Tue 28 Feb 06
Hate the Gaffer, Not The Game
This is what Arsenal has been reduced to under Arsene Wenger:
JOSE REYES admits he is struggling to learn English — because it is hardly spoken at Arsenal. The Gunners star insists English is drowned out in the Highbury dressing room by French and Spanish.
Boss Arsene Wenger has not fielded an Englishman since Sol Campbell sulked off at half-time against West Ham on February 1 — 5½ games ago!
Reyes said: “We’ve got six or seven players who speak Spanish and even more that speak French — there’s very little English.
“It’s difficult for me to learn English because in the dressing room we speak more French and Spanish than English.
“But my girlfriend has had no problem speaking English. But I guess that is because she is more intelligent than me.”
The Gunners do not have a player in the current England squad while arch-rivals Spurs have five.
Campbell and the injured Ashley Cole represent the English minority in the first team. But Reyes, 22, who wanted to return to Spain last year because of homesickness, says he now feels more at home with fellow Spaniards Manuel Almunia and Cesc Fabregas.
He added: “I’m a lot more happy at Arsenal now and I’m getting more used to life in England and the weather, which is the worst thing.”
Arsenal’s starting line-up in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Blackburn was: Lehmann (Ger), Eboue (Iv Coast), Toure (Iv Coast), Senderos (Switz), Flamini (Fra), Fabregas (Spain), Diaby (Fra), Silva (Braz), Reyes (Spain), Henry (Fra), Adebayor (Togo).
H/T to Neal Elliott
Paul Canniff
