Perhaps it is a natural human instinct to be impressed by those who we cannot be, and that may explain Bertie Ahern's support of Arsene Wenger.
Ahern is the very antithesis of Wenger: one is notable for his callow fleeing at the first sign of trouble, the other clings on to his job for all that is worth. One put a misguided faith in financial institutions, the other is suspicious about spending money at all. Wenger is féted for his idealism and principles, while Ahern...well, we'll let you finish that one.
The former Taoiseach has been rebuilding his public profile over the past year ago, and this morning appeared on ITV's Good Morning Britain with Piers Morgan. He spoke mostly about Brexit and its likely impact on Ireland, something he is well-qualified to talk about.
Toward the end of the interview, however, conversation meandered onto the topic of football. Possibly aware of Ahern's role as a Manchester United analyst on RTE in a former life, Morgan asked Ahern about how he is feeling ahead of the Europa League final on Wednesday.
Naturally, Morgan then had to ask Ahern's position on the existentialist question of the season: Wenger In or Wenger Out?
Ahern is pro-Wenger, as he explains at great length below. Morgan, the self-absorbed man that he is, assumed that he was saying only to piss him off.
BREAKING: Former Irish PM Bertie Ahern says he is Wenger IN. Given he's a @ManUtd fan, this should be treated with extreme suspicion. @GMB
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 22, 2017
