Tag Archives: Wilshere

Jack Wilshere suffers injury setback

  By jtom | 28/01/2012 - 8:32 AM | Injury News, Jack Wilshere
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Wilshere will be spending more time at the new medical center.

Jack Wilshere could miss the rest of the Arsenal season and Euro 2012 due to a setback in his recovery from an injured ankle. Arsene Wenger described Wilshere’s mood as “gutted.”

On Friday, the Arsenal manager revealed the disappointing news about the 19-year-old English midfielder:

“He has had a little setback that is under investigation at the moment so I cannot give you how long he will be out for. At the moment he is seeing a specialist and as soon as we know more we will communicate. It sets him back a little bit but for how long I don’t know.  It is the same foot but a different problem to the injury he had surgery on back in September. But is it an inflammation? We have to wait a little bit.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Apparently, Wilshere damaged the already tender ankle in training this week. While the seriousness of the setback is not yet known, Wenger said Jack will not return until March at the earliest: “It’s impossible [for him] to play at the end of February. Even if we have some good news, I would say that’s impossible. From day one, when you are completely fit to practice again, to be match fit you count at least six weeks. [He is] gutted.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Wilshere confirmed the news via Twitter:  ”It is true I have had a setback I can’t tell you how long I have been set back because I don’t know! I am very annoyed but will stay strong.”

Completely devastating. Many supporters have been pinning our chance of finishing in the top four on Wilshere, but it now appears that the versatile midfield man will not be available for quite a long time. Just last week, everyone was expecting Jack’s return to come sooner rather than later. Now, it is not certain whether Wilshere will even contribute to our 125th season at all.

Since the pre-season, Jack has been marred by a series of setbacks to that maligned ankle. In August, it was expected that the problem would only keep him out for the final pre-season match or, at worst, the first couple games of the season. Then, in September, Arsenal announced that Wilshere had surgery on the ankle and would miss “four to five months.” After a terrific breakthrough campaign last year, it seems Wilshere’s second season as a prominent Gunner will be ruined by injury.

In light of the situation, Arsene Wenger may need to sign a midfielder before the end of the transfer window. If one of the current midfield three (Song, Arteta, Ramsey) is forced to miss significant time, we could face real problems. Just the absence of Arteta in the last two matches has had a clear negative effect on the team. Benayoun and Rosicky are really nothing players in my mind because they usually contribute next-to-nothing and neither is all that concerned with tracking back. Both will have their moments, and Benayoun works hard, but surely neither player can hold up as a solid starter.

Coquelin, who is currently injured, has displayed grit and determination in the midfield. He may be able to fill a role if needed, but his experience is an issue. It is a shame that Frimpong had to be sent on loan because he could definitely help the squad at the moment. Since moving to Wolves, he has proven to be an extremely influential player for Mick McCarthy’s side. Sadly, Frimpong was kicked in the face against Villa and sustained a brutal eye injury. Even though he is in Wolverhampton, Frimpong still has Arsenal DNA.

Perhaps Wenger will make a move in the waning days of January to acquire a midfielder. The dilemma will be finding a quality player by Tuesday, which is a tough task considering the lack of good footballers usually available in the winter window. My prediction is that transfer deadline day will be a quiet one for Gooners, though there always is a chance…

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Wilshere betting scandal

  By jtom | 08/12/2011 - 7:15 AM | Jack Wilshere
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UEFA may investigate Jack Wilshere for comments he made on Twitter about betting on Emmanuel Frimpong to score the first goal against Olympiacos on Tuesday night. If found guilty, Wilshere could face a large fine or ban for his behavior.

According to The Sun, Wilshere is “set to face a probe” from UEFA over several messages he sent out to his followers on Twitter. UEFA were apparently “looking into the matter” on Wednesday night. It appears that Wilshere is talking (perhaps in jest) about placing a bet on Frimpong scoring the opening goal in Greece:

“Champions league tonight come on the arsenal! finish the group on a high! @Frimpong26AFC 1st goal is 150-1… worth a cheeky £10 right?”

