Categorized | Interviews, News

Wenger: I have spoken to Santos

Posted on 06 November 2012. Tags: , , ,

Written by: markbrus on November 6, 2012.

Arsene Wenger has told Arsenal.com that he has had a word with Andre Santos about his behaviour, following the now-infamous shirt incident at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The Brazilian was seen requesting former Arsenal captain Robin van Persie’s shirt at half time, much to the anger of Gunners fans who booed the Dutchman throughout.

Wenger says he has disciplined the player, but also defended him against accusations of having a poor overall attitude.

“It’s interesting because Santos is a player who cares. If you speak with him, he gives an image of himself which is not him. He is serious, he wants to do well. It is about the result, about the team. [Asking for a shirt at half time is] a difference of culture.

“I can understand that an English guy doesn’t understand it and I’m French and I don’t understand it either. He is completely in a different world when he does that.

“But he cares and he understands today what it means and, believe me, he will never do it again. I spoke to him about it but I do not want to make too big a story of it.

“I believe that was not the right thing to do at all, but that is not an explanation of our bad performance on Saturday.”

The word ‘image’ is an interesting one from the manager. Santos is not the first player of ours in recent times who seems keen to promote an image of himself as being a bit of a ‘character’ through social networking sites. Time to stop trying to make people laugh and win people over through playing well instead?

Follow me on Twitter @markbrus

------------


Share

  • Joppa

    “I’m not even going to discuss the ludicrousness of the conversation regarding taking the captaincy away from Cesc.”

    I’d like to know how you are such an authority on this and why it is ludicrous to want Wenger to name a captain who actually wants to be at the club and doesn’t throw the captain’s armband around like confetti which I would term ‘ludicrous’.

    You know best though.

    • ladyarse

      I never said I was an authority, or that I know best. I stated my opinion. Cesc is Arsenal’s captain. He has been injured and out of form – that is hardly a reason to take the captaincy from anyone is it?

      If you are referring to the summer, then that’s a whole other issue. You think doesn’t want to be at Arsenal and that’s why he has not been at 100% – that’s your opinion.

      Regardless of what he wants, he IS at Arsenal and has done nothing to warrant being stripped of the captaincy. The fact that it is even being discussed is what I find ludicrous – let’s take it from him, make him feel like he isn’t wanted at Arsenal and shove him out the door shall we?

  • Joppa

    Who is discussing it before it was in your post? It hasn’t been a hot topic as far as I can tell but since you brought it up I thought I would put my 2 pence worth in. I don’t like Wenger’s policy on captains especially when a player so publicly wanted to leave. It’s even arguable if he is really captain material.

    Also I said nothing about why Cesc is out of form – you mentioned that. I think he is carrying a small annoying injury which is hampering some of his performances. Out of every player in the team Cesc is head and shoulders above every one else.

  • Chrispy

    Joppa

    Who do you think the armband should go to……..really?

    The only potential candidate is the Verm’ and we probably won’t see him for the season or maybe Van Persie both true fighters but basically knackered. Cesc is the only true world class player we have and says the right things. It’s the manager either by bad luck or judgement can’t seem to find the players to support him. Absolutely nothing to gain by taking the captaincy of him.

    • Joppa

      Thank you Chrispy for kind of answering a point I have been making for a while. You are right when you say “who do you think the armband should go to……really?”

      And there lies the problem – my long standing argument questioning the kind of players we have been recruting / shaping are not captain material, and believe it or not teams need leaders and captains. This will also give some answers into the whole mentality issue I have been hearing so much about.

      JR

  • Good Sir Henry

    Good piece as always, LA and very good point about Cesc. I cannot understand how he seems to have become the villain here. He is the best player we have and the one best qualified to be captain. On Saturday he was magnificent in the first half but it wasn’t his fault that the players around him played like a bunch of schoolboys or that AW didn’t seem to have a plan to deal with Defoe. If there is a plan then the captain can enforce it. If not, what can he do?

    I am concerned that if Cesc perceives that the fans are making him the scapegoat for what seems to be tactical naivety he will definitely switch off and head for Barcelona. Then we’ll really be in trouble.

    We are not out of anything yet.

    • Skid64

      If Cesc wants out it might suit him if we had a poor season ! He can turn to AW and say I stayed and we’re even further away from winning something now than we were the season before ! I know he’s been carrying a few injuries but his body language doesn’t seem right to me.

  • Skid64

    Great point Joppa about the lack of leadership/captain material/average signings. We must be getting close to LF leading the team out soon God forbid !I really have a bad feeling about this season. The season could be saved with a few quality signings in January but I can’t see that happening. AW would never have TV, Cahill and Roger Johnson at the club because he can’t play all three. He would much rather have players like Kos, Squill and Djourou who he can rotate to his hearts content !I don’t know if it’s going to take us finishing outside the top four for things to change but think this is a hugh season for us in the greater scheme of things.

