Source: Daily_Mail
The Wenger debate: What has turned the Arsenal boss into a bad loser?
Global economic politics, modern art, wine, Japanese philosophy and the relativemerits of an old-fashioned 4-4-2 system all subjects which Arsene Wenger is extremely comfortable discussing. [LNB]Few would disagree that, such is the breadth of the Arsenal manager's knowledge,the moniker Le Professeur is well deserved. How bizarre, then, that for all his deep thinking, Wenger should not realise failing to shake Mark Hughes' hand has made him appear a sore loser.[LNB]Wenger's comments after Arsenal's 3-0 Carling Cup defeat at Manchester City suggest he could not give a stuff about conforming to the established sporting etiquette if he feels he or his team have been wronged.[LNB] An angry man: Wenger is erudite away from the football pitch, but he has had many brushes with fellow managers in the technical area[LNB]History backs up such a premise. Just ask Phil Brown, Alan Pardew, Martin Jol and Jose Mourinho, all of whom have been on the receiving end of the same snub by Wenger.[LNB]But it is Hughes who has sent the Frenchman into fury mode most often notablyafter a fiercely physical encounter against Hughes's Blackburn in April 2005 and following the Emmanuel Adebayor stamp incident in September this year.[LNB]With such a tempestuous history of managerial spatting, the question begging to be answered is: what gets Wenger so angry?[LNB]The 60-year-old's sky-high IQ does not mean he feels the pain of a loss any less than his rivals although that should not excuse him from the responsibility of taking a defeat in gracious fashion.[LNB]However, the combination of a highly analytical brain and a burning desire for success the DNA of a champion may just mean that taking it on the chin is a tougher task for Wenger than most.[LNB]Alternatively, it may just be that the storm clouds have been brewing in Wenger's mind and Wednesday's playground games on the Eastlands' touchline were simply the spark that ignited his building ire.[LNB] November has been something of a nightmare for the Emirates boss again. [LNB]First came the refusal to acknowledge that the absence of Robin van Persie had been instrumental in Arsenal's defeat and failure to score at Sunderland. [LNB]That was followed by his uncharacteristic use of swear words when angrily discussing a question about whether Theo Walcott's return to fitness was good news for England's World Cup chances.[LNB]Then came the soul-destroying 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea. The main focus was on Wenger's assertion that two-goal striker Didier Drogba 'doesn't do a lot'.[LNB]More important, when considering the issue of self-denial, was Wenger's claim that the decision to rule out Andrey Arshavin's goal was pivotal and the scoreline was not a true reflection of the game.[LNB]It was and even Bacary Sagna admitted that the Chelsea powerhouse had simply brushed Arsenal aside.[LNB]The explosion may have occurred at the City of Manchester Stadium, but the defeat at home to Chelsea surely lit the blue touchpaper.[LNB] Could it be that Wenger has already arrived at the conclusion that his meticulously designed five-year plan is not destined to bring the success he craves? The Arsenal manager will, of course, insist it is too early to pronounce. [LNB]But a five-year absence from the winner's circle is far too long for a man who will take charge of his 500th Premier League game against Stoke tomorrow.[LNB]Wenger, describing his hunger for success in an interview with Sportsmail's chief sports writer Martin Samuel, said: 'It is not just one part of your body that wants to win on Saturday afternoon. There is something in the structure of your personality that says this is vital to me and it is worth organising my life around this desire. That is the core of your life.'[LNB]Is it so surprising, given such an all-consuming drive to win, that Wenger could be prone to the occasional loss of cool or dispense with sporting protocol when thingsare not going as planned?[LNB] Tarnished image? Wenger surveys as his young side are dismantled in the Carling Cup [LNB]Despite such pressures, surely Wenger must realise that occupying the moral high ground is the best way to go, even if shaking Hughes' hand would have amounted to an empty gesture.[LNB]Other managers, such as Bolton's Gary Megson and Stoke's Tony Pulis, admitted their disappointment at Wenger's refusal to offer his hand to Hughes when questioned on the subject yesterday.[LNB]That is likely to be the majority opinion among other managers. Wenger, however, is unlikely to stray from his position that he is 'free to shake hands with whoever I want to after the game'.[LNB]If questioned, Wenger may even admit to being a sore loser. Those obsessed with winning usually are. But, if he is not to tarnish an image as one of the most respected managers in the game, an apology to Hughes would not go amiss.[LNB]For a man of Wenger's intelligence, arriving at that conclusion should not be too difficult a journey.[LNB] Furious Wenger snubs Hughes after his men are dumped out of Carling CupVIDEO SPECIAL: Arsene Wenger's pitch battles with Jol, Mourinho, Ferguson, Pardew, O'Neill and Big SamAndrey Arshavin moans tiny Arsenal cannot compete with Chelsea and Premier League's big boys Walcott adds to Wenger's woes as crock Arsenal winger misses Stoke tieARSENAL FC
