LONDON -- Pressure in football takes a toll on managers in different ways. Yogi Berra Jersey . For Arsene Wenger, its meant less time for the prayers that were such a big part of his childhood. The Arsenal manager is currently trying to end a trophy drought stretching back to 2005 that has sorely tested the patience of the clubs fans. Although the task has not shaken his religious beliefs, its not been without its consequences either. "I prayed a lot when I was a kid because I was educated in a Catholic area," Wenger said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Religion was very strong to us, to ask the priest if I can play on Sunday afternoon ... now I am a bit less (religious) because when you are under pressure you only think of our game. How can I win the next game? And you try to be a bit more pragmatic." The religious upbringing in eastern France, has left Wenger with a principled outlook that he has tried to uphold in his football career. "Belief is important, and I am forever grateful for the values my religion has given," he said. "And basically if you analyze it, all the religions spread good values and positive values, and that is important that you find that in our sport." The 63-year-old Frenchman was speaking on a visit to Londons Jewish Museum surrounded by an exhibition exploring the role of British Jews in football: Football, fans and faith. Wenger talks fondly about how "in every religious community sport is an occasion for people to get together and of course defend the values." For some in football, in an era of rapidly expanding pay packets for players and ticket prices for fans, the sport can seem to have lost its soul. Wenger is not so disconsolate. "Sometimes you see that professional football has moved a little bit away from very, very important values that have existed at the start of the game," he said. "The values that are important in the game today are the same (as always)," Wenger said. "It is a respect for others. It is learning to lose. It is learning to cope with pressure. It is learning to cope with a team sport. So that is exactly the same. Of course the environment is completely different. Why? Because of professionalism and the money." With an economics degree and as a long-time advocate of greater financial responsibility in football, Wenger has tried to adopt what he calls a "socialist model" for Arsenals wage bill. That becomes harder when the need the deliver success saw Wenger break Arsenals transfer record last month to sign Mesut Ozil for 50 million euros ($66 million). Retaining the best talent in the squad also requires salaries to rise in turn. "I always say to the players, Forget the money," Wenger said. "What is important is how well you play together, what you share together is much more important. The money is only a consequence of your experience. The real experience is the game. "And I see that with many players who have stopped their careers. Its not the money they miss -- because they have money. Its that kind of experience. To share the values of our sport, to share the values of being together. And achieving something together." Wenger built his reputation in England on unearthing talented foreign prospects and turning them into Premier League stars. Not everyone was impressed. Selecting an entire match-day squad without an Englishman for the first time in Arsenals history in 2005 helped stir a debate over foreign players that continues to this day. Only this week one of Wengers leading players, Jack Wilshere, expressed unease at calls for young foreign-born players to be naturalized and become eligible to play for England. For Wenger, its a complex issue in a world where national identity has become increasingly blurred. "We live in a global world," Wenger pointed out. "I have players who have three different nationalities. And at the end of the day I ask them, Where do you really feel you belong? And that is for me where you are from." "I have boys who have come from Africa. Many immigrants now come to Europe, they stay four or five years in one country, then they move to another country and they have three different passports," he said. "At the end of the day, I believe you are from the country where you feel the most comfortable with the culture of the country." Wenger never reached a high enough standard as a player to be called up by his country. Success has instead come from the dugout, although his teams last trophy was the 2005 FA Cup -- and it hasnt won the Premier League since 2004. This season started with jeers at the Emirates Stadium when Aston Villa inflicted a defeat that prompted questions about how long Wenger would remain in a job he has held since 1996. However, since that opening day setback, Arsenal has reeled off 10 successive victories in all competitions before drawing a West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. His side entered this two-week international break at the top of the Premier League. There is no gloating, though, at proving wrong the fans who seemed to lose faith in him. "Its not a personal battle," he said. "My desire is I love to win. I love to do well. I just feel I am happy if I can give some pleasure and happiness to people who love Arsenal. That is my main target. When I dont achieve that I am very disappointed." Plucked from the relative obscurity of Grampus Eight in Nagoya, Japan, Wenger has delivered three Premier League titles and four FA Cups over his 17-year reign. As for the future, its one he clearly envisages in his adopted homeland. "I can see the rest