Obviously Arsene Wenger received a different education.
Because if he's generous in defeat, I can knit treacle, WRITES PAUL HINCE.
The Arsenal manager is obviously gutted - and understandably so - after watching his side's chances of landing the treble this season go up in smoke following their defeats by Manchester United and Chelsea in the FA Cup and Champions' League respectively.
But to now claim that Sir Alex Ferguson and his players had an easy ride when they clinched the rare and elusive treble in 1999 is not only factually wrong, it exposes Wenger as a whining Frenchman who doesn't appear to have an ounce of sportsmanship in his body.
Cast your mind back to United's FA Cup run in 1999. Middlesbrough, Liverpool, Fulham, Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle United.
And if memory serves me right, three of those ties went to replays.
How can anyone seriously suggest that the Reds had an easy passage into the FA Cup final that season? Wenger is talking through his hat in claiming that and his bitter remarks do him and his club no credit.
Have a look at Arsenal's route to this season's FA Cup semi-final.
Leeds United, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth and Chelsea before meeting their Waterloo against Fergie's men.
Is that a tougher set of fixtures than the one which the Reds battled through five years ago? Only in the soured mind of the Highbury manager.
Now let's recall United's Champions' League opponents in 1999.
Two matches against Barcelona, two matches against Bayern Munich and single games against Inter Milan and Juventus. Soft touches? You couldn't have picked more difficult opponents if you had tried.
And yet this, according to Wenger, was United's easy ride to Champions' League glory that year.
The man really should engage his brain before putting his mouth into gear.
Consider Arsenal's "glorious" Champions' League campaign this season.
Inter Milan, Dynamo Kiev, Lokomotiv Moscow, Celta Vigo and finally Chelsea.
Would you rather face those teams than the teams United were pitted against in the same competition five years ago? You don't have to answer that question.
The answer is obvious to every football follower in this country - with the exception of one Frenchman in north London.
Unwittingly there was a little nugget of truth hidden away amongst the bile which spewed from Wenger in his distasteful attempt to belittle United's memorable Treble triumph.
For when Wenger grudgingly conceded that Fergie's treble-winning players of five years ago showed "exceptional strength of character and great physical potential," he was underlining the very flaw in his own team's make-up which has already cost the Gunners two trophies this season.
Because, for all their flowing football and deft touches, what we have learned about Arsenal this past couple of weeks is that they are mentally weak.
When the going gets tough - as it did against United in the semi-final of the FA Cup and against Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Champions' League - Arsenal simply don't get going.
They come apart at the seams.
So don't attempt to belittle Manchester United's achievements in 1999, Mr Wenger.
Look at what your own team have failed to achieve this season and ask yourself why.
It's not fixture congestion.
It's not tougher opponents than United faced on their way to the treble five years ago.
It's a question of bottle, pure and simple.
And when it comes to bottle, your team, frankly, is strictly Nationwide League level. Tweet
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Did you read the original interview that these comments were taken from? Nope, I didn't think so. A bunch of comments taken out of context by one of the tabloid rags and you're just itching to spout your irrelevant brand of nonsense. Grow up. You're a loser, Hince.
What a load of tosh! Even Ferguson admitted he had an easy ride.
You also need luck! A large slice of it. Don't forget the huge amoun of luck Man U had in the final.
Not only that, Can you show me where Wenger acutally said all these things???
Don't start writing sonething just because you have access to some newspaper. Be more responsible!
as much as i hate wenger, his comment was: "this week has shown us what an achievement it was for man united to win the treble".
Which rather renders this article a pointless load of drivel.
Why is that a team who has achieved infinitely more than Arsenal over the last decade, in every respect, are still obsessed with whingeing about them ALL the time. The fans, the manager, the players - it never stops.
What is it about The Arsenal that "Manchester" United fans can't leave alone? You're the bigger brother, the tutor to Arsenal's pupil. Why do you still hate them? It's the equivalent of Real fans hating Athletico because they finish second best all the time.
Isn't it the smaller team that is supposed to hate their more successful rivals? Not the other way around.
Selective memory syndrome. Does kicking a loose boot at your team in the dressing room after being beaten at home by Arsenal qualify as being "generous in defeat"?
