CHELSEA MANAGER Jose Mourinho has taken another swipe at Arsene Wenger, taunting the Frenchman’s winless run against him and implying that he has a greater rivalry with Tony Pulis.
Arsenal manager Wenger has failed to beat Mourinho in 13 previous meetings, and will face off against his arch-nemesis once again on Sunday in the Community Shield.
But ahead of the clash at Wembley, Mourinho has again mocked the Frenchman’s record, citing Pulis as his most dangerous rival and insisting that he would have found a solution to end Arsenal’s winless streak by now.
“I think I lost twice against Tony Pulis,” said Mourinho. “I lost against Crystal Palace and against West Brom. One game each.”
On the subject of the Gunners’ poor form against Chelsea, Mourinho expanded: “I think I would ask myself why. I would to try to answer but not because of a mental block but because I would want to try to find solutions to help my team to do it.
“This yes, try to find different way, try to find the reasons why it goes all the time against my team, but just that.
“I don’t think about what happened before, I just think about the game. So, for me, six, seven, eight or nine matches without losing makes no difference and I don’t think affects this game.
“And the next one for me there is no relation between one game and what happened before.”
Despite his repeated digs at Wenger, Mourinho insists that the Gunners are title challengers this season, and says that the Community Shield is more than just a friendly.
“I always think Arsenal are title challengers. They have a very good squad, so in this second period in England, immediately when I arrived two years ago, I look at them as a very good squad, with very good players,” he stated.
“So I think it’s more of the same. They are a top squad. I think they are still the same. Which means strong. A very good team.
“But it’s not a friendly. It’s not the same to win in the Summer Cup in Canada or in Singapore or wherever, it’s not the same as to win the Community Shield. But I don’t think it has a relation to the rest of the season.”
Ahhh here, dont we ever learn. Niall would be more effective coming out of Tesco with his shopping bags Swinging.
@Kevin O’brien: always about “not having enough passion” etc, it’s killing me… especially when we have the skill sets and player pool. Have to take the next step
I like Scannell but for me Kevin o Byrne is munster best Hooker. He’s all round game is superior and we could do with he’s skillset this weekend.
@Anthony O Connell: A fully fit Marshall is ahead of NS too. Wouldn’t even have him on the bench this weekend.
@thesaltyurchin: agreed. Marshall has never really let us down to be fair.
Just up the Pashun, that will do it. Few extra angry faces won’t do any harm either.
Swinging your handbags more like
@Paul1980: Hope the players aren’t feeling as negative as you & Kevin. SUAF.
@TL55: your one of the problems at the moment at the club. You have to open your eyes at the bigger picture, we’ve not come close to winning anything in 10 years and the typical “come out fighting” won’t cut it anymore. If Scannell said something like they have been working on defence and stopping line breaks after Leinster then fair enough but it always resorts back to the passion and hard work…. which hasn’t worked since Paulies time and that team had a lot more than passion. If we don’t change the mentality and standards of the club we will be Connacht in a few years, and even they have won more than us in recent years….
@TL55: agreed 100%,it’s just negativity non stop.
@Stanley: what do you mean “you’ll be Connacht in a few years”? If Connacht received half of the resources squandered by the IRFU on Munster in recent years they’d have won more than just the one trophy more they’ve won than Munster in the last 10 years.
@TL55: The 42 are publishing a serious amount of Munster articles lately, the click bait is very high as it draws in a serious amount of Leinster supporters sticking their ore in. For some reason Munster top brass are letting this happen. This was a week to keep the head down and do their talking on the pitch on Saturday against Toulouse instead of appearing in the media everyday. This wouldn’t have happened under Kidneys rein.
@Patrick O Connell: well said Patrick.
@Patrick O Connell: Good point
@Stanley: Any rugby team that doesn’t “come out fighting” will get dominated like Munster last Saturday. I never suggested that’s all that’s needed. As clearly a lot more is but a team in a final must bring it’s maximum aggression. We didn’t Leinster did. They should have beaten us by an awful lot more but you couldn’t say that about their other recent wins.
@Stanley: I think you mean if connacht were to slip further back they would be as bad as Munster, Friend is probably telling the lads we need to win this weekend, christ lads we dont want to be like Munster. If Andy had the player pool and resources of Munster he’d be picking his spot in the cabinet for champions cup.
Baffled as to how Scannell continues to get picked ahead of KOB! For me he is 3rd choice, at best, behind KOB and Rhys
@Wedger: Scannell hasn’t had good game in 2- 3 years for munster and he just walked back into the starting line-up when he came back form injury? he’s line-out is poor and offers v little around the park on both sides of the ball it baffles me how he still gets picked. And the same goes for Rory he’s been off form for a while now he’s not big enough for a crash ball centre and not crafty enough for the 2nd playmaker role there is alot of deadwood in the munster squad that should been moved on unless they really pull their socks up in the way they perform week-in week-out
@Keith Browne: 100%. There are for sure some names there who held a lot of promise a few years back but for a variety of reasons didn’t get reach the standard of play that merited consideration for international duty. Ultimately if you want silverware then at least 1 to 15 need to be test calibre. If players aren’t showing that by their late 20s, then you have to wonder why we’re not giving the opportunity instead to younger players who could yet make it.
“That’s what Munster *did”.