Source: Daily_Mail
Patrick Collins: Arsene Wenger's dark side is fed by his fear of failure
Arsene Wenger has been a boon and a blessing to the English game.His vision, his standards and his soaring achievements have set himapart from all his managerial contemporaries, save that combative oldgentleman in Manchester. [LNB]For 14 years, Wenger has educated and entertained us in equalmeasure, and we are truly fortunate that this was his country of choice.[LNB]But something seems to be happening to this remarkable individual;something which is both demeaning and distressing. And it can beexpressed in two disgraceful sentences, aimed at a Swedish refereenamed Martin Hansson. 'I believe he's incompetent or dishonest,' saidWenger. 'So I prefer that he's not competent.'[LNB]Now, these are not the babblings of a tedious drama queen like JoseMourinho, or a dim ranter like Sam Allardyce, or perish the thought a minor clown like Neil Warnock, all of whom could have been instantlyignored.[LNB]No, this is Arsene Wenger, a man of substance and intellect. And heis speaking not in the emotive moments following the final whistle butalmost 48 hours later.[LNB]Demeaning and distressing: Wenger[LNB]In other words, that 'dishonest' remark is not a heated insult but acalculated calumny, a piece of vile innuendo which tells us far moreabout Wenger than it does about his victim.[LNB]The details of theincident which provoked the Arsenal manager are well-known. In thesecond half of a Champions League tie in Oporto, Sol Campbell prodded anervous pass-back to his goalkeeper, Lukasz Fabianski, who promptlypicked it up. [LNB]The ensuing free-kick was swiftly taken the advantage being with the attacking side and a daft and simple goal was scored.[LNB]Moments after the match, Arsenal's young captain, Cesc Fabregas, said he had 'no complaints' about the goal. [LNB]'MaybeI would have done the same,' he said. 'We have nothing to complainabout.' Wenger's reaction was far less mature and did him no credit.[LNB] More from Patrick Collins... Patrick Collins: Portsmouth will survive only if it suits Premier League brand13/02/10 PATRICK COLLINS: Capello makes short work of a masterpiece of brutality06/02/10 Patrick Collins: Salute the power and glory of this golden sporting era30/01/10 PATRICK COLLINS: Carlos Tevez and Gary Neville must be wary of playing up to football's lunatic fringe 23/01/10 PATRICK COLLINS: Cricket's moral maze lets cheats like Graeme Smith prosper16/01/10 PATRICK COLLINS: Is it time for Ferguson to ride into the sunset?09/01/10 PATRICK COLLINS: Shame on the men who have made a basket case out of poor old Pompey02/01/10 PATRICK COLLINS: Why sixth is no good to the man from Nike19/12/09 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE He used to claim that he'd been temporarily unsighted wheneversomething untoward happened to his team. We would dismiss it as avaguely endearing eccentricity.[LNB]But that selective blindness was far, far better than this spiteful response.[LNB]Hesuggested that Hansson had made 'at least five mistakes'. He remarked,condescendingly, that he didn't want to 'go too much into technicaldetails'. He clung to his clumsily manufactured version of events. Andthen he slipped in the smear. A neutral observer might wonder whyWenger felt the need to become quite so offensive. Could it be that herealises, belatedly, that his entire squad does not include a passablytalented goalkeeper and that he failed to rectify that error in therecent window?[LNB]Well, he was in no hurry to blame his ill-chosengoalkeeper for his latest mistake. 'I do not want to judge him(Fabianski) in front of everybody,' he said. [LNB]Yet he has no qualms about passing a damning judgment on referee Hansson. [LNB] Damning judgement: Hansson gives Porto the advantage - and Wenger the hump[LNB]Thereis something about Wenger's current behaviour which gives genuine causefor concern. His eruptions on the touchline are more dramatic, moreextreme. His excuses for Arsenal's shortcomings are increasinglyimplausible. His assessment of Chelsea's recent emphatic win wassquirmingly risible. He is falling below his own standards and he oughtto be better than that.[LNB]From time to time, this column has argued that Wenger should be allowed to manage his club on his own terms. He has done it superbly for all these years and the idea that anybody could match his talent or his record is clearly absurd.