I found this piece very biased and poorly written. To say the arsenal teams bottle is of a nationwide standard is simply stupid! A team cannot go over 30 league games unbeaten without having the mental strength or "bottle" to cope with the pressure. This was proved in the game against Liverpool on Friday when after losing their last 2 games and getting knocked out of the FA cup and Champions League respectively moreover going behind twice to Liverpool including a goal after 5 minutes. The performance in the second half especially shows that this Arsenal team has the bottle of a world class team. Please feel free to write back with your response.
IMHO watching all of those games live I would say that we where very very lucky in at least five of them were as when Arsenal have deserve to lose they have, plus we had the best goalkeeper in the history of football. This article is the pot calling the kettle mate. Fergie is not the most gracious man in the world!
Look who's talking, now ?
Arsenal 4 Liverpool 2
Who's got bottle now?
I would rather to Arsene any than listen to Fergie as he tries to to manipulate everyone and everything.
Hey Listen here's a tip next season Manu is going to be fighting relegation, Keane will retire and you lot will lose twice as many games as this season....
We play the BEST FOOTBALL ever seen
Hmm, didn't notice much "generosity in defeat" in this, very bitter, and venemous article. Try practising what you preach before handing out the condemnations.
No doubting some of the facts - United's achievement in 1999 was immense. But all teams need to ride their luck, without it no-one can succeed - United rode theirs then, but that shouldn't belittle what they managed.
I think reference to Arsenal as bottlers is every bit as unfair as anything Wenger 'may' have said. The performance against Liverpool has nailed that.
You are falling into the same, hypocritical trap sadly. I suggest United supporters are a little concerned that their mantle of top dogs is being threatened.
That said, Wenger did admit that their two cup defeats were a result of superior performance of the opposition.
A little more balance from your correspondent methinks?
Mr. HinceB4s remarcably selective and completely wrong article, smacks of sour grapes and complete ignorance. Mr. Hince of all people in the world a supporter of a team managed by Alex Ferguson is in absolutely in no position to complain about any one elseB4s managers being sour losers, or just being plain liars.
It seems to me, that you are so utterly in disorder to be led by a man whose lack of charm is only toppled by his obviously ludicrous attempts to play simple mind games with opponents. Something, you have picked up quite well.
You base your entire article on one single "quote", which appears no where in the hundreds of articles I have recently read on Arsenal. Please site the source.
This was simply the last attempt of a team bitter in the fact that Wenger is producing fantastic football, which sees United reduced to being third best, while operating with one third of the ScotsmanB4s budget.
That has to hurt...
Well see you next year.
PS. United fans are suddenly raving as to the magnifiscent importance of winning that glorious trophy the FA cup. It seems to me that Roy Keane never gave a hoot for the FA cup. Check his biography. Or are those lies too?
'exceptional strength' doesn't seem grudging to me
one goal is hardly 'falling apart'
'glorious'- your quoting yourself
15 pts - thats bottle
Sad, pathetic and hypocritical. Gracious fergie has little to be proud of in this respect
Who's top of the league?
Bottle is at Nationwide League level is it? Check the standings, mate. Check Ferguson's head-to-head record against Wenger (8 wins, 10 losses), and against a team he has outspent by 3-1 in the past four years. Embarrassing, isn't it? As for graciousness in defeat, Jose Mourinho got a good whiff of Ferguson's in Porto, didn't he? Best of luck against Millwall.
