Wenger slams 'disrespectful' pitch after Wigan stalemate
Monday, 10 Mar 2008 12:11
The pitch in Wigan was not quite the Emirates Stadium carpet
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has claimed the
Wigan Athletic pitch was not fit for a professional football match after the teams played out a 0-0 draw.
The surface at the JJB Stadium, which has been used to host two rugby league fixtures in recent weeks following the start of the Super League season, cut up badly and prevented the Gunners from playing their usual slick passing style.
After the match, Wenger said this had played a major part in costing his team two valuable points in the race for the title with
Manchester United and
Chelsea.
"If you asked me if I would have liked a better pitch, then I would say 'yes'," Wenger explained.
"Wigan fought very well and I don't want to take anything away from their performance but, frankly, the pitch is a disaster.
"It is disrespectful for the fans who come and pay money to see the game."
When asked if it had been more detrimental to the away side than the relegation-threatened hosts, Wenger was more diplomatic.
"The pitch did not help Wigan or us," the Gunners boss told Arsenal's official website.
"It is not a professional football pitch. We were focused and prepared to adapt. We knew the pitch was not that good.
"But it is still a handicap. If I give you a bike with one pedal you can still focus and prepare to adapt but you will still not be quicker than with two pedals. That is logic."
With United and the Blues both on FA Cup duty over the weekend, Arsenal's draw means they are only two points clear of Sir Alex Ferguson's men, who have a game in hand, and eight points ahead of Avram Grant's side, who have played two games fewer.