Unfortunately, on Twitter, there can be no telling whether a message is serious or sarcastic, and UEFA tend to take these matters very seriously. The rules strictly indicate that no player can bet on a match involving his club, no matter if the players is in the squad or not. The betting talk did not stop there though, as Frimpong and Wojceich Szczesny also commented on Wilshere’s original message:

Frimpong: “@13Szczesny13 @JackWilshere Cheers Guys U can put a tenner on a tackle dough> whats the odds:)”

Szczesny: “@JackWilshere I wouldn’t put a penny on it mate! More of a chance of Fabianski scoring a cheeky diving header!”

During the match, Frimpong nearly scored the first goal, and Wilshere responded on Twitter: “Frimmy nearly won me some money there!” (All Twitter messages obtained from The Sun) (Grammatical errors not corrected)

Wilshere has since deleted the Twitter messages quoted above, but once something is put on the Internet, it cannot be deleted. Over a million followers of Wilshere may have seen the comments about the Frimpong bet, and UEFA are worried that he may have ”encouraged his followers to bet and damage soccer’s integrity.”

Clearly realising what he had done, Wilshere later said on Twitter: “I didn’t actually bet on the game. I know we’re not allowed to! I was only messing #justtobeclear”

If he knew they were not allowed, he would never have posted the comments in the first place. It could have been a joke, but UEFA are not known for their sense of humour. Hopefully, Wilshere will only receive a fine and not a ban if he is found guilty. He hasn’t played yet this season due to injury, and it would be a shame for him to recover only to watch from the stands on European nights.

Players tend to say some very stupid things online. While Wilshere is usually incredibly entertaining on Twitter, maybe he is too naive to run the account himself. All players should know that betting is against the laws of the game. If UEFA hand Wilshere a suspension, he should delete his account for the sake of the Arsenal supporters; his fellow players; and his manager Arsene Wenger.

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Henry returns to Arsenal

  By jtom | 18/11/2011 - 7:05 AM | Uncategorized
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The king is back… but only for training. Thierry Henry was at London Colney on Thursday as the Gunners prepared for Saturday’s match against Norwich. The season for the New York Red Bulls has just ended, so Henry will keep up his fitness by training with the first-team when possible.

Do not get your hopes up for an emotional, permanent return to North London. Remember that Henry did the same thing last year and he stayed in the MLS.

Of course, Thierry still looks completely at home in an Arsenal shirt. It never did look right to see him wearing the Barcelona or Red Bulls kit. Even though he is across the ocean, Henry still talks glowingly about his time at Arsenal and the club in general. He has hinted at a move back to the Emirates as a coach.

Arsene Wenger could actually use an experienced striker, even a 34-year old Henry. Marouane Chamakh has been nothing short of terrible this season and will be missing in January due to the African Cup of Nations. Ju Young Park still needs more playing time before we can evaluate him fully. Do not forget we will also be without Gervinho during the African Cup of Nations.

I don’t even want to type this, but what would happen if Robin van Perise sustained an injury and missed a large portion of January? Walcott would be the only regularly starting player at top, with Park at striker and Arshavin/Chamberlain on the other wing. This lack of depth in the forward position could persuade Wenger to make a loan offer to the Red Bulls for Henry.

But keep in mind that MLS clubs have been known to despise such loan attempts in the past. If nothing else, Henry’s presence in training will provide a boost to the squad. He can aide some of the younger players, who will surely look up to him as a legend.

Wilshere Improving

Jack Wilshere sent out this Twitter message on Thursday: “First day without crutches in a while! Feels so good!” The 19-year old midfielder is healing from the ankle injury that has caused to miss every match this season. According to the Daily Mirror, Wilshere has been cleared to start light training.
 
While it is great to hear about Jack’s improving condition, there is no need to rush him back. The team is on a fantastic run of form right now, and the long-term health of Wilshere is much more important than having him back a week or two early. No Gooner wants to see Wilshere lying on the ground in pain anytime soon.
 

Van Persie Credits Wenger for his Success

Robin van Persie has pointed to Arsene Wenger as the man who turned him into a goal-scoring machine (ESPN):  ”I’m so thankful I met him. When I was 20 he asked me, ‘Why are you not a top player yet?’ I said ‘Because of this, this and this.’ He told me to think about the reasons why and a couple of years later asked me again, ‘Are you a top player?’

“I again said, ‘No, I don’t think so.’ And he said, ‘Why not? Think about it.’ It was then I started to realise. He gave me a little bit of advice on certain things I was doing.

