Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is not very well liked by Sunderland Manager Sam Allardyce. That’s not news. What is news is just how much Allardyce despises Wenger, and it all comes out in his new autobiography, which is being serialized in The Sun.
“I enjoyed beating Arsenal more than anyone when I was in charge at Bolton,” said Allardyce. “We’d really got to them and Arsène Wenger hated us.”
“There was one time he wouldn’t shake hands with me at Highbury because we got a draw. I saw him ripping his tie off and throwing it on the floor in anger. He takes it all very personally and has an air of arrogance. He’s not one for inviting you into his office for a drink after the game.”
“The more I wound him up, the more I liked it. He tried to influence refs through the media and create a perception that we were bullies committing all the fouls, while his team just wanted to play. It seemed he wanted a rule where they should be allowed to do what they wanted with the ball, without us being allowed to tackle them. It was a skill finding their weaknesses and how to exploit them.
“But when we succeeded the press were usually on about Arsenal having an off-day and the ref being soft.”
Allardyce, who just took over at the Stadium of Light last week, is really unloading here. He’s not holding back at all on Arsene Wenger.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and sometimes writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. The website is also featured on News Now.
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