Laura Woods rings talkSPORT to blast ‘mental’ ex-PL boss over ‘disrespectful’ comments | OneFootball

We’re so here for Laura Woods ringing into a live talkSPORT show to have a pop at Alan Pardew over the “‘most disrespectful thing I’ve ever heard” but can’t help but feel she doth protest too much with regard to how much she cares about what people think about Arsenal.

Bukayo Saka’s early deflected goal was enough to see Arsenal claim all three points at the Amex and stretch their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points after Manchester City drew with Nottingham Forest at the Etihad.

It was a “tortuous” affair and an exhibition which Hurzeler took great issue with after the game as the Brighton boss hit out at the Gunners’ time-wasting and insisted “I will never be that kind of manager who tries to win in that way”.

Former Newcastle manager Alan Pardew was similarly disparaging on talkSPORT, incredibly claiming their title win would be adorned by an “asterisk” owing to their disregard for beauty in football and focus on “gamesmanship”.

He said: “When I’m looking at them with my football manager’s head on, they’re so professional. They do every bit of gamesmanship to get it over the line,” he said.

“There’ll be an asterisk next to their name because you’ve only got to look at them… and say, it’s just a functional display. They’re good, they’re strong, they’re powerful. But there is nothing beautiful about them. That’s the truth.”

Woods couldn’t believe what she was hearing and called in to Jamie O’Hara and Jason Cundy’s show after completing her TNT Sports duties to hit out at Pardew’s “mental” take, insisting – perhaps too vehemently – that “I don’t care” what he or anyone else thinks about how Arsenal will win the Premier League title if they make it over the line.

“Honestly – Alan, I love you, but that is the most disrespectful thing I’ve ever heard,” she said.

“How can you say that? What, because we like to take free-kicks, set pieces and corners? I don’t understand the thought process.”

Woods continued: “That is mental… if Arsenal win the league, none of us fans, I don’t care if it’s boring I don’t care if you lot don’t enjoy watching us, why would we care if we’re entertaining or not?

“I love it, I put my feet up and say whatever happens tonight, I’ll be in a much better mood than Jamie O’Hara, whatever happens.

“When we were playing entertaining football, everyone was saying: ‘They’re playing lovely football but can’t win a game’.

“And now we’re winning games in different fashions, different ways, the games evolving and you lot are bored.”