“He told me to think more about my actions. It was a conversation which lasted a year. Every couple of weeks he would refer to that conversation we had. He was giving me proof as well so I could go on and find my answer and I was finding answers all the time. He helped me big time.”

No one is questioning whether RvP is a top player anymore. The Dutchman is definitely the top striker in the Premier League, and one of the best in the world.

Wenger clearly knows how to motivate players to reach their potential. He picks players who are undervalued and helps turn them into top class footballers. Many times, when Wenger has brought the player to Arsenal, he reaches the peak of his performance. When the player leaves Arsenal, he is never able to reach that pinnacle again.

 

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Real Madrid want Jack Wilshere

  By jtom | 15/11/2011 - 7:00 AM | Uncategorized
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Jack promised to stay at the Emirates until the end of his career.

According to all of Tuesday’s tabloids, Real Madrid are targeting Jack Wilshere. “Operation Madrid 2014″ is a plan by the Spanish club to sign a number of Europe’s top young players by 2014. A list of these players was leaked (perhaps purposely) to Marca (Spanish newspaper) and Wilshere is on the five-man list.

Wilshere told a reporter last week that he will stay at Arsenal “forever.” It will be up to Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis to deal with the bombardment of large offers that will certainly come rolling in for the promising 19-year old. This could be the first test because Real Madrid are looking to spend £20 to £30 million on each of the young stars.

With all that has gone on with our club in recent years, it is only expected to hear about the wealthiest clubs trying to kick us while we’re down. Manchester City have picked off several of our players, but, thankfully, many of those players never lived up to their Arsenal days. Oh, and Samir Na$ri is enjoying his seat on the bench.

Anyway, back on topic, Wilshere has pledged his allegiance to Arsenal. Maybe it is foolish to think that a 19-year old will keep his promises, but it would be very surprising if he left in the next year or two. He was brought through the Arsenal academy from age nine, so, unlike most footballers, he has some loyalty.

Squillaci on his way out?

According to the Daily Mirror, Arsenal rejected a loan offer from West Ham for center-back Sebastien Squillaci. The Gunners want to sell Squillaci permanently in January.

This is great news! Last season, Squillaci had one of the worst seasons of any Arsenal defender in recent memory. The 31-year old will likely go down in history as one of Arsene Wenger’s most terrible signings. I’d rather see the young Ignasi Miquel on the pitch than Squillaci.

Wenger not ready to claim success

Arsenal have fully recovered from their horrific start to the season, but Arsene Wenger said that he wants more from his team (Arsenal.com): “At the moment I feel we are more focused. Saying ‘look I am right’ is less important for me than trying to continue the quality of our team and our results.
 
“There is still room for improvement so we are focused on that. I am convinced we have been right but what you want is that people who love Arsenal are happy and I think at the moment to do that we still have a job to do.”

On one hand, I would love to see Arsene tell the anti-Arsenal media that he was/is right. All of the crisis talk throughout the summer and into September was clearly overblown, but overreaction is to be expected by the modern media. On the other hand, we still have ground to make up on the other top clubs.

 

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Wilshere: I’ll stay at Arsenal forever

  By jtom | 07/11/2011 - 7:00 AM | Jack Wilshere, Wojceich Szczesny
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Jack Wilshere promised that he will never leave the Emirates Stadium. He also targeted mid-December for his return to training. In other news, Szczesny would put money on Arsenal grabbing the league title, and the keeper is also embracing a leadership role.

Jack Wilshere

As we all know, our promising 19-year old English midfielder has yet to play this season. His recovery has been slow and delayed. Wilshere told iFilm London: “It’s going really slow at the minute and obviously I’m really frustrated. I should be back in training by mid-December, then I can crack on and it’s up to the boss when he picks me.”

Wilshere’s return has not been on my mind as much now that we are starting to win games, but he is still a massively important player. When he comes back, Arsene Wenger will have more options in the centre of the midfield.

When asked whether he would promise to stay at Arsenal “forever,” Jack replied: “I promise that, yeah. I’ve been at the club since I was nine and learned to love it.

