Sporting Sam's Sporting Post Match Interview

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By Gary Walker
March 30 2005

Big Sam demonstrated today what a good loser he is in an interview with Arsenal Times Plus.For only £55 a lunar year you can hear the interview for yourself. But for those who cannot afford our premium service here are a few extracts. Or you could go to the BBC website and hear it for yourself.

On That Arsenal goal

Only 3 minutes before it was scored Bergkamp had tangled with a Bolton player who was trying to foul him. It was clearly a Bolton free kick, by not giving it play continued for another 2 minutes with Arsenal then scoring. If the free kick had been given the outcome might have been so different.

On that sending off

Lehmann tried to intimidate Diouf, I don’t know what Lehmann said to him, but I am sure it can be made out to be something really dreadful. Anyway thousand saw Jens give Diouf a friendly tap on the shoulder. Everyone knows that’s German code for I am going to invade the Sudetenland. Under such provocation Diouf gave him a friendly punch in the eye. Lehmann made a meal of it – it’s a bloody disgrace.

Bolton were the better team

Arsenal were demoralised by beating Bayern 1-0 midweek, and were physically exhausted – we were not. The fact we held them to 1-0, with ten men, proves we are the best. They tried to pass the ball around on the floor, whereas Bolton lobbed the ball up in the air at every opportunity. That’s how the game should be played, call themselves champions? They only had 62% of possession, and the majority of shots.

Those penalties that were not given

Well some referees give them and some don’t. We are a plucky little northern club so we don’t get them.

On accusations that Bolton were a bit physical.

We play within the laws of the game; yes we are tough, but nothing that’s not part of the game. I mean teams like Arsenal cannot expect to play their football with out someone getting in their face, ruffling a few feathers, getting in amongst them, and getting their foot in. They can’t expect us to stand by and watch them weave rings around us. Usually our tactics beat the southern softies, I don’t understand what went wrong, and I am very disappointed

Good Luck to Arsenal in the Semi

Finally Sam was asked if he wanted to wish Arsenal luck in the next round. "Are you taking the pi$$? Feck off you southern softie."