Festive fixtures so Pard on stars
UNFAIR: Alan Pardew ALAN PARDEW has branded the festive fixture pile-up ‘unfair’ and a genuine threat to players’ fitness.
The West Brom boss takes on Arsenal at The Hawthorns this afternoon searching for his first win in seven attempts since replacing sacked Tony Pulis in November.
But while his strugglers have enjoyed 48 hours more than the Gunners to prepare for that clash, it will be the reverse when the Baggies travel to West Ham on Tuesday.
The Hammers have no match today after their trip to Tottenham was postponed until next Thursday because of public transport issues.
That means David Moyes’ men will have had a week to recover from their 3-3 Boxing Day thriller at Bournemouth – compared with Albion’s two days.
Pardew is fuming at the huge advantage that gives the Irons for such a crunch showdown in the battle to beat the drop.
And the former Crystal Palace and Newcastle boss also warned that players are more likely to break down under the heavy holiday workload.
Pardew said: “It’s nice for us against Arsenal – but not so nice when we play West Ham.
“Although it goes in our favour this time, Arsenal will have an extra 24 hours for their next game than we do for West Ham.
“That really is tough. A two-day turnaround for a Premier League game is just not fair.
“I find that very difficult to accept – for the protection of the players.”
The Premier League says putting West Ham’s Wembley date with Spurs back four days follows protocol for live TV games.
But Pardew added: “I just don’t understand it. I think their response has been… London, train drivers, transport issues!”
Meanwhile, his once troubled relationship with Arsene Wenger, including a shoving match in the Upton Park dugout a few years ago, is healed.
He has nothing but praise for the Frenchman, who today eclipses Sir Alex Ferguson’s record of 810 games as a Premier League manager.
“I don’t think there are any words to give justice to what Arsene has achieved,” he said.
“I will say ‘well done’ before the game and, hopefully, ‘unlucky’ at the end.”
ARSENAL boss Arsene Wenger never gave up on Jack Wilshere – and he hopes England will not either.
Wilshere turned in a five-star showing against Crystal Palace on Thursday night, offering a glimpse of the dominating displays that were a regular feature before injuries blighted his career.
Now he is gegtting back to for after breaking a leg while on loan to Bournemouth last season and his recovery is still not over.
But Wenger remains a huge fan of the Gunners’ midfield maestro and his mood lifted when Wilshere’s performance was mentioned.
“When Jack plays like that, with five men at the back, he gives us much more balance in midfield,” said the manager.
“I like to have more offensive players in midfield. That system suits him well.
“The more he plays like that it is harder to ignore him. I don’t think England manager Gareth Southgate can ignore him – not when he gives performances like that.
“Where he has improved is tactically and defensively. When he does that his defensive game becomes even better.
“Jack has a great quality, when he wins the ball he gets you out of pressure because he has that little burst and then suddenly he can open the game up for you.
“I believe his positional play is good. You watch football, you see that straight away – he is in the right place.
“Football is first where to be on the pitch. After, where to run. But at the start you first have to stand in the right place and he does that.”
Wenger has praised Wilshere’s mental determination to come back from his injury setbacks.
He added: “I am surprised he has recovered so quickly from his broken leg. Give him credit for what he’s gone through.
“His performance against Palace deserves credit because it demands some character. I have a big respect for that because it is all nicey-nicey when you are super talented and everybody says you are the greatest player at 17. But to come back to that level when you have gone through what he has gone through shows a special character.
“I never feared for his career. Never. Because in my job what is a very important quality is always to continue to believe in human beings. “I believe everybody is alive to fight, so I never gave up on him.”
Alexis Sanchez netted twice in the thrilling win over the Eagles.
And while Wenger was delighted with the Chilean’s eye for goal, he was less impressed to be quizzed again on the striker’s future. The manager said: “I am not a psychologist to know what is in his head, if he is here short-term or long-term.
“You turn up to play football, that’s it. After you judge, did he play well or not well?” Sanchez, Wilshere and Mesut Ozil can sign for foreign clubs in the January transfer window as they do not have new deals in place at The Emirates.
But Wenger insists he is concentrating on matters he can control, such as setting to rights last season’s 3-1 defeat at The Hawthorns.
He said: “They are free to go where they want from Sunday for foreign clubs, but that’s not my problem. My problem is to win the game against West Brom.” Wenger, 68, equalled Sir Alex Ferguson’s 810-game record as a Premier League manager with the win over Palace.
Afterwards he said: “I am lucky to be at a club who have trusted me for such a long time. “Overall I must say I have worked very hard and I worked every day of my life. “Maybe people underestimate a little bit the work that is behind that.
“I set myself standards. There is no harsher judge of myself. I believe that if I look back in my career, I worked hard. “Now it’s West Brom, which was a bad experience for me last season.
“We had a poor performance here last year”
West Brom v Arsenal, Today, kick-off 4.30pm, Sky Sports Premier League