“From the [Patrick] Vieira days, to [Dennis] Bergkamp, [Cesc] Fabregas, I’ve watched them come through and move on. There’s a crop of new players, [Aaron] Ramsey, myself, Kieran Gibbs…hopefully we can really create something special.

“I love the club and I want to be part of its future.”

With all the transfer drama of recent years, this has to warm your heart as a Gooner. Jack really wants to be an Arsenal player, and we supporters only want players who want to pull on the red and white shirt. It won’t be too long before Wilshere is the captain of our club.

Wojceich Szczesny

The leadership problem in the squad is dissolving in part because of Wojceich Szczesny. The Polish keeper is vocal and also seems to be quite a character in the dressing room. Szczesny, despite his young age, is not afraid to direct his teammates on the pitch (from the Daily Mail):

“For me it really doesn’t matter if my defence are older than me or more experienced than me, it doesn’t make any difference. My job is to get them organised and their job is to listen to me – so I’m very comfortable doing that.”

Szczesny has the confidence of Nicklas Bendtner and the skill of a top quality keeper. He also knows how to tell jokes. When asked about some of the recent dribbling risks he has taken, Wojciech said:

“That’s why they called me the young Zinedine when I was five years old! You could see that from that I’d like to have been an outfield player.”

Clearly, Szczesny speaks his mind at every possible opportunity. He told Arsenal.com about the chances of Arsenal winning the Premier League this season: “I’d put a tenner on it!. I completely believe in this Club and if we win every single game like we have been recently then why not?

“Obviously the mood has turned around and so has the belief. We believe that we can win every single game and if we can do that we are confident. I think it’s all about the spirit in the team now. There’s obviously been a few good results and we’ve got our confidence back.”

The character and spirit of this Arsenal side is different than in recent years. Maybe it is because we finally have a real captain in Robin van Persie. The new signings could have brought about a change in the dressing room. I wouldn’t bet on us winning the league, but this team could accomplish something special.

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Wilshere situation goes from bad to worse

  By jtom | 27/09/2011 - 7:00 AM | Injury News, Jack Wilshere
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Wilshere posted this picture on his Twitter account after the surgery.

Jack Wilshere is set to miss “four or five months” after undergoing ankle surgery. He sent out a message to Gooners after the surgery.

The 19-year old midfielder’s recovery will take “four or five months” according to Arsenal.com. His ankle surgery on Monday was successful. Wilshere wanted to notify his fans of his status (from Arsenal.com):

“I’ve had my operation this morning and all went well. My ankle is little bit sore, but I’m already looking forward to working hard to get fit and playing again.

“I would also just like to say thanks for the many messages of support I have received from you – the fantastic Arsenal supporters. See you all soon at the Emirates.”

I am starting to wonder whether we will see Jack on the pitch this season. At first, his injury was deemed fairly minor. A month or two seems to be added to his recovery time daily, and Arsene Wenger will not want to see Wilshere’s career tarnished by injuries. Maybe Wenger and the medical staff give Wilshere a year off and start fresh next season.

Most are predicting that Jack will return in late Feburary or early April. It is possible that he could provide a boost for the next North London derby on 25 February. Wenger and his squad will face Spurs at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

In other injury news, Theo Walcott will not feature on Wednesday night against Greek champions Olympiacos. According to The Guardian, the swelling in Theo’s knee is too much for him to play. Walcott hopes to return to the side to face Tottenham, but I would not place a bet on that.

The Arsenal medical team needs to be questioned. Our injuries seem to drag on longer than other clubs. We were told in the pre-season that Wilshere would be back by now. Thomas Vermaelen’s return date continued to be pushed farther and father back last season. I doubt that Theo’s “minor” injury will stay “minor.”

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Jack Wilshere set to miss “months”

  By jtom | 24/09/2011 - 8:00 AM | Injury News, Jack Wilshere
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Jack Wilshere will undergo ankle surgery on Monday after disappointing test results this week. Wilshere will be missing until the end of the year.

Arsenal announced late on Friday night that Wilshere will have surgery on Monday. A report on Arsenal.com said about the length of recovery: “Wilshere is now expected to be out for a period of months. Following surgery these timescales will become more specific.”

A Club spokesman told Arsenal.com: “We have given Jack time to heal naturally which is important wherever possible with a young player. The latest scans show surgery is needed. Everyone at the Club wishes Jack a speedy recovery.”

