Sam Allardyce has launched an astonishing attack on Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger by declaring that he enjoys beating Arsenal more than any other Premier League side.
Allardyce, while never directly challenging Wenger or Arsenal regularly for honours with Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United, has something of a rivalry with his French counterpart.
The new Sunderland manager is already looking forward to getting his teeth into Wenger’s team when the Black Cats travel to London on December 5.
“I enjoyed beating Arsenal more than anyone when I was in charge at Bolton. We’d really got to them and Arsene Wenger hated us,” Allardyce said in The Sun.
“There was one time he wouldn’t shake hands with me at Highbury because we got a draw. I saw him ripping his tie off and throwing it on the floor in anger.”
“He takes it all very personally and has an air of arrogance. He’s not one for inviting you into his office for a drink after the game.”
“The more I wound him up, the more I liked it. He tried to influence refs through the media and create a perception that we were bullies committing all the fouls, while his team just wanted to play.”
“It was a skill finding their weaknesses and how to exploit them. But when we succeeded the press were usually on about Arsenal having an off-day and the ref being soft.”
Sunderland and Arsenal have been polar opposites this season, with the Wearsiders struggling to do anything impressive under Dick Advocaat, resulting in his resignation that paved the way for Allardyce.
In an unforgiving place like the North-East, the former Bolton manager knows that should he not begin to pick up results quickly he will be under pressure like Advocaat.
It almost makes Allardyce a tempting proposition for betting punters, will he last the whole season? Could he be gone as quick as he came?
The betting shops would have you say no, with many of them placing him at 25/1 in the list of those likely to be sacked in the Premier League, but betting online is easier and if you’re watching the market closely, and as results happen, then Allardyce to leave before the end of the season could pay dividends.
Indeed, it would make him look foolish giving those recent comments that find him slating Wenger, a manager who has won almost everything in the game as a manager.
It’s sure to be a tasty affair at the Emirates Stadium on December 5, but in this crazy football world will Allardyce even be manager for such a game? Stranger things have happened.