Wenger hits back at 'silly' Jose jibe

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insisted on Sunday comments from Chelsea rival Jose Mourinho that he was a "specialist in failure" were "silly" and "disrespectful".

"I do not want to go into that - those were silly, disrespectful remarks," Wenger said when asked about Mourinho's recent taunt after Arsenal beat Liverpool 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium to advance to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup.

"I never spoke about him (Mourinho) in my press conference," the Frenchman said.

"I know one thing, it is more embarrassing for Chelsea than it is for me."

Wenger, whose side is one point behind its London rival in the Premier League title race, claimed on Friday that many of the teams at the top are afraid to back themselves due to a fear of failure, with Mourinho having labeled Chelsea the "little horse" behind Manchester City and Arsenal.

Mourinho responded with his "failure" jibe, a reference to the fact Arsenal under Wenger has not won a major trophy since lifting the 2005 FA Cup.

"He (Wenger) is a specialist in failure," Mourinho said.

"If supposedly he (Wenger) is right and I am afraid of failure it is because I don't fail many times.

"I have lots of respect for him (Wenger) and he is a great manager. But failure is not winning a title for seven or eight years," said Mourinho, who won the Premier League twice in his first spell as Chelsea manager between 2004 and 2007, as well as claiming the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan and taking league titles in four countries.

Wenger's remarks following the Liverpool match came after former Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson earlier on Sunday called Mourinho a "boring bully" for his habit of verbally attacking rival managers.

Wilson also suggested the Portuguese learn from the example of England soccer great and "gent" Tom Finney, whose death on Friday was marked by tributes to his sportsmanship as well as his skill.

Asked about Mourinho's comments, Wilson told BBC Radio Five: "I think at best it was disrespectful, at worst despicable to be so dismissive of a genuinely good guy and a footballing man I think, whose presence in England in 17-18 years has opened eyes and ears and created wonderfully entertaining sides."

(China Daily 02/18/2014 page23)