Cause for Concern

There’s no doubt about it, Arsene Wenger is getting special treatment these days. Not the kind, we hasten to add, that is accorded to Jose Mourinho, The Immune One, who apparently has special dispensation to burst out of the technical area, to cavort about the touchline, to pump himself up, to gesticulate flamboyantly, to harangue officials and to cast aspersions upon the integrity of opposing strikers, accusing them of indiscretions which ironically he has never acknowledged in several of his own players. Not the kind readily tolerated in other managers, who routinely castigate referees and linesmen, and even invade the pitch at half or full time to do so more forcibly with much swearing, snarling and finger wagging. No, Arsene Wenger is punished for waiting patiently on the touchline to inform the referee that in his opinion a mistake had been made in awarding a free kick to Portsmouth which cost Arsenal a goal, and continuing the discussion on the way down the tunnel. And punished twice, as things turned out.

In the short term, the Arsenal manager was banned from the technical area and forced to sit in the stand, which fortunately he was permitted to do two rows behind his assistant, Pat Rice. Then to his astonishment he learned two days later that the Football Association were charging him with improper conduct – a development which is a direct consequence of receipt of the referee’s report.

It is of the utmost significance that the referee in this instance was Steve Bennett, a brittle and pompous man whose demeanour is reminiscent of Dame Hilda Brackett. More to the point, a man known throughout football as unduly fussy and not half as good a referee as he thinks he is, as his performance in this game amply demonstrated. In fact, in a distinctly average crop of Premiership referees, Bennett is no longer regarded by good judges as top five material. Such a man is likely to have deep seated insecurities which would make him resent criticism, even from one of the most respected managers in world football and those insecurities would compel him not only to defend his decision, even if he knows it was wrong, but to do whatever he can to seek redress. The result is an immediate slap on the wrist and a spiteful report designed to ensure that Wenger is punished for having the audacity to question his authority.

It is also of the utmost significance that the manager in question is Arsene Wenger, an intelligent, educated, articulate and courteous man whose influence upon English football during the past ten years extends far beyond the confines of Arsenal Football Club. A man decorated both in his native France and in England. A passionate man who normally finds it much more easy than his fellow managers to keep his emotions in check.

It follows, therefore, that it takes a very great deal of provocation for Arsene Wenger to lose his cool. He did so recently in a touchline bust-up with Alan Pardew and afterwards he admitted that he was at fault, apologised and accepted his punishment. But this time he refuses to acknowledge culpability and is determined to defend himself vigorously against the charge.

The man responsible for that charge could never in his wildest dreams imagine being half as good a referee as Arsene Wenger is a manager, not least because he is arrogant and has a closed mind. It is therefore particularly important that the Football Association does not demonstrate similar weakness by allowing him to prevail, not least because it would be a sad day for football if a distinguished man could be charged with improper conduct for having an opinion and expressing it, while his accuser cannot be charged for failing to do his job properly.