Taylor and Eidevall Continue Feud Following Manchester City’s Defeat At Arsenal

The feud between Manchester City’s Gareth Taylor and Arsenal’s Jonas Eidevall shows no signs of slowing down after the Gunners boss defended his actions on Sunday and accused Taylor of ‘borderline slander.’

The City Women’s manager accused Eidevall of bullying fourth official Melissa Burgin during Sunday’s match between the two at Meadow Park, with Taylor saying he was protecting the official from Eidevall’s behaviour.

The pair exchanged a few heated discussions on the sidelines as Arsenal beat the blues 2-1, with Taylor stating in his post-match conference that it is “always the same with him because he is constantly at the fourth official and I think it is bullying.”

Eidevall said he was ‘disappointed’ by Taylor’s comments, and the City boss defended his words, stating that he stood by everything that he had said. Eidevall has now responded, claiming the comments are potentially slanderous. “I was really disappointed with the comments. There is no truth in them. The wording that Gareth used afterwards is borderline slander. Either he is not very good with the truth or he is not very good with the language. Either way, I don’t think it’s acceptable,” said Eidevall today. Ouch! Get some ointment for that burn.

“I’ve not spoken to Gareth. I don’t think his comments are acceptable and I would expect him to reach out with an apology, but I’m not sure if that’s going to happen.”

While it’s not exactly clear what Taylor classed as bullying, the City boss seems to think he has seen this sort of behaviour with Eidevall previously. “If it’s a one-off, it’s fine. But if it’s constant, constant all the time, then I think that’s where it becomes a problem,” said Taylor.

However, Eidevall looks to have added another sting to the tale, launching his own dig at Taylor’s inexperience as a manager. the Swede says he is passionate about football and sometimes he may lose his temper. However, this opened the door to take a swipe at the City boss

“I think any football manager in the job for 20 years like I have been, have all been in that position [of being passionate]. I think the person who hasn’t been there is not telling the truth,” Eidevall said, referring to Taylor’s limited managerial experience. “I do really think it is unacceptable to say things about a fellow colleague that is not true.

“Anyone who was at the game and could see my behaviour can also see there is not a single percentage of truth in that. I think that is quite sad, to be honest. That’s why I think it is unacceptable.”

It’s looking very much like handbags at dawn between the two managers and we eagerly await the next instalment. Will Taylor respond with an equally damaging burn (unlikely)? Will Taylor apologise for his comments (Even more unlikely)? What are the chances of the two being paired in a cup competition at the first available opportunity (very likely)?