Wenger rues power of TV over fixtures

[KSE Comedy Club]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16550777.stm

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has claimed football has "sold its soul" to television companies.
He accepted the importance of the money TV rights brought, but said Premier League bosses must intervene to ensure fixture scheduling was fair to clubs.
The Frenchman said: "The Premier League has to make sure that there is a bit more fairness in the schedules."
All five of Arsenal's games during January have been moved for the television cameras.
"I don't believe the Premier League has played, in the last month or the last year, a very fair role in the distribution of the fixtures," Wenger said.

Live domestic rights to top-flight English games for 2010-13 raised a total of £1.782bn and Wenger accepts that alterations to schedules to suit television are now part of the game.
However, he believes the sport's governing body must do more to limit the influence television companies have.
"We have sold our soul and we do not control our fixtures any more," said Wenger.
"It is the truth and I cannot say the television is wrong, but it is not normal that you can have a direct influence on the schedule through the television."
Arsenal's two most recent fixtures - the Premier League defeat at Fulham and the victory against Leeds in the FA Cup - were switched to Monday evenings while forthcoming matches against Swansea and Manchester United will each be played on a Sunday.
And the Gunners' fourth-round FA Cup game with Aston Villa has been moved from Saturday 28 January to Sunday 29 January because ESPN want to show the game.
As a result, their Premier League fixture with Bolton the following Tuesday, which had been in the schedule since June, was moved to Wednesday.
Arsenal's January fixtures

Continue reading the main story

• 2 Jan - League - Fulham (A) 1-2
• 9 Jan - FA Cup - Leeds (H) 1-0
• 15 Jan - League - Swansea (A)
• 22 Jan - League - Man Utd (H)
• 29 Jan - FA Cup - Aston Villa (H)

Wenger added that the viewing schedules, which now run from Friday night to Monday evening, can have a direct influence on games, with some clubs advantaged at the expense of others.
"Television is influenced by some clubs to choose the fixtures. Some clubs get advantaged by television," added Wenger.
"Is it Sky or is it ESPN? They have an influence there from the clubs directly and the Premier League should be a much bigger barrier than they are in front of that.
"I do not want to go personal on any club. I just think, when things are repeated, they are not a coincidence any more.
"In England, it is always very difficult to say what you feel about that but, I am not the only manager who thinks that and I think there is a real problem."
Wenger's remarks echo to an extent those of Manchester United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson, who complained in September that TV had too much control over the game.
But he conceded: "When you shake hands with the devil you have to pay the price."
The Premier League declined to comment.

He's right of course, but I cant help but feel that he is getting the excuses in early for the lack of transfer activity.

If we had a couple of quality players we could put on to change a game then these fixture changes wouldnt have such an impact.

[Marc Overmars]

They can do whatever they want, the money from TV has escalated the game to a new level and allows him to receive his 5m a year. So it's a small price to pay really.

[dazthegooner]

Yep I don't think the board will be complaining about too much exposure for us in Tv means more money in the coffers.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16550777.stm



He's right of course, but I cant help but feel that he is getting the excuses in early for the lack of transfer activity.

If we had a couple of quality players we could put on to change a game then these fixture changes wouldnt have such an impact.

wtf you on about every other manager said the same thing on sky sports yesterday.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Didn't we 'sell our soul' by moving to a new stadium? Although Wenger might have meant 'we' as in Arsenal I suppose. Anyway, there wouldn't be an issue with fixtures if England only had two domestic trophies like other leagues.

[KSE Comedy Club]

wtf you on about every other manager said the same thing on sky sports yesterday.

I think you should re-read the whole of that sentence

[Özim]

Wenger's whole job is about money I don't see why he's complaining about something that's allowing him to achieve his objective (profit), besides don't see why he's that bothered when he's happy to settle for 4th every year...a few fixtures jigged around won't change that.

The problem for us has always been injuries and when it comes to crunch time not having the bottle, if he signed the right players maybe that wouldn't be an issue...I really don't think the fixture list affects our chances in any way, it's the way he chooses to do things.

[Özim]

He's right of course, but I cant help but feel that he is getting the excuses in early for the lack of transfer activity.

If we had a couple of quality players we could put on to change a game then these fixture changes wouldnt have such an impact.

Yeah but as always seems to be the case with him these days he looks for the cheap options, it's price first for him, quality is secondary.

He's not willing to take a risk by signing a few top quality players who can make the difference, if it didn't work we may not make a profit and he won't be able to harp on about making money for the club anymore.

He always takes the safe option, that's fine but if you take a risk the rewards are much greater if you succeed.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

I think you should re-read the whole of that sentence

i commented on what i needed to. You posted this thread like he was the only manager to say this thats what i was getting at.

[KSE Comedy Club]

Yep, thats exactly how I feel in that respect Zimm.

I do agree with him and every other manager that TV has too much influence over fixture scheduling.

However, Arsene always moans about fixtures every year, when the results dont go our way. But its not the fixtures that are the problem, its the lack of game changing, quality players that we should have in our team.