[LNB]But he needs to look at himself, to erase his indulgent self-pity, to regain the universal respect which he once took for granted. A sincere and respectful apology to Martin Hansson would be a very good way to start.[LNB] [LNB]Johnson's way cheats the people who pay to watchMartin Johnson is a plain-spoken man. He says what he thinks and accepts the consequences. But the fact that Johnson is honest doesn't mean that he is invariably right. And he adopted a disturbing attitude in the wake of England's miserably sterile Six Nations performance against Italy in Rome. [LNB]'Playing rugby isn't about what people want to see,' said England's team manager. 'If we have to kick the ball for 80 minutes, we'll do that.' [LNB]Now, some will see that as narrow-eyed pragmatism; others will be less charitable. If supporters count for nothing, then why should they be charged an entrance fee? [LNB]Next week, for the Ireland match at Twickenham, tickets will cost up to £85. Should England opt to kick the ball for 80 turgid minutes, that may seem a pointless purchase. [LNB]Roman conquest: England win but fail to entertain[LNB]Equally, why should television companies spend millions on an event which holds its viewers in such demonstrable contempt?[LNB]And why should those viewers bother to switch on their televisions when they have effectively been informed that entertainment is not an option? [LNB]It was easier to justify such views when Johnson began his career. Nobody was paid at least, not officially and teams had, therefore, only a limited obligation to those who spent money to watch them. Yet even then there existed a responsibility to the game itself and it is one which Johnson refuses to acknowledge.[LNB]Sporting entertainment does not necessarily involve quick fixes; a five-hour hundred may be as enthralling as a breathless half-century. But there has to be some recognition that the contest has a value which runs deeper than the mere result. [LNB]The late Sir Bobby Robson, who well understood this concept, used to quote a line from his old Ipswich chairman John Cobbold: 'You must love the game beyond the prize.' [LNB]Cobbold was saying that the pleasure and joy of sport cannot be conveyed by a trivial statistic. If the point of playing games were simply to sort winners from losers, then we should settle matters by the spin of a coin. In fact, it is much more than that. It is a battle of strength and strategy, wit and tenacity. [LNB]The passion it generates involves two important factions: those who play and coach and those who simply sit and watch.[LNB]And when a plain-spoken man can arrogantly announce that 'playing rugby isn't about what people want to see', then why on earth should anybody continue to watch?[LNB] [LNB]Forget golf, Tiger! Go for the OscarsTiger Woods apologised to everybody who counted: wife, sponsors, Mom, fans, sponsors, fire hydrant, friends, sponsors. It was deeply moving. The bit which really yanked the heart-strings was when he said: 'For all that I have done (gulp), I am sorry.'[LNB]You could almost see the man from his management company, punching the air: 'Only 15 rehearsals and the guy was perfect! Way to go, Tiger!' And so, tears brimming, voice faltering, Tiger went on and on and on: 'I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. I am the only person to blame.' Well, yes. That's about what we thought. And his hand-picked audience stared back at him, like earnest Rotarians, faintly scandalised by a racy speaker. Of course, we Brits can't complain.[LNB]In our crassly diminished culture, the sight of a senior politician splashing a few televisual tears denotes a successful interview. Yet that didn't make Woods's mea culpa any more palatable. It was just too long, too contrived, too commercial.[LNB]Still, he did remember to hug his Mom. Convincingly, too. So if he never wins another major, there's always the Oscars.[LNB] [LNB]PSErnie Els is angry with Tiger Woods. 'I feel sorry for the sponsor,' said Ernie. [LNB]'Mondays are a good day to make statements, not Fridays. This takes a lot away from the golf tournament.' [LNB]True enough. If you have to bare your soul, don't let it clash with the Accenture Match Play Championship. Now, I still don't know what Accenture is but I do know that Woods's 'confession' has brought them more media mentions than ever before. Expect them to pay Tiger a bonus. For emotional services rendered.[LNB] [LNB]
