Managers’ Excuses Watch: Wenger bemoans Arsenal’s ‘accident’

Our regular check in on the post-match baloney offered up by defeated Premier League bosses features some absolute corkers this week and even contains a red-faced referee and a Tottenham player for good measure.

Arsene Wenger may have overseen 1000 games in charge of Arsenal, but his 116th loss in the Premier League was just about his most embarrassing, as the Gunners folded like a pack of cards in a 6-0 loss to title rivals Chelsea.

The third such mauling on the road to one of the current top three leaves the Gunner’s effectively cut adrift in the title reckoning as long 40/1 shots, while Chelsea are 6/4 second favourites.

Nevertheless, in typical Wenger fashion, the Frenchman offered the analogy that this latest loss was no more than a good driver having an accident. In that case, someone take his licence away pronto.

Wenger: “An accident has happened, that doesn’t mean that you’re not a good driver. It just means that we have played about 40 games this season and it’s not what happened on Saturday that reflects the quality of this team.

Next up, Cardiff boss Ole Gunnar Solksjaer blames his side’s 6-3 loss to Liverpool on the visitor’s third goal, which occurred from a corner from a corner while two of his players were receiving treatment. Come on Olly, it’s not like there weren’t eight other outfield players who could have marked Martin Skrtel.

Solksjaer: You look at the rules of football. I’ve got two lads watching the corner that Liverpool have when they score the third goal, that’s for me absolute nonsense.”

For a manager who has so often berated opposing players for failing to cope with the physical aspect of the Premier League, Sam Allardyce is left clutching at straws after big burly centre-back James Tomkins is easily brushed aside by Wayne Rooney before he scores a wonder goal against West Ham.

Allardyce: “I definitely thought there was a foul [leading up to the first goal]. “When the ball comes forwards, James Tomkins is going to try and win it. Wayne, not making an attempt for the ball, pushes him with his left arm.”

Meanwhile, according to the Sun newspaper the reason blundering referee Andre Marriner (no good in an identity parade) mistook Kieran Gibbs for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was due to travel weariness. It might be worth a bath and an early night this Friday ref.

SunSport can reveal Marriner had to spend almost 19 hours travelling more than 1,000 miles the day before his Stamford Bridge blunder.

Finally, Tottenham’s under-performing defender Jan Vertonghen conveniently brushes over the myriad of problems faced by Spurs this season – not least bringing in 75 new wingers and sacking their manager halfway through – to suggest the only difference between his club and Liverpool is one striker. Good one Jan, maybe concentrate on cutting out those mistakes.

“Suarez,” he said. “Suarez is the reason for that. “At the moment he is up there as one of the best strikers in the world. I think he is the difference between the teams.

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