The recovery has not yet been “speedy”, and I do not expect it to get “speedy” anytime soon. Based on recent history, the Arsenal medical team is terrible at handling injuries. Until there is a change made in the medical department, expect minor injuries to turn into moderate injuries, and moderate injuries to turn into major or severe problems.

Wilshere sent out two Twitter messages about the new developments: “been in a boot for a month and the bone is not responding. i will have surgery on my right ankle on monday with the two best surgeons around.” [sic]

“hopefully i will return to action around christmas time. i am in good hands! thanks for your support everyone!” [sic]
 
Many Gooners have been saying that everything would be fine once Jack returned. Now, with Wilshere out at least three more months, Arsenal supporters, including myself, will have to rely on the current group of midfielders. Mikel Arteta, who has been fading in the second half of matches, and Aaron Ramsey, who has to make more of an impact, must be trusted to control the middle of the park. Alex Song will contribute on the defensive side of things, but Arteta and Ramsey must be the playmakers who start the counter-attack.
 
After a brilliant first season in the senior team, Jack Wilshere is set to miss a major portion of his second season due to an ankle injury. Everyone (myself included) that has been saying “Once Jack’s back….” will have to hold off for quite a while. Once Jack does return, Arsenal may have already sealed their fate outside the top 4.
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Jack Wilshere could miss three months

  By jtom | 04/09/2011 - 7:06 AM | Injury News, Jack Wilshere
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Jack Wilshere could be out until December. Arsenal want the 19-year old midfielder fully fit before he returns to the pitch.

According to Daily Mirror, Jack Wilshere’s right ankle problem could see him miss three months. Wilshere sustained the injury in June while playing for England in a match against Switzerland.

Arsenal will let Wilshere rest his foot in a surgical boot until mid-October, when he is set to begin training again. If the pain is still there, he may need a screw inserted into his ankle. If this happens, Wilshere will not be back until December.

Arsene Wenger and his staff will take the situation slowly. They do not want to rush Wilshere back onto the pitch before he is ready. Wenger also does not want Wilshere’s right ankle injury to linger on for months. Arsenal want Wilshere %100 pain-free before he plays again.

Jack Wilshere is such an important part of this squad. It is sad, in a way, that a 19-year old midfielder is relied on so much. But he is just that talented, and the Gunners really could have used him after gaining only one point through their first three Premier League matches.

No one wants to see Wilshere’s bright future jeoprodised by injury, and that is why the Arsenal management are searching for answers. They are consulting the top specialists in the world for advice on how to handle the ankle injury.

Arsene Wenger may have had Wilshere’s nagging right ankle in mind when he signed Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun on transfer deadline day. The Gunners needed midfield help regardless of Wilshere’s injury, but it may have added extra urgency to the situation.

Despite the critics, Arsenal’s midfield has certainly been improved. Wenger brought in experienced players, Arteta and Benayoun, to mix with Aaron Ramsey, Emmanuel Frimpong, and, hopefully before long, Jack Wilshere. Alex Song, once back from suspension, will surely contribute defensively.

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Nasri sold to Manchester City

  By jtom | 24/08/2011 - 7:47 AM | Arsene Wenger, Transfer News
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Nasri will surely be hated among Gooners for his move to City.

Arsenal have reached an agreement with Manchester City for the transfer of Samir Nasri. Arsene Wenger, Jack Wilshere, and Emmanuel Frimpong all reacted to the departure of the French midfielder.

According to The Telegraph, Manchester City will pay the Gunners £23 million for Nasri. The French midfielder will sign a five-year contract for £170,000 a week at the Eastlands. Arsenal were only willing to offer Nasri £90,000 per week. Expect Nasri to tell the press that he left the Emirates to win trophies.

Here is what Arsene Wenger had to say to Arsenal.com about the move: “I don’t question Samir Nasri’s commitment or professionalism. If I told him ‘you come with us and play’, he would have played like he did on Saturday but you wonder what kind of a commitment you can have.

“Football rules are made like that, that the player can be worth a lot of money today and nothing in six months so it doesn’t look completely logical but, at the end of the day, of course, we are forced into a decision like that for psychological and financial reasons.

