Wenger deserves praise for playing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain against Manchester United
ARSENAL lose 1-2 to Manchester United in the Premier League and the story is that Arsene Wenger, the Gunners’ manager, does not know what he’s doing. The Sun leads with the news:
“You don’t know what you’re doing”
A few Arsenal fans did react badly to the sight of 18-year-old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain making way for Russia’s captain Andrey Arshavin 16 minutes from time with the game at 1-1. In the Daily Mirror, John Cross hears the chants and writes:
Arsene Wenger reacted angrily after Arsenal fans turned on him following a third successive defeat. They chanted: “You don’t know what you’re doing” and booed after Wenger substituted Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (after his impressive full Premier League debut. Gunners captain Robin van Persie also appeared to shout “no” as TV cameras panned on to his reaction after the substitution. The mood then turned even uglier when Oxlade-Chamberlain’s replacement Andrey Arshavin was at fault on Danny Welbeck’s winner.”
Wenger was not angry. More defiant. What he said was:
“I can understand the fans are upset about a substitution, especially when it doesn’t work. That means first I made the right decision at the start of the game.”
Fair point. And one John Cross may like to consider. It was he , after all who noted in August 2011:
“Arsene Wenger finally got Arsenal’s chequebook out on Monday – but left some Gunners fans raging over who he hasn’t signed. Wenger tied up a £15million deal for talented Southampton teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. But fed-up Arsenal supporters want to know why he is prepared to spend big on a rookie but not on proven Premier League players.”
Looks like Wenger signed a diamond on the way up. Who knew?
Posted: 23rd, January 2012 | In: Sports Comments (2) | TrackBack | Permalink
