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Hey Martin, Shut the F*** Up!

By on January 30, 2010

Three days later and still Martin O’Neill’s insecurities are on view for everyone to see. He has blown way out of proportion, with the media’s help, a throw-away comment from Wenger after Wednesday’s match. Let’s look at what he has said:

It is interesting, the point he makes, that nobody can play football in the manner that they do. If he believes that, good luck to him.

Wenger never said anything of the sort. Now who is being “absurd” and “ridiculous?”

What we are doing here, and I don’t care what anybody says, we have flair players picking the ball up, attacking.

If you believe that, Martin, then good luck to you.

He has an opinion on everything. There is not a subject in this world at this minute, political, religious, anything, that he does not have an opinion on. I really don’t mind, I just don’t want it shoved down my throat.

I think most people have opinions on a lot of things. Otherwise, you are just a bore. Only rarely has Wenger ever made comments about politics and religion. So it would be hard for them to be “shoved down” your throat. O’Neill’s near-psychotic reaction is even more questionable than Wenger’s original comment about Villa’s tactics in a single match. The media sought to portray it as an evaluation of Villa’s overall style, which it was not.

When he talks about this particular Arsenal side, and teams going out deliberately to kick them, nobody does that. Manchester United wouldn’t do that.

Nobody goes out to kick Arsenal? Now who’s being an idiot. Perhaps he missed Fuller’s pre-match interview before the Stoke FA Cup tie. And anyone who saw Darren Fletcher’s performance at Old Trafford earlier the season can say that he did not go out there with the intent to physically disrupt Arsenal’s attack.

You can get carried away with your own importance, you really can. Sometimes he does. He has made a great contribution to the game here, but he is not on a different planet.

Who is getting carried away with their own importance? A man who simply gave a post-match interview or one who is still talking about one sentence from someone else’s post-match comments three days later? O’Neill’s protesting has the feeling about it of the teenager who feels the need to tell everyone he is not gay, because he is.

And as far as O’Neill is concerned, Wenger is on a different planet. How many trophies have you won in England, Martin? How many FA Cups? How many Doubles? How many times has your side gone unbeaten for an entire season? Or set any record at all? You’re biggest achievement in English football is finishing sixth. Like I said, a different planet.

He is a very skilful manager – well done him, but he has another record, like he has had something like 99 sendings-off this year, and 98 of them weren’t his fault. That is the problem.

That’s very interesting because Arsenal actually haven’t had one sending-off this season.

What he wants to do is try and point out to everyone who is under his spell that Arsenal are the only delightful team around. When you are looking for that, you can spot a weakness. You are trying to get an excuse ready if you cannot compete with Manchester United and Chelsea. That is the point.

“Under his spell?” O’Neill sounds like a bitter old man. Arsene has never said anything of the sort and has many times praised teams that have been beaten Arsenal by playing football. In fact, his comments about Villa were, I believe, meant to be praiseworthy in that they came out and executed an effective tactical plan.

The media have fueled this nonsense. The Daily Mail started an article by saying, “Martin O’Neill launched a furious tirade at Arsene Wenger on Friday as the row over Aston Villa’s tactics intensified.” What row? Arsene hasn’t said anything since the comment. It’s been Martin O’Neill having a conversation with himself, with the media cheering him on. Then the caption of a photo in the piece reads: “Unhappy: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger complained about Villa’s tactic.” How ridiculous is that?

Personally, I think O’Neill’s reactions have shown him in a very bad light-far worse than anything Arsene said and the fact that he is still talking about it three days later reveal O’Neill’s insecurities about not being able to compete with United, Chelsea, or Arsenal over more than the first few months of a season. Get over yourself, Martin, or, at least, shut the fuck up.

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