“I am a realist so I have no illusions. It’s part of the modern life of a professional football player. It’s not that by coincidence that everybody suddenly lands at Man City.

“We did not want to lose Fabregas, but we were forced into a situation we didn’t want. Nasri is a situation where the player didn’t want to extend his contract with the proposals he had somewhere else. What kind of commitment can you have when the player is not there long-term? That is the question you have to answer.”

First, Wenger sticks by Nasri and compliments his “commitment” and “professionalism.” Then, he seems to say that Nasri did not have any commitment because he would not stay at Arsenal “long-term.”

Wenger also revealed that players are moving to Manchester City for the high wages. Of course, this is obvious. No one is moving to Manchester City to win trophies. If they win silverware, then that it a bonus, but they are just there to collect their chunk of the oil money.

Jack Wilshere, on Twitter, sent out a farewell to Nasri: “Good luck to my friend @Nanas08 (mr Nasri) learnt a lot from him. World class player! Will be missed!”

Emmanuel Frimpong replied on Twitter: “Pffffff comeon Jack.”

An earlier Frimpong Twitter message seemed to indirectly attack Nasri: “Money is the Roots of all Evil.”

Emmanuel Frimpong will become a fan favourite if he keeps this up. Earlier in the week, Frimpong and Piers Morgan got into a war of words over the Morgan’s constant moaning about Arsenal and Arsene Wenger. Despite his sending off in the Liverpool match, I am starting to really like this tenacious, outspoken defensive midfielder.

Back to Nasri. It is good that Wenger has finally sold Samir to Manchester City. Nasri made it clear that he did not want to sign a contract to stay at the Emirates. If a players does not want to play for Arsenal, then Gooners want him gone. Hopefully, Wenger can find a way to spend the Fabregas and Nasri cash before the end of the month.

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Barton, Wilshere lash out over Gervinho incident

  By jtom | 14/08/2011 - 8:15 AM | Jack Wilshere
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Joey Barton answered critics on his Twitter account after his brawl with Gervinho yesterday. Jack Wilshere attacked Barton on Twitter for his behavior in the scoreless draw between Arsenal and Newcastle.

Here is what Barton said on Twitter: “Cheats dive to win pens. If there’s contact go down but dont blatantly try to con the ref. Refs have it hard enough.

“Hopefully, today proves my commitment, if it was ever in doubt? ‘Imagine if I’d stamped on Song, all the numptys would be out calling for a public execution. Cos its on me its alright? #hypocrites.

“What do people want me to do, stand and trade blows with Gervinho. If you raise your hands to players faces, you should be off. Ref got it right…

“Maybe I shouldn’ have got involved but diving and trying to win a penalty, is ****. Needs stamping out (No pun).”

Then, Barton admitted that he went down easy on the Gervinho slap: “I went down easy, no doubt. Still cant raise ur hands. Ref got it right.”

Barton is complaining about Gevinho’s “dive” (it wasn’t a dive) even when he admits that he went down too easy. Joey Barton is a menace to the Premier League. Good thing I never endorsed an Arsenal signing of this Newcastle thug.

But then Barton went overboard: “Correct or stamped on 1 of there [sic] players. I’d of been hung, drawn and quartered by u mob? Fact not conjecture.”

Barton is using hyperbole in an attempt to plead his case to reporters. He simply fell to the ground in order to get a player sent off. I wonder what Barton would have done if Gervinho went down like that if the shoe was on the other foot.

Jack Wilshere, who missed the match due to injury, reacted to the Barton-Gervinho fight on his Twitter: “That is not football! I am pretty sure abu diaby got sent off for that last year!

“I think @joey7barton was in the wrong today! He should not have got invovled [sic] and assaulted Gerviniho like that #justsaying.
 
“Maybe Gerviniho [sic] should not have reacted like he did as two wrongs dont make a right but barton was unprofessional!
 
“@joey7barton that is a form of assault my friend it should not happen on a football pitch!”
 
To be fair, Barton did not commit assault. In fact, this sort of behavior has been commonplace in football, and Barton relishes in starting scuffles on the pitch. Fabio Capello will not select Barton for the England squad because of incidents like yesterday’s dust up.
 
What really really learned is that footballers do not have much sense when it comes to proper grammar.
 
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