We talk in French, you know!

While Arsenal has been getting some stick in the press and with the fans, Arsene Wenger thought of cracking a joke and turn the attention away from the pressure of the all-important match against Man United on Sunday. This is what he had to say:

I feel it is important that English clubs continue to have English values - and that it just doesn’t become who spends more than anybody else. I feel maybe it is important for England that the clubs keep under the control of the fans. The owners are the fans first. It is a change of philosophy and what implication it will have for English football in the future I don’t know.

Wenger said this when he dismissed reports of a £350 million takeover at Arsenal, insisting English clubs must remain English-owned.

Look who’s talking about ‘English values’. When there was wide-spread criticism on his policy on foreign players, he saw the issue of nationality as irrelevant. One of Arsenal football club’s greatest ever players Ian Wright attacked his former club for not using more English players. In fact, the Gunners side that beat Villareal in the last season champions League semi-final first leg contained not one English player in the starting 11. Many felt that Arsenal’s champions league success was not necessarily a triumph for British football.

And I don’t see why a new foreign owner would put their ‘English values’ in danger. Spending more money than others does not mean losing your values and that is not illegal as long as FA permits it. I see this comment from Arsene as a backlash of West Ham’s capture of Tevez and Mascherano. May be he was hoping so much for them to join Arsenal that he feels that the new foreign owners of other clubs are threatening Arsenal’s league position now. While he is seeing one takeover after another and mid table clubs becoming more powerful, he is getting worried.

I wish FA brings a ruling that makes it mandatory for each club to field at least 2-3 English players in the squad and leaving the choice of playing eleven to the manager.

[tags] Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, England, English players, Tevez, Mascherano, West Ham, Ian Wright, Foreign Players, FA, Manchester United, Villareal, Alan Pardew [/tags]