FA must slam Arsenal
They looked like a bunch of new recruits to the thuggish element who call themselves England fans. Had they been draped in scruffy flags of St George and wearing Burberry caps we would not have been able to tell the difference. A snarling, shoving, jostling bunch of yobs targeting one of their opposite number in a shameful display of the kind of behaviour the FA are so desperate to keep out of Turkey that they have rejected their ticket allocation for next month’s European qualifier. But this was Arsenal, once known as THE Arsenal — a proud club of distinguished tradition respected as much for the standards they set as the trophies they won. This was the modern Arsenal, resorting to mob rule in their violent pursuit of Manchester United’s Ruud van Nistelrooy. This was the Arsenal created and fashioned by Arsene Wenger, an intellectual among managers. It has reached the stage where, if the FA do not take swift and punitive action, they will be as guilty as Wenger in shirking their responsibility to the welfare of the game.
John Sadler, The Sun
We were stupid
Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has branded his players ‘stupid’ following the battle of Old Trafford. The Highbury chief launched his attack as the FA prepared to charge six Gunners stars AND Manchester United’s Gary Neville. Manager Arsene Wenger is also facing a rap for his cheat slur while Arsenal are in the dock for failing to control their players during Sunday’s 0-0 draw. The charges follow the amazing scenes when Ruud van Nistelrooy was attacked by Arsenal players at the final whistle. Hill-Wood blasted: “There are no excuses. We were guilty of stupid behaviour. The players concerned were rather silly when you would hope they would show more intelligence."
Mark Irwin, The Sun
I´m gonna hit you
Patrick Vieira threatened to punch Ruud van Nistelrooy in an amazing tunnel bust-up following Sunday’s Old Trafford showdown. The Arsenal skipper blamed Van Nistelrooy for overreacting and getting him sent off in the fiery clash of the title Titans. FA bosses are ready to charge SEVEN players — six from Arsenal plus Manchester United defender Gary Neville — for the mayhem during and after the game. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger could also go in the dock for branding Van Nistelrooy a cheat in a post-match chat. Disciplinary chiefs at Soho Square have already decided to charge Arsenal with failing to control their players.
Sports staff, The Sun
Ole´s op torment
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs an operation on his knee and faces two months on the sidelines. The Manchester United striker picked up the injury against Panathinaikos in the Champions League last week and missed Sunday’s clash with Arsenal. The club’s medical staff were hoping the problem would right itself. But last night they decided the Norwegian would need an operation. United boss Alex Ferguson had been relying on Solskjaer to fill the gap on the right vacated by David Beckham after his sale to Real Madrid. Fergie does not want to use Portuguese teenager Cristiano Ronaldo every week — but could now be forced to. There is good news, however, for Old Trafford skipper Roy Keane. SunSport revealed last week that the club feared he would need an ankle operation after also injuring himself against Panathinaikos. The United medical staff were watching to see how he came through Sunday’s big clash with Arsenal before deciding what action to take. But Keane was OK and for now there will be no op needed.
Neil Custis, The Sun
ManUtd.com brought you the Ole story first. Read the club statement >
The guilty men
Arsenal will be shamed by the Football Association today when FIVE players - as well as the club - will be charged with misconduct over their Old Trafford anarchy. As details emerged of a tunnel bust-up between Highbury skipper Patrick Vieira and United´s Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy following the French midfielder´s red card, FA chief executive Mark Palios was preparing to announce the charges. Martin Keown, Ray Parlour, Lauren, Ashley Cole and goalkeeper Jens Lehmann - plus United´s Gary Neville - are all expected to be hit with charges and almost certain suspensions. Van Nistelrooy is not under investigation and while Arsenal will avoid the worst penalty of having points deducted, Gunners vice-chairman and FA executive board member David Dein faces the humiliation of a six-figure fine. The FA have been scrutinising the unbroadcast footage from a number of extra camera angles to ensure they get a full picture of the lawlessness sparked by Ruud van Nistelrooy´s penalty miss. Keown, Lauren and Parlour all confronted him at the final whistle, with the former England defender banging his arm down on the United man - he plans to insist that was an accident - and Parlour appearing to deliver a dig in the ribs.
Sports staff, Daily Mirror
Ruud feud
It was ugly on the pitch and no less ugly in the Old Trafford tunnel. But the truth is that it is far more personal than that, even if the rivalry between Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson stokes up the temperature at both clubs. At the heart of the anger is a feud between Arsenal and van Nistelrooy which is now impossible to put to one side. While Vieira carried it one stage further into the relative privacy of the tunnel, the identities of some of the men who exacted retribution on the Old Trafford pitch was no surprise. Martin Keown and Lauren have both been on the receiving end of van Nistelrooy´s stray elbows in the past, and to a man the Arsenal camp feel that the Dutchman is happy to hand it out, but a wimp when it comes to the other side of the coin. That is an excuse, not a defence and although the FA will react to the disgraceful post-match scenes by landing misconduct charges against Arsenal and five of their players today, there will be no action over the tunnel incident. Yet the fact that it required Robert Pires, Eric Djemba Djemba and Fabien Barthez to prevent Vieira going for van Nistelrooy was further proof of just how the Dutch striker is now Arsenal´s Public Enemy No.1.
Vieira est au plus mal . Il a attendu ruud pour le brancher dans le tunnel . Il va etre sanctionne tres lourdement . Ainsi que 5 autres joueurs d´´arsenal + wenger qui est parti pour avoir une tres lourde sanction .
^^