Flashpoint: Thomas Vermaelen pushes Karl HenryJust four days after their artful struggle against Barcelona and Arsenal were accused of spoiling their beautiful football with play-acting, moaning and intimidation.
The case was made by Wolves captain Karl Henry, harshly sent off at the Emirates and who fingered Tomas Rosicky and Thomas Vermaelen for conning referee Andre
Marriner into the red card.
Even Arsene Wenger admitted his players over-reacted to the challenge which sent
Rosicky into an exaggerated roll, and the FA will await Marriner’s report before deciding whether to charge the Gunners with intimidation.
‘It’s a disgrace, an absolute disgrace,’ said an angry Henry. ‘I’ve nicked the ball and Vermaelen has come flying in and whoever else trying to get me sent off. It’s not nice to see.
‘They play good football here and they’re a great side. We love Arsenal’s great football but when they’re rolling around, getting people sent off, it makes you not want to see them do so well. Two minutes later, he’s up, running around and absolutely fine.
‘That’s what they do here. I don’t think it’s pretty and it’s not good. Their players moan when they get tackled, when they get hit hard, and so does Arsene Wenger. It’s part of the game.
Show of support: Mick McCarthy (right) had sympathy for his player‘Here in particular, Arsenal moan a lot. Their players go down like a sack of spuds. They get hit hard like other clubs do and we’re hearing about it for weeks and weeks. To get sent off is a disgrace.’
Henry plans to appeal against the dismissal, which carries a three-match ban but could be extended if his appeal is considered frivolous.
‘It’s sad to see you can’t tackle any more,’ said the 27-year-old. ‘I grew up watching some of the older games and I’ve seen tackles flying in. Today it seems you can’t make contact with anybody.
‘I can understand how he gives a foul. But I’ve seen it again and I nick the ball. It was never a red card.’
Wenger did not condone the reaction of his players but offered the horrific injuries suffered by Eduardo and Aaron Ramsey in explanation.
‘There is still a trauma in the team,’ said the Arsenal manager. ‘But we have to be careful with surrounding the referee. We do not want that.’
Relief: Arsene Wenger and assistant manager Pat Rice after Nicklas Bendtner's late winnerWenger’s crusade against what he considers a specific tactic to kick his players has generated a mob mentality at the Emirates, where the home crowd bay for red cards whenever their heroes are tackled aggressively.
The fury was turned on Wolves boss Mick McCarthy as he applauded Henry off and put an arm around his captain.
‘I felt bad for Karl,’ said McCarthy. ‘I ushered him off and congratulated him on his performance. The fans may have thought I was congratulating him on kicking one of their players but I don’t advocate that. I don’t ask anyone to kick anyone.
‘I became the pantomime villain. They’ve come here, they’ve won and they boo me off. Am I bothered? I’m bothered we lost. They booed me off because my team actually gave them a fright.’
Precious points: Nicklas Bendtner shatters 10-man Wolves
Wolves went within seconds of killing Arsenal’s title hopes. The visitors could have been four down inside 20 minutes, but rode their luck, grafted and grew in confidence before substitute Nicklas Bendtner headed another added-time winner — the Gunners’ third in their last six league games — from Bacary Sagna’s cross.
‘We kept composed and didn’t hoof the ball,’ said Bendtner.
‘Wolves like to take three minutes every time they have a throw-in or a goal-kick and it’s frustrating.
‘They wasted a lot of time and there was a lot added on. We got what we deserved in the end, which was a victory.’
source: dailymail
