Arsene Wenger has hit out at the press after Michael Ballack criticised his response to Chelsea's 2-0 win over Arsenal.
In the aftermath of the game at Stamford Bridge, Wenger congratulated Chelsea on their efficiency, but said "we didn't get a demonstration of football".
Ballack responded by claiming Wenger "always says things like this when he loses to find an excuse" - and the Frenchman has now accused the media of misrepresenting the tone of his post-match press conference.
He said: "I was full of compliment and praise for Chelsea after the game.
"I find it completely unfair from the press that you take one word from my press conference to turn it.
"You did that at Villa, you did that at Chelsea. If you look at the intent of my press conference it was positive to the opponent.
"If you want, we can have a press conference and I can say nothing, don't worry.
"As for (Ballack's comments), I am long enough in England to know that the team who wins can say what they want. They are right.
"It is my job to take a distance from that and analyse the game in a calm way with a cool head and to analyse what is right."
Wenger added: "I have to live with all the conclusions that Chelsea are a much better side, but I believe what I believe."
Despite all of the criticism as his team continue their quest for a first trophy since the 2005 FA Cup, Wenger will remain steadfast to his beliefs.
The Gunners boss declared: "There is only one way to play football - that is to win games and be efficient. The best way to win the games is the way which is most adapted to the qualities of your players and the philosophy of your club. That is what we try to be faithful to.
"You have to accept that when you lose games, the way you play is always questioned - what becomes a fantastic quality when you win, becomes a fantastic mistake when you lose. It is like that.
"We still have to believe in the way we do things, in the way we play and to show that strength."
Your Comments
arsenalpope
"You can John Terry all you want mate, I'm sure he was there before Roman and his Billions... What players have you produced since you stared to be recognised as a top team?
I'm not talking about 25 - 30 million pound players in excess of £150 a 7 day week."
terryisgod
"arsenalpope, "Chelsea have not produced one grass route player for football, that whole team was bought by one mans personal fortune" Not quite, John Terry."
arsenalpope
"I cant believe Arsenal fans turning on Wenger, this sickens me!
Who else will you bring in hey?
All other managers will need Russian Billions to make a team!
Chelsea have not produced one grass route player for football, that whole team was bought by one mans personal fortune. That team costs over £300 million, they have to be good.
Its not done link that at Arsenal, its done with pure football in mind. Man City are up and flying, but thats from one mans personal fortune. Do you think any manager could have brought Chelsea or Man City up with no major Billionaire investment - NO!!!
Recognise what has been achieved at Arsenal. Yes they were far weaker than Chelsea, but we lost to the top two teams in the league.
Please recognise that if you took away any of the top teams main strikers they would suffer.
Man U have relied on Rooney for the whole season. If Drogba was injured for months, Chelsea would struggle to score with Anelka. So think about these things first before you and your newspapers talk crap.
No Matter where we come, we should be applauded..."
GGMU
"to chrisd_b, your sayin other teams wouldn't be the same without their top strikers? Let me remind you, everyone had said UTD were finished when Ronaldo left, last season everyone said UTD wouldn't have won anything if Ronalso wern't in the team. Now everyone is saying the same thing about Rooney. I think your forgetting about UTD's injury crisis this season. We were without a defence for a couple of months and our main goalkeeper has just started playing recently. If we didnt have the injury crisis we would have been way ahead of chelsea regardless of Rooney scoring 21 goals or not. Its funny how non-UTD fans always put the TEAMS success down to 1 player. We're not a 1 man team!"
welly77
"Hi New to this but here goes, I'm a Gunners fan & yes I love the way we play & the young exciting players we unearth BUT we really need to mix it up, we badly need some proven players that know how to win & who can pass that knowledge on to the younger players as we just don't seem to have the mentality to win the big games & be consistent even against some of the lower table sides.
When we play the beautiful game it truly is like Barca ESC but when you have a team like Man Utd who also can play that type of game but also GRIT it out when needed i.e as they have a plan B which is true we just don't seem to be able to come up with one.
Denilson has to be replaced because he just doesn't cut it I really don't see what Wenger does & I'm not listening to the stats watching him stroll in midfield is painful him & Lucas must be the worst Brazilian's out there.
Last thing is as a fan I need to know have we got money to spend the board say we do Wenger hints that we haven't which is it ? because serious revamping needs to done. "
ynnekrali
"Hipps22 ... Just a thought...how about all of us stop buying tabloid news papers and going on their web sites for the next month in protest. They will loose millions and maybe go away for a while. I am all for free press but intrusions of privacy and twisting the truth show us all in the uk in a very unaffectionate light indeed! Ban the press!!!!
Y"
rowdy28
"the other point i would like to make is it doesnt mean wenger has to spend 20 or 30 mill plus on players, i think he could get some bargain players that are just leaving their peak but that could offer young players abundance of experience and know how. but look at the chris smalling affair, we was in the front seat to sign him from fulham until man u offered a more lucrative deal. When he wants players he needs to act faster and not dilly dally with finances when other big clubs are going for his transfer targets. any target of arsenals is likely to be on the radar of big teams as we so often see. finally, wenger needs to change his approach on 30 year old plus players. what arsenal would do to still have viera, henry, pires and maybe even llunberg guiding the younger players and helping them intergrate into the first team without pressure. look at man u liverpool and chelsea. Like us, they have very good youth set ups, the difference being they have experienced players to help them get accustomed to the demands of first team premiership football. nani has gigs to look upto. skertl has carragher, daniel sturridge has drogba to guide him.....we need to adopt this policy and keep our experience to guide our youth, then the invincible form we showed will come back to us believe! in Arsene WE TRUST! but he has to budge a bit on these things....."
rowdy28
"okay, i am die hard through and through arsenal. im not religious, but Wenger and henry are held in the highest regards in my heart for what they have done for the club. But the fact is after our losses to man u and chelsea, Wenger took the option to chastise the opposition instead of looking at the lack of depth and quality of our own team which sends out the wrong message. We weren't good enough against chelsea and we certainty weren't good enough against man u, so why would wenger feel he has the right to claim chelsea played in an 'anti footballing' manner. my point is this. lets not be hasty and sack wenger, but wenger, in the modern game u cannot put out a top four premiership side that lacks physicality. i love the beautiful one touch style we play with, but the premiership is the most physical and brutal league in the world, so how is it that you can feel no need to replace the physically strong back bone the invincible team had in the form of sol Campbell, viera, adams, keown henry and the like?! also what is apparent is that the average age of the chelsea team was 29. ours was a mere 23.i am all for youth being given a chance to shine, it is this process of developing young players that has made cesc Fabregas the most coveted midfield play maker in the modern game, but what good is it if they have no experienced veterans to offer them much needed guidance? Fabregas is a great captain but is still developing as a player, is it helpful to burden him with so much pressure of being one of our most experienced players at 23/24?! its scary. We don't need any more creative and attacking minded players we need your ball winners...a makelele in the middle of the park...a terry at the back. We need strong players with experience to help nurture the brilliant youth prospects we have. they cant be expected to get it on their own!"
hips22
""It is my job to take a distance from that and analyse the game in a calm way with a cool head and to analyse what is right." If you're going to quote Mr.Wenger, he said "cold head". See he's right, you media types are at it again!"
rexsedgister
"on the contrary chrisd_b. Arsenal were, like the previous 3 seasons, tipped to win the league in many sections of the suddenly BIG BAD MEDIA as the squad was going to fulfil the long overdue potential.
What is now occuring is this very same media getting frustrated that this potential has again not been fulfilled."
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