Who's manipulating who?

The wires are reporting that Arsene Wenger is considering legal action against Jose Mourinho after his recent outburst where he claimed Arsene was like a voyeur with an unhealthy Chelsea obsession.

Seeing this news elicited a slap of the forehead and a large groan from myself as I wondered how on earth two grown, professional men could let things deteriorate so publicly. After all, neither of them has spilt the others pint nor looked at the others bird! Will we see the two men rolling about on the cobbles with the likes of Dein and Kenyon shouting "Leave him alone he's not worth it!"

All joking aside it's a pretty sad state of affairs and only going to contribute to an already frosty relationship between the two clubs and add further spice to what already promises to be a titanic encounter when the sides meet again in the Premiership in mid December.

So how did things get to this latest war of words? It does seem to me that Arsene has been very vocal about Chelsea over the last year or so with opinion as to how the club is run to the teams form and whether the Chelsea owner is good for the game. In response Jose has not exactly been short of an opinion or two hmself.

The only problem is it's not as if Arsene is sitting down at press conferences and ripping into Chelsea. No it's more a case of the press have deliberately been asking leading questions knowing full well that Arsene will be only too obliging in giving his opinion. After all, what makes a better story? Arsene talking about the current injury crisis or venturing his opinion that Chelsea are now looking vulnerable? And if his opinion provokes a response from Jose, well then they have hit pay dirt.

The press remind me of the kids in school who ferment trouble between two boys that eventually end up duking it out in the playground at break. I can just see it:

"Jose, did ja 'ear wot Arsene just said about your team, man? He said day was rubbish like. Nah man dat's well bad. Are you gonna take that? You can't let 'im say dat about your team. You should tell 'im back man, or bus' 'im up!"

After all who is getting anything out of this unseemly spat other than the press, who will waste rain forests in column inches on this pointless tripe? Possibly only lawyers (if eventually involved) and Sky who can build up the December game as a needle match.

With a plot worthy of Easterners that will no doubt run and run, who says the Premiership is boring this season?


Blindjak.