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Arsenal manager adds to club’s misery after Bayern defeat

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 07: Arsene Wenger manager / head coach of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg match between Arsenal FC and FC Bayern Muenchen at Emirates Stadium on March 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 07: Arsene Wenger manager / head coach of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg match between Arsenal FC and FC Bayern Muenchen at Emirates Stadium on March 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) /
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Arsene Wenger has lost the plot for Arsenal

Perhaps the only thing worse than Arsenal’s performance yesterday, were the words of their manager after the match. Arsene Wenger further embarrassed the club by attempting to blame his sides’ pitiful performance on the referees.

Specifically, Wenger took issue with Laurent Koscielny being sent off in the second half. The French gaffer had the nerve to refer to the referees as “scandalous” after the 5-1 defeat. In fairness to Wenger, his club did hold a 1-0 advantage before his countryman was sent off after earning his second yellow card.

There are several significant issues with Wenger’s weak excuse. Perhaps the most important consideration is that his assessment of the call in question is wrong. Howard Webb, a former World Cup referee who is certainly more qualified than Wenger to comment on difficult refereeing decisions immediately affirmed the decision in the press after it happened. So too, did Mirror columnist Robbie Savage.

Even if you’re of the opinion that Koscielny didn’t deserve to be sent off, it’s clear it wasn’t some sort of horrible decision by the official. If it were, pundits all over the world would be widely panning the call. They aren’t. At best, Wenger might have an argument to make. It certainly wasn’t anything scandalous or horrific as he alleged.

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The other large issue with Wenger’s comments is the reality that his side lost by four goals. It wasn’t a narrow defeat. Instead, it was a complete and total capitulation. This was not the sort of loss that could be chalked up to one questionable decision by the official. Attempting to boil the disastrous defeat down to something so simple is insulting.

I suppose you could think that Wenger was doing anything he could to take the pressure off his squad’s atrocious performance after the match. My guess is that would be giving Wenger too much credit. At this juncture in his career, he’s clearly lost the plot.

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Only the most deluded Arsenal fans on Earth could have agreed with Arsene Wenger yesterday. Blaming his side’s capitulation on one decision from the referee illustrates just how far out of touch with reality he is.

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