Wenger: Ospina criticism just ‘sensationalism’

Mark Holmes
David Ospina: Dropped corner into own net in Arsenal's defeat

David Ospina: Dropped corner into own net in Arsenal's defeat

Arsene Wenger has described criticism of David Ospina in the wake of Arsenal’s Champions League defeat to Olympiacos as ‘sensationalism, not analysis’.

Wenger was criticised for leaving Petr Cech on the bench in midweek after Ospina’s handling error led to a goal, but the Frenchman believes it is unfair on the Colombian.

“What is boring is everybody says absolutely the same, that is for me boring. If it is the truth, you accept it. If it is not true, it is just cheap. That is boring,” Wenger said.

“To kill a player like Ospina, he has been voted the best goalkeeper of the Copa America, he is on the Ballon D’Or list, he was by far the best goalkeeper of the Premier League in the second part of the season last year; I find that just sensationalism, it is not analysis of football.

“If it is combined with real analysis of numbers that justify that, I will say ‘okay, they are right’, but it is just because one guy on the television says something, everybody says exactly the same.

“I don’t agree with that, it makes me angry because I think it is unfair to the player. This is a top, top quality player.

“Yes he made a big mistake, but that can happen to any player. It happened to Petr Cech, don’t worry.”

Arsenal’s next European fixtures are a daunting double header against Group F leaders Bayern Munich, but Wenger insists all is not lost.

“We are still in the Champions League, we are not out of the Champions League. Everybody writes us out, but we are not out,” he said.

Meanwhile, Wenger is confident Arsenal can produce the required response against Manchester United on Sunday to lay down a marker for their own Premier League title challenge.

“We have a big game at home and the advantage is to win the big game at home,” he said.

“It is the first maybe massive game for the top of the table.

“Without the home form, you don’t win the championship, that is for sure.”

Earlier this week was the 19-year anniversary of Wenger’s appointment at Highbury and he is now the longest-serving manager in the English game.

However, just how to follow the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson – who famously made a U-turn some 12 months on from his initial retirement announcement in May 2001 – is not on Wenger’s immediate agenda.

“I haven’t decided yet, I think it can be more instinctive and impulsive than that,” said the Arsenal boss, whose contract runs until the summer of 2017.

“I am always scared – I have heard that so many times, ‘next year I will retire’ and then they continue or go somewhere else.

“I think one thing is for sure that, when I retire, I will really retire.”