of my life in England, why not?" Wenger said as the interview drew to a close. "I feel comfortable in this country because we share a common passion for football and as well I am very thankful for this country for having accepted me and giving me a chance," he added. "I am happy on the football pitch." And he shows no desire yet to leave it. New York Yankees Jersey . The 33-year-old right-hander was 14-7 with a career-low 3.64 ERA in 28 starts for his hometown San Diego Padres last season. He joins a rotation that includes NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly and fellow newcomer Chris Capuano, who signed a $10-million, two-year deal last week. Kevin Long Authentic Jersey . Almost 18 months after Armstrongs seven Tour wins were wiped from the record, an independent panel created by the new International Cycling Union leadership has begun work to discover the extent of the sports past problems. NEW YORK -- A small but spirited cheer broke out in a corner of Barclays Center, a contrast to the boos that rained down for much of the second half. Timofey Mozgov had just grabbed his career-high 20th rebound late in Denvers 111-87 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night, and the players on the Nuggets bench were thrilled. "Its just a great deal for us and for him. He works extremely hard and he did a hell of a job going against their bigs," Nuggets guard Nate Robinson said. Mozgov, Robinson and the rest of the subs are providing plenty for the Nuggets to celebrate lately. Mozgov also scored 17 points in another superb effort by the Denver bench, and the Nuggets raced to their seventh straight victory. Kenneth Faried and Jordan Hamilton each added 15 points for the Nuggets, who got 57 points from the NBAs second-highest scoring second unit. That wasnt quite the 72 they rang up against Toronto on Sunday, but it was more than enough to dominate the third quarter against the short-handed Nets. Denver outscored Brooklyn 31-15 in the period that has given the Nets season-long problems, putting it away with a 15-0 run midway through the quarter. "We just kept attacking. Thats what were going to do all season. Were going to keep attacking teams," said Robinson, who had to shoot two free throws lefty after a hard landing on his right wrist. "Were never going to stop playing hard. Were going to play as hard as we can for as long as we can, no matter the results." Joe Johnson scored 22 points for the Nets, who still havent won consecutive games this season and fell to 5-13 heading into their nationally televised first meeting Thursday with the just-a-little-worse Knicks (3-13). Andray Blatche added 15 for the Nets, playing without injured starters Paul Pierce and Deron Williams. "Cant hang our heads and feel sorry for ourselves because no one in the league is going to feel sorry for us," Brooklyns Kevin Garnett said. "But need to figure this out soon. I dont think anyone around here is having fun and losing is definitely not fun." The Nets shook up their coaching staff before the game, with Jason Kidd reassigning Lawrence Frank to a non-bench role in which he will write daily reports but wont be at games or practices. Kidd said he and his former coach whhen he played for the Nets had "different philosophies. Dellin Betances Jersey. " Kidd hired Frank not long after beating out Brian Shaw for the job in June. Shaw, a longtime successful NBA assistant, interviewed just after Kidd and thought he had a good chance at the Nets job. Instead, he replaced George Karl in Denver and has found much smoother sailing. The Nets trailed by just five after Alan Andersons layup with 7:35 left in the third quarter before Denver ran off 15 straight, including consecutive dunks by Faried and Wilson Chandler, and later back-to-back jumpers by Darrell Arthur to make it 80-60. The Nets were a dismal 4 for 15 and outrebounded 15-7 in the quarter, which ended with some of the loudest boos of the season at Barclays Center. "Guys are starting to look like they had been in games that we had let go of the rope," Kidd said. "So thats something that weve got to address and get better at." The Nuggets reserves average 45.2 points, trailing only the Los Angeles Lakers, who won here last week. Shaw went early to the 7-foot-1 Mozgov during Brook Lopezs 10-point first quarter, and the Nets All-Star centre had only two more the rest of the game. "All we do, we just try to bring energy in the game and play hard. The harder you play, the more you stay on the court," Mozgov said. "I want to stay on the court 49 minutes, but I know thats not possible. But I want to stay on the court as much as possible, so Im going to just push hard. Thats it." Coming home did little to help Brooklyn, which is actually on its first homestand of the season. The Nets havent played consecutive games at Barclays Center, and Thursdays game will make them the last NBA team to have played two in a row in their own building. The Nets shot 55 per cent in the first quarter in opening a 29-27 lead. The Nuggets sprinted by them, scoring 31 points in the second to bring a 58-50 advantage to the locker room. NOTES: The Nets started a stretch of 9 of 12 games at home. ... The Nuggets made seven 3-pointers, ending their franchise-record streak with eight or more at eight games. ... Nets reserve Andrei Kirilenko, who has been limited to just four games because of back spasms, said before the game he has no timetable for his return after a couple of previous setbacks when he thought he was close. wholesale nfl jerseyscheap jerseys from china ' ' '
