Read more »
What he did was stupid but he was pissed of, he did say sorry after game , dont know if that means much to the fa, a fine and 3 game ban
Wenger gets heated, fine. If someone tried to usher me in any direction after Arsenal had just conceded, I’d give probably give them a nutshot.
The real story for me is that our finishing was lacking. Maybe it’s to be expected against a side who are dropping deep, but I saw more self-doubt than composure in front of goal.
How come the FA don’t call him “Mr” Wenger. Bloody rude. Arnse should plead self-defence, as in: “I thought he was a skin-head reaching for a broken bottle and my life was in danger …”
In the tunnel the 4th oficiall placed a hand on wenger first ? I thought he was then pushing back ….
Would love to see that again …
Read this yet? http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10740357/watching-arsenal-beat-burnley-with-arsene-wenger
Funny I always thought conventional ‘wisdom’ was that Wenger was perfectly content with 4th spot.
😉
Wenger (and most other managers actions on the touchlines) undermine all referees, particularly those refs stuck on pitch 267 on Hackney Marshes who have no protection and genuinely fear for their safety whenever they give anything remotely controversial on a Sunday morning. Judging by recent meetings, I sense that referees are near to striking as a protest against the way they are treated. Quite right too – without refs there is no football. No-one is saying today’s refs are perfect (far from it) – but no-one deserves to be shoved, especially by someone who bangs on about the supposedly professional… Read more »
Personally felt “The Frenchman went Apopalyptic.”