His biggest complaint? That Arsenal will be playing "Catch up" for a lengthy part of the season due to their Champions League Qualifier on Wednesday night.

Am I missing something? Are they the only ones? Surely it is self-inflicted congestion?

The match Arsenal have had to reschedule is none other than that against Newcastle United FC. Therefore there are at least TWO teams playing catch up at this vital time of the season, lets face it people are more concerned about how they start the season and how they end it than what happens in the middle. Newcastle aren't known for starting well, but when we finally do and our next game is rearranged To Be Confirmed it leaves us trailing too.

Had Arsenal performed well enough last season then there would be no need for qualifying matches which result in fixture congestion.

So now instead of a short trip up north, they now face a slightly longer journey to the Czech Republic where they face Sparta Prague.

Wenger said:

"After three games you can be in the middle of the table if you don't win the first or second and that is, psychologically, a big disadvantage.

It is unfair to do that because it does not exist anywhere else in the world."

Too right Mr. Wenger we also know that feeling. As a result Newcastle are unable to fight for their place at the top of the table - given no opportunity to maintain it for a full week.

I may be picking holes in his argument but Arsene also acknowledges that Liverpool are also at a disadvantage but fails to mention the team they too are forcing to slip behind in the league.

"There is a problem in the first week for the two teams that have a disadvantage when they play a Champions League qualifier,"

West Ham are also in our boat - New signings, ambition, unfortunately for them 3 points adrift but non the less little opportunity to make them up - something I'm sure good Old' Harry Redknapp will not be very impressed with.

Jokes aside it is an unsatisfactory situation forced upon premier league teams by UEFA and is something which should be looked into. There is no reason as stated by Wenger in his interview, why the midweek match's could not be played last week prior to the season starting.

But if that were the case would the Arsenal team not have been too tired to play at the weekend and requested their match to be postponed to a later date?

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

Related Articles:

• Upside Down Table

SPORTNETWORK SPECIALS

Newcastle United Poll