Arsenal Balls: Jack Wilshere In War Of Words With Jamie Redknapp And Robbie Savage
ARSENAL and England midfielder Jack Wilshere has been talking about Jamie Redknapp, the Sky TV (owner R. Murdoch) and Daily Mail pundit whose dad Harry Redknapp manages QPR.
The Times (oer R. Murdoch) says Wilshere is “furious with Jamie Redknapp”.
Jamie Redknapp made the to-deadline opinion that Wilhere would soon lose his place in the Arsenal team.
The Times says Wilshere replied:
“I listen to the people who I work closely with. With all due respect, I think Redknapp should have a little bit of respect and understanding — he was injured more than I was. It’s easy for someone to go on television and say: ‘He should be doing this, he should be doing that.’ But, if you look back, he was injured just as much as I was. Maybe more than I was. And he was never injured at my age as well. It takes a lot of mental strength to come back. I don’t need that. I listen to people like the boss here and Gary Neville, people who talk a lot of sense and can help me with my game. I’ll take criticism, it’s part and parcel of football. But when it’s just reckless and aggressive, I don’t listen.”
The Guardian hears a similar message from Arsenal’s Wilshere:
“I listen to the people who I work closely with and, with all due respect, if anything Redknapp should have a little bit more, not ‘respect’ but ‘sympathy’…
“So to hear people go on TV and say: ‘He’s got to get fitter,’ well, I don’t need that. I listen to people like the boss here, Gary Neville, people who talk a lot of sense and can help me with my game. It doesn’t ‘hurt’ me, hearing criticism from ex-players. It probably disappoints me a little bit more. I heard what Robbie Savage said and that was, if you like, the first ex-player to give me constructive criticism. I respected that. I’ll take criticism. I know that’s part and parcel of football. But when it’s just reckless and aggressive, I don’t listen.”
The Guardian saw fit to mention Savage, who pundits for the Daily Mirror and the BBC. The Times’ Matt Hughes ommitted any mention of Savage. His report was all about Sky telly’s Jamie.
Wilshere seems to be making a fair point about injuries. Coming back after a long lay-off, as he did, is not easy. Get a load of what Liverpool and England’s Daniel Sturridge tweeted in response to a thigh strain that will see him miss England’s match in Switzerland:
“Heartbroken soul right now believe me. Hopefully be back soon fighting fit for LFC. Nothing worse than being injured. My heads gone…”
But we’re inerested in the media, and how it cranks up the pressure on English players. While the Times sees “fury” and the Guardian a call for “sympathy”, the BBC, which employs the aforesaid Savage, reports:
Jack Wilshere welcomes Robbie Savage’s ‘constructive criticism’
Redknapp is no longer making headlines.
But over in the Mail, its’ a different story. Matt Barlow’s version contains not a single mention of Robbie Savage. This is all about Jamie Redknapp, whose name appears foremost in the headline:
Such are the facts…
Posted: 6th, September 2014 | In: Arsenal, Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
