Arsene: I'm being robbed
ARSENE WENGER has accused international bosses of behaving like car thieves. He says they push players to the limit without worrying about the consequences.
He is particularly angry with fellow countryman Raymond Domenech, who is set to play William Gallas for France against the Faroes Islands tonight.
Wenger said: “I feel like a man who has given the double of his key to a mate. The guy comes, takes your car, uses it for 10 days and leaves it in the middle of a field without any petrol.
“National team managers have the law with them and they have practically all chosen to act the same way. The easy way.
Playing 12 or 14 qualifying games in 10 or 12 months is madness.”
Surprisingly, Wenger revealed ex-England boss Sven Goran Eriksson did show respect for clubs.
Wenger added: “Sven is the only one who called regularly, who came by and talked. But he had managed big clubs and knew their problems.
“I never have the others on. They give you back the players and you never know what state they’re in.”
DAVID DEIN’S pay has doubled to a whopping £500,000 — just months after being labelled a tightwad by Ashley Cole.
Arsenal’s vice-chairman picked up a £250,000 bonus after the Gunners’ run to the Champions League final last season.
Managing director Keith Edelman earned £1.038m.
Cole quit Arsenal for Chelsea in the summer after a long-running row when Dein and his fellow directors haggled over a £5,000-a-week pay rise.
Arsenal’s wage bill has soared to £83m, up from £66m the previous year, and is second to Chelsea’s £109m-a-year payroll.
Marseille have confirmed that Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger has spoken with them about Franck Ribery, but denied an agreement with the English giants was already in place.
French sources have long claimed Arsenal were leading the chase for the French international, despite strong interest from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Again it was suggested only last week that Arsenal had managed to broker a deal for next summer which would have seen Ribery move to North London at the season's end.
However, L'OM sporting director Jose Anigo has denied Arsenal have already clinched a deal for one of the most in-demand players in world football.
"It is very clear that there is no agreement with Arsenal or with any other European club," Anigo said.
"Indeed Arsenal did come to discuss with Pape but there were also discussions with other large European clubs. "I could list them all but I would not have enough fingers on two hands to count them."
"But I repeat there is no agreement with Arsenal or another club, whether through me or Pape Diouf."
THEO WALCOTT came off the bench to bag a brilliant brace — and give Steve McClaren another headache.
The young Gunner saw no World Cup action in Germany this summer but he shot the Germans down last night with two break-away goals for Peter TaylorÂ’s kids.
He came on as a 77th-minute substitute here in Leverkusen and made a dazzling impact.
His first goal came seven minutes later when he controlled a long Leighton Baines pass and ran down the centre before steering the ball past German keeper Michael Rensing.
WalcottÂ’s second arrived in stoppage time when he broke clear down the left and again stroked the ball home.
The victory put EnglandÂ’s kids into the European Championship finals in Holland next summer and created a problem for McClaren.
Crystal Palace chief Taylor would love to lead his young Lions in the finals next summer rather than step aside for a full-time boss.
He said: “I want the FA to make a quick decision. Do I want the job? Of course I do. It would be an honour to lead these lads into the finals.
Germany U-21
0-2 England U-21, October 10
Theo Walcott scored two outstanding goals to book England's place at next summer's European Under-21 Championship finals in Holland. The 17-year-old replaced Gabriel Agbonlahor with 16 minutes remaining and both teams down to 10 men. Ten minutes later Walcott showed a deft touch to control Leighton Baines' long pass before racing through the centre to sidefoot past goalkeeper Michael Rensing. That put England two up on aggregate after a 1-0 victory in last Friday's first leg. In the final minute, Walcott added the coup de grace. Collecting the ball on the halfway line, his blistering pace took him past the German defence and a curling shot into the far corner settled the tie. Arsenal defender Justin Hoyte also featured as a substitute on Tuesday night; he came off the bench after 67 minutes.
Theo Walcott should be in the senior team now, considering that he plays better than downing on the left and more creative too. But then again, better he don't join them at the moment or he may end up like the other players under McClaren... useless and no fighting spirit!
Bulgaria 1-1 Holland
Robin van Persie rescued a point for Holland as Marco van Basten's side came from behind to draw with Bulgaria in Sofia. Martin Petrov gave the hosts an early lead but the in-form Arsenal forward equalised just after the hour mark. Van Persie had already hit the crossbar before the break and finally got his goal when he nodded in André Ooijer's right-wing cross from close range. Van Persie played the full 90 minutes and will remain with the Dutch squad for Wednesday's qualifier against Albania.