Man U playing anti-football
20090831
Wenger slams Utd approach
Gunners boss hits out at tough-tackling Red Devils
Quote:
Arsene Wenger has branded Manchester United's style of play this season as 'anti-football'.
The Arsenal boss has slammed the Red Devils' tactics following a fiercely-competitive clash at Old Trafford on Saturday.
United overcame their arch-rivals 2-1 on home soil, recovering from a goal down to take the spoils in the first 'big-four' encounter of the 2009/10 campaign.
Andrey Arshavin had fired Arsenal in front before half-time, but a Wayne Rooney penalty and an own goal from Abou Diaby saw Sir Alex Ferguson's men bounce back after the break.
Things then got worse for the Gunners in the closing stages when Wenger was sent to the stands for kicking a water bottle in frustration after a late Robin van Persie effort was ruled out for offside.
The setback capped a disappointing week for the capital club, with Eduardo's 'dive' against Celtic dominating the headlines prior to the Old Trafford fixture.
Deliberate
Wenger feels his side have been unfairly treated, in the wake of a Uefa ban for Eduardo, and insists United's approach to Saturday's game was far worse than the tumble taken by his striker in Wednesday's UEFA Champions League qualifier.
"I have seen a player who plays on the pitch only to make fouls," he said. "For me, this is a point that is more urgent than diving.
"The players who are never punished, who get out of the game without a yellow card. I think it is more anti-football than a player who did what Eduardo did.
"Look at how many deliberate fouls some players get away with. That's a bigger problem because it cuts the flow of the game. And people pay to see football, not free-kicks."
Very true, Man United show a lack of sportsmanship.
