Karl Henry has played all but one of Wolves' games this season.
Wolves captain Karl Henry has heavily criticised Arsenal’s players, claiming they all go down like a “sack of spuds when challenged”.
Skipper Henry was dismissed with 25 minutes to go at the Emirates stadium on Saturday as Wolves lost 1-0 to title-challengers Arsenal. It is fair to say Henry was far from happy with his dismissal.
He said: “I would have been screaming at the referee had I got even a yellow card for that tackle so to get a red card for it is an absolute disgrace.
“I’ve nicked the ball cleanly. One of their players – Vermaelen I think it was – has then come flying in trying to get me sent off. Rosicky is rolling around but two minutes later he is up running around and absolutely fine. That’s what they do here. Their players moan when they get tackled, when they get hit hard, and so does Arsene Wenger.
“Their players go down like a sack of spuds. They get hit hard, like players at other clubs do, but with them we hear about it for weeks and weeks. We love Arsenal’s great football but when they are rolling around getting people sent off, it makes you not want to see them do so well.”
Wolves have until Tuesday lunchtime to decide whether they are to appeal the three match ban handed to Henry. If they opt to, Wednesday lunchtime is the deadline to provide relevant video evidence to support their case.
Mick McCarthy took plenty of stick from the Arsenal fans after he appeared to applaud Henry’s challenge on Tomas Rosicky. However, according to McCarthy that was not the case.
He said: “I’ve applauded Karl Henry off because he didn’t kick him. I felt bad for him so I ushered him off and congratulated him on his performance. The fans may have thought I was congratulating him on kicking one of their players but I don’t advocate that. I don’t ask anyone to kick anyone.
“I became the pantomime villain, but is that not part of the Premier League? They booed me off because my team actually gave them a fright. Maybe I should have set the team up 4-4-2 and attacked them and got beat by seven goals.”
My verdict: Couldn’t have put it better myself Karl!
To survive this season we have had to travel far out of our comfort zone to succeed. This is in all aspects of the club, whether on the field or esewhere. More is demanded of everyone than they have ever given before – that is the absolute minimum requirement if you want to stay in the worlds most competitive league. You have to take risks, you have to live beyond the edge. If you bring honesty to your job the rub, in the end, goes with you – Karl Henry does that. But occassionally it does go against you – that’s life. Cloughie would have been proud of him the way he has stepped up to the challenge – he’s his sort of player.
On another note, West Ham’s performance yesterday should remind us this season still has plenty of drama in it. We need to play this season out to the ’96th. minute’!
I’d be the first to agree that Karl Henry didn’t deserve to be sent off – it was a bad challenge, but hardly a red card – that said, it beggars belief how he can say it wasn’t a foul.
He got the ball, not through the art of tackling, but through cutting Rosicky in half to get it. Yes our players reacted, but given the spate of terrible tackles from like-minded, second-rate hackers who are unable to play the game and resort to pyhsicality, they have valid grounds for being outraged.
Yes Arsenal moan when our players get hit hard, you’re fucking right we do. We moan because we get a little sick of seeing ‘commited’ challenges from woefully inept footballers break our players legs.
I commend Wolves for a superb performance in keeping us at bay and for their resolute defending, they had a plan to restrict our play and stuck to their task admirably – any fan with a understanding of the game wouldn’t dispute this. However, when their players have the audacity to defend themselves when they have no valid grounds in which to do so makes me want to see them fail.
Cesc Fabregas recieved a yellow card against Barcelona for a perfectly good challenge the other night, yet you doing see him pissing and moaning in the press like a twelve year old girl because he feels robbed. Perhaps Karl Henry might want to have a think about that.
Cesc Fabregas doesn’t need to moan because he has Arsene Wenger to do that for him. At least our players are standing up for themselves and not lyin down on the floor cryin like babies for Mick to do all the moanin for them, like Arsenal players do. I was at the game on Saturday and I expected a yellow card at the most, he clearly got the ball, the Arsenal players were throwin themselves down at any chance they had and it was disgraceful. Wolves players have pride in themselves and want to play football, not roll around on the floor whenever a player is within 2 ft of them.
Arsenal players and fans might want to have a think about that!
To relate Karl Henry to 2nd rate hackers and inept footballers is pretty disrespectful. He’s no Kaka, but he’s straight up and honest and has shown this season that he’s capable of playing to his strengths in the top league.
The problem with Arsenal fans in particular, is that although Arsenal play the beautiful game and that’s something to revel in, it’s not the only way of playing to be effective. You have to play to your strengths. The inability to understand that most teams are not going to arrive at the Emirates and try and outclass and play Arsenal off the park – like Barcelona did last week – is just aggorance and an attempt to conceal Arsenal’s/Arsene’s failure to recapture the heights of Viera, Henry, Grimandi (mwah mwah) et al.
Arsenal have had a problem with teams who play a more physical style. But to moan about every robust tackle is as pathetic as Rosicky’s play acting. I think any fair mind would say Henry deserved a yellow and anyone with eyes could see that, a mere 3 minutes after the sending off, Rosicky wasn’t actually maimed after all. So sit dahn and shatap
Wolves did play to their strengths, and if you read my post you’ll see I commend them for that – for what was a very good tactical performance. I expect most team at the Emirates to do the same.
It was a bad challenge, one I imagine would have had you all shrieking with anger had it been commited on Henry himself. I agree it was a yellow card at best, I really do.
What pisses me off is that Henry feels the need to blame everyone except the one he should – himself. He flew in rashly, anyone fool can see that, and brought about the bad decision all by himself. If he hadn’t of done it, he’d of been on the pitch – regardless of what anyone else could/would of done.
Yes, I agree robust challenges and pyshcality are the best weapons to combat Arsenal, and I agree teams should use them. It’s part of the game and it’s up to our players to overcome them.
Anyways, I’d sooner not argue anymore. I’d like to wish Wolves every success in surviving the drop. I like the club, it’s a well-run outfit and you deserve Premiership status.
Fair enough to you Jay,
I think you agree that Henry shouldn’t have been sent off and maybe that also that Rosicky and Vermallen (I’m sure that’s the wrong spelling) made a right old meal out of it, which no doubt had some sort of effect on the decision made by the hapless Mariner.
So it’s hardly a shock; sent off player bemoans ref/other player/fans/last night’s curry. There have been one or two Arsenal players moaning to the press over the years too so I wouldn’t get too worked up about Henry’s rant – it won’t change anything.
Anyways as you graciously said, best of luck with the title challenge – although I think it’s a bit of stretch too far unfortunately, I reckon it’s on it’s way to Stamford Bridge. And I think Chelsea are fucking arseholes……..Something I’m sure you’d agree with?
Nice one