I'm an Arsenal fan, and I find you comments on Wenger's thoughts reasonable. What I don't like about it is your two main conclusions: not being graceful in defeat, and the 'bottling team' label. It is simply untrue. Arsenal have not had an easy ride this season, that being confirmed by the last 2 weeks of games. ManU didn't have one 5 yrs ago and that is also a fact. This season, Arsenal were due a bad patch and it was just bad luck it happened in the 2 most important matches this season. On both occasions, the losses in the FA Cup, and CL we were not outplayed. MU had very few chances, and Chelsea had fresh players. If you watched both games you'd have seen this. We were not bottling it. It's the same as calling your treble 'Lucky' (not far - but certainly deserved it). The 2nd half display against Pool, showed that this team wants to win every game, just like your team does, I presume. Chelsea deserved their win at Highbury (it was due for 6 yrs), and I hope they win it for the sake of English footie, only thing that bothers me is that they are buying success. ManU also deserved the FA Cup win as they outsmarted us and not outplayed, noone has said the opposite except Wenger, but as seen before, all managers (including yours) tend to have problems seeing and acknowledging issues concerning their teams. The only problem with fans like you is being on your toes, during your already gone season (by ManU standards), ready to gloat and take a swipe against a team who has played exciting, honest footie all season, and as I said was just waiting for the bad run. I thought that was something reserved for fans of clubs like Tottenham who are sick of watching their teams lose, and are happy whenever their rivals have a bad game. Sad.
Wenger basically said that the competition for the league title was less in 1999 than it is now, something that can hardly be disputed when there were only two teams in contention and there are now three. That obviously made it easier to focus on the other competitions. It is staggering that the author wrote this article without reading what it was that Wenger had said. Paul Hince, you are a disgrace.
I always thought and often say that Arse has no bottle, or vice versa, I think it's the same.
Mike, check the record mate. Man U- titles- 8 out of 11.
Arsenal- 2 out of 11.
Embarassing, isn't it?
You'll never win the treble!
Your article is frankly ridiculous. Arsene Wenger has without question on occasions shown disrespect to Ferguson but you show a completely blinkered view. Upon Wenger's arrival he received crass condemnation of his abilities from Ferguson who belittled his new dietiary regime,which is now staple in all clubs, and showed out right paranoia to Wengers intellect- bemoaning his ability to speak 5 languages (ironicaly Ferguson himself struggles to speak one). You speak about Wenger having no sportsmanship yet your knowledge of him is not in depth enough to make such a statement; this is the only man who was prepared to take the risks of hiring Boro Primorac (a coach at Arsenal) who was the manager that brought about the demise of Marseille by testifying against them thus ending is career (dismissal soon followed). Also, Have you forgotten the offered re-match against Sheffield United? Then you go on to say Arsenal cannot cope when it "really matters", sorry but that means nothing, when does it really matter? surely it matters that they are yet unbeaten in a league they are sure to win, which is "all" that United acheived last year. The Likes of Vieria, Henry,Pires have won the world cup (higher than Nationwide level you have insinuated) did it not matter then!? Most significant though is that Wenger himself clearly has incredible mental stamina, he receives utterly disgusting abuse from your moral Manchester Utd's fans, slander which is completely unfounded and threatend his job and possibly even his life, how damaging are these repulsive chants to Wengers young daughter?
How sad that Hince is still hanging on to the coat tails of United. Yes Paul you are a closet Red and I cringe everytime you write an article about "your beloved Blues " when you write cr*p like this. It's all been said in previous letters but it has to be repeated that SAF is the worst, most ungracious, sarcastic & ill manered loser that there is in football. Even United fans are queing up to say this. Why is Hince such a sychaphant towards SAF ? It's pathetic..why do the MUEN give him this platform. He is not selling newspapers for you as people stop buying them'cos of him. He is well past his sell-by-date. Wenger was very gracious in admitting how difficult it must have been to win the treble in '99 and everybody knows United got the breaks when they needed them. Even Reds admit this. Bayern hit the bar twice at 1-0 and either of those would have made OGS's heroics invalid. As for the fixture list comparisons, look at what Arsenal had to cope with ; United twice, Chelsea twice, plus liverpool and Newcastle within two days of each other. Your facts Paul, as usual, are from your selective memory. The three most sporting managers in the Prem today are Wenger, Ranieri & Keegan. All three leave SAF behind in all aspects of good taste, spotsmanship & style. Mr. Hince you have become a fool, more so because you can't see it.Please don't write anything else about City, we want a real journo' representing us in the local paper.
Blue Monn, Vancouver.
You must be hurting real bad, Mr Hince.
An absolute joke... Arsenal are the best side in the country and you know it.
Talking of bad losers, what about Ferguson??
It's good to see that some United fans have actually slammed this ridiculous statement.
That was a great article Mr. Hince. It is about time someone said something about the North London whiner.