    • Joppa

      A captain is very important, especially for a team like Arsenal who lack any kind of leadership, you only have to look at the inconsistent results we have had over the last couple of seasons. We need signings of quality and if possible English. Will it happen? Of course it won’t. You are literally just a number to Arsenal.

      As for the game tomorrow it’s impossible to call. Who knows what kind of Arsenal will turn up. LA is right in that we have a pretty strong squad tomorrow. Nasri is key, but for me Song is the vital player. If he can get a hold of the midfield DEFENSIVELY then it will allow the true skill players to punish Villa. Prob be 3-3!!

      • Skid64

        I read that Carew and Collins should be available for the Villa game which doesn’t bode well for a team that has trouble defending set pieces !

        I’m still not over the Spuds result. The last time I felt this bad was when we drew with Birmingham and that was the day we blew the title but 3pts later on will sure help !

  • Weedonald

    There are varying opinions about Cesc and the captaincy but one thing is for sure, when he plays, we do well, when he is out we don’t do so well. Is he the best player to be captain…that is open to debate BUT who the fook can we find to replace him? Bendtner, Arshavin, Walcott, Vela, Fab, Song….Nope, you need men to step up and lead, these guys are all followers! Nasri has the potential, Jack will when he grows up, Rosicky could, Djourou also could be a Campbell like figure given time, Csescny impresses me as a bad-ass for the future, the rest don’t have the stones or don’t want the job.
    I have noticed this season that some of our fans with shite for brains get all over their so-called favourite team and crap on everyone and everything Arsenal if we have the slightest bad run. Yet other fans of teams that are threatened by relegation and have far longer runs of poor results over a number of seasons STILL get behind their team and show up each game to cheer them on!
    Take Fulham and Liverpool for example….they are having a difficult season, the former more so than the latter but both are not up to standard this season. However at Fulham they get tremendous home support and we all know what the Kop offers at home games.
    There are reasons for our tepid supporters and here are some:
    1) We are so used to seeing great Football get great results that when we don’t get the result we feel entitled to, we crap all over the team rather than say the opponents were better or whatever.
    2) We have adopted the big Club mentality of knee-jerk Fantasy Football supporters-we lose and immediately there are cries to buy,buy,buy…transfer out, shoot this or that player, become like Real or Man.Shitty or whoever is the big spender of the day.
    3) We see our cup half empty rather than half full and are fairweather fans who refuse to stand up for our team when they are losing at home, preferring to sneak out of the stadium 15 minutes early to beat the traffic or crowds.
    4) The cafe latte-sipping Muppets who call themselves Arsenal supporters are actually only slightly interested in their team and would rather not be associated with the Gunners when times are hard but are all flag waving hypocrites when we are winning.

    Sadly I must say that I admire some Spudsucker fans who have been loyal to the cocks regardless of their success and they are being rewarded by their team, who are the hottest of the top 6 this season. However the players have been booed off a few time at WHL so they have similar problems with their fans as we do. Actually it might not be a bad thing to start booing and screaming at the Arsenal when they play shite or drop their pace or lose concentration at home. They know they aren’t playing well but if they also learn that a half-hearted effort at home is going to bring them serious grief from supporters, meybe they’ll turn up for a full 90 minutes the next time.

    • victor the gooner

      beautifully said and very true sir..

      • Weedonald

        Thanks victor the gooner ….I love Arsenal and will always love this heart-stopping, gut chilling bunch of classy youth, older guys and the world’s best manager bar none! We don’t want to be like Barcass, Real Rich Madrid or Manchestless Shitty……..we will always be the Arsenal, win,lose or draw and anyone who disrespects our great team will ultimately pay the price…there is NO substitute for class!

    • Joppa

      The team are exceeding my expectations but I doubt they are exceeding Wenger’s. I’m not for a minute saying they are a bad team but certain parts of this team need changing and your point about who else would be captain kind of answers my argument in that there is no one.

      Nothing is won or lost at this stage of the season but I get the feeling we may have missed a trick with our inconsistency. We’ve applied more pressure to ourselves and let the likes of Man U off the hook by losing at home to WBA, Newcastle and Spurs. We only have ourselves to blame. Man U in particular must be laughing.

  • Kieran

    Arsenal fans,
    Please read this new blog that is quickly becoming popular:
    http://arsenesarmy.blogspot.com/

    If you like it then please follow me on Twitter:
    http://twitter.com/ArsenesArmy

    And on Facebook:
    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Arsena…

  • HAPPYGOONERDAYS

    while its mathmetacially possible to win the league we keep going .iam down when we lose and up when we win, at least were in the top 4 every year under wenger and not the bottom 4 which some people have never experience perhaps when arsene goes they will,then we see the fickle fans ,that is football ups and downs weve had both under arsene when his time is up he will step down those who want him to go now will have to wait tough innit,THERES ONLY ONE ARSENE WENGER

  • Pingback: Santos apology for shirt swap in public view | LadyArse Gossip

  • Pingback: fsgb80v7cbwe

  • Google+
  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr