Wengers Fletcher "persistant fouling" comments unfounded

Allforone

"I see a player who makes foul after foul and dosnt even get booked"....."some players are only on the pitch to kick and foul the opposition this isnt football"

Then Mr Wenger i do believe you will find the following statistical data rather eye opening...(or maybe not as the case maybe):



1 Kevin Davies Bolton Wanderers 46
2 Carlton Cole West Ham United 41
3 Tim Cahill Everton 35
4 Marouane Fellaini Everton 34
5 Ricardo Fuller Stoke City 34
6 Wilson Palacios Tottenham Hotspur 30
7 John Carew Aston Villa 28
8 Fabrice Muamba Bolton Wanderers 28
9 Stephen Hunt Hull City 28
10 Michael Brown Portsmouth 28
11 Gabriel Agbonlahor Aston Villa 27
12 Bobby Zamora Fulham 27
13 Lucas Leiva Liverpool 27
14 Hendry Thomas Wigan Athletic 27
15 Steve Sidwell Aston Villa 26
16 Wade Elliott Burnley 26
17 Gareth Barry Manchester City 26
18 Lorik Cana Sunderland 26
19 Alexandre Song Arsenal 25
20 Javier Mascherano Liverpool 24
21 Tyrone Mears Burnley 23
22 Ashley Young Aston Villa 22
23 Dean Whitehead Stoke City 22
24 Emmanuel Adebayor Manchester City 21
25 Phillip Bardsley Sunderland 21
26 Mohamed Diamé Wigan Athletic 21
27 Vasiriki Abou Diaby Arsenal 20
28 Christopher Samba Blackburn Rovers 20
29 Kevin-Prince Boateng Portsmouth 20
30 Tom Huddlestone Tottenham Hotspur 20
31 Paul Scharner Wigan Athletic 20
32 Charles N'Zogbia Wigan Athletic 20
33 Barry Ferguson Birmingham City 19
34 Franco Di Santo Blackburn Rovers 19
35 André Bikey Burnley 19
36 Didier Drogba Chelsea 19
37 Johnny Heitinga Everton 19
38 Seyi Olofinjana Hull City 19
39 Darren Fletcher Manchester United 19
40 Kieran Richardson Sunderland 19
41 Jermain Defoe Tottenham Hotspur 19
42 Julien Faubert West Ham United 19
43 Robin van Persie Arsenal 18
44 Steven N'Zonzi Blackburn Rovers 18
45 Marcio Geovanni Hull City 18
46 Aaron Mokoena Portsmouth 18
47 Darren Bent Sunderland 18
48 Jordan Henderson Sunderland 18
49 David Dunn Blackburn Rovers 17
50 Jason Roberts Blackburn Rovers 17


The above table is the official premier leagues top 50 most persistent foulers of the league season so far...as we can see that anti football dirty fouling player Darren Fletcher is no little than 20 places below one of Mr wengers own deciples in this chart...what then does this make Alex Song if we are to believe Mr Wengers claim that Fletcher is a player who is on the pitch to merely "kick and foul the opposition"...its also interesting to note Arsenal have a certain Abou Diaby on the above list whos also conceded more fouls in fewer matches than Fletcher this season...

Im sure if he were privy to the above information Mr wenger would remove said individuals from his team in an instant as they dont reflect his philosiphy of fair play and 'total footbal'.....no?

Check the specs Arsene...

Plechazunga

Allforone

peterstorey

Why didn't you point out that Fletcher has played two less games, ie their foul rate is pretty much the same? Wenger was commenting on one game when Fletcher made 10 fouls including one unpenalised in the box and didn't get carded.

Allforone

If you want to be pedantic its actually one fewer game not two and were not talking about a single one off game were talking about a players tendancy to commit fouls on a regular game to game basis which as is factually proven Both Alex Song and Abou Diaby do so more often than Darren Fletcher...Wengers comments were claiming Fletchers role on a football pitch was to merely kick and foul the opposition and if thats the case then maybe he should look closer to home for such exponents of anti football tactics..

peterstorey

To be accurate Wenger was talking about a specific game and Fletcher has played 9 league games this season and Song 11.

Plechazunga

..

Allforone

Alex song - 25 fouls commited
Abou Diaby - 20
Darren Fletcher 19

SittingBull

I believe Fletcher is rarely substituted. Can you say the same for Song, since i don't watch Arsenal a lot.

Name Changed

Opposition managers and fans are obviously going dislike Fletcher because he usually dominates their best midfielder and is generally one of the best players on the park. Wenger used to moan about Roy Keane also.

peterstorey

In the game we're talking about Fletcher was pretty poor and only stood out by getting away with a load of fouls without a card. Comparisons with Keane are a joke, try Parker or Sidwell.

Allforone

Well yes its obvious Fletcher has the better of the Arsenal midfield both individually and as a collective unit...one look back at last seasons champions league semi final legs proves testament to that...domination dosnt even come close to summing up those games...its as you say only natural Wenger will try and single out a thorn in his side..

rocks13

Its hardly even worth producing stats around this.

Wenger's comments were just the typical nonsense a manager comes out with after a defeat to deflect attention from their own team's shortcomings.

Like Fergie questioning Wiley's fitness after the Sunderland game.

rocks13

oooh, someone's bitter.

gambit28

He's better than them 2 already and he still has a few more years before he reache his peak.

Allforone

You certainly have a bee on your bonnet over the lad don’t you....does his easy dismantlement of Fabregas still rankle?

Average players like Parker and Sidwell don’t bang in 25 yard volleys ala Fletch at the weekend nor do they dominate and run the midfield area in the very biggest games against the best midfields in world football….Chelsea the other week was yet another in a long list of examples where big name players like Essien/Lampard and co were outplayed once again by Fletcher…

You should appreciate the quality of the Scotsman…after the way he made your midfield look powderpuff (yet again) in the champions league…

gambit28

Hell Park made them look like kids, never mind Fletcher.

Name Changed

It's ironic that Wenger complains so much considering his team was once based around a certain Patrick Vieira.

Allforone

Thats very true Gambs....maybe i was giving their midfield a little to much credit refering to them as Powderpuff??

gambit28

Try fags, works for me.

Allforone

Ill give it a go...anyone who uses as much hair gel as Fabregas is certainly worthy of it...

Allforone

Fair Point...

Allforone

How many red cards did he rack up again??? of course im including the ones Wenger did not see....

Raees

rocks13

I just can't believe Jamie Carragher isn't in the top 50.

Although, I suppose he's so slow now that he only gets close enough to opposition forwards to foul them once or twice per game.

Allforone

Unfortunately the list doesn’t include bear hugs and Rugby tackle impersonations which were deemed more GBH than anything football related..