I disagree with Wenger. If the testing was more acurate in it's results, I would be more in favor. But we're still talking 1 in 9 or 1 in 10 being a false posative alone. And that's NOT due to things like eating poppy seeds; the tests just have that level of inaccuracy. So even when you do get a posative you still need retesting to help reduce the probability. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=280684&cc=5901
Sorry, I disagree. While the testing needs to be as fair as technology and nature allow, an increase in it's frequency and focusing on 1st team players, WILL reduce the presence of drugs in the game. Just as Rio being dealt with so harshly, fair or not, will have a positive effect. Every player will think twice before taking even an over the counter cold medicine, never mind the truly illegal stuff due to fears of failing the test. No player will overlook the consequences of being found to have tested postive, and everyone of them will attend their test.
I agree, it cannot hurt to do drug testing more frequently, and to more 1st team players. It will no doubt have a positive effect. but.. that's alright in theory, but really, I think quite a few players would overlook the consequences. because that's what drug taking can do to you. You think you need to take these drugs, and that out-weighs the consequences of being caught in their minds. cracking down on drug testing may bring a few skeletons out of some closets, but it's definetly a good thing to keep the game 'clean'.
Any law that punishes the innocent is a bad law and, as testing stands at the moment, a player can have his reputation ruined and a 2 year ban for taking a cough remedy. The whole idea is to punish those players who take performance enhancing drugs or illegal "receational" stuff, so the onus is on the authorities to improve the testing before becoming more draconian in applying the drug law. No one wants drugs in soccer but nor do we want players being given lengthy bans for doing nothing more than taking something we wouldn't hesitate to take in similar cirumstances. Until we can distinguish between the two then we need to be more careful about the application of the law and the penalties handed out. Increasing testing is fine as long as it goes along with increased efforts to improve the accuracy of the testing to avoid punishing the innocent.
Sports need to be more clear on what is banned and what is not. However, Wenger is ABSOLUTELY correct in that there need to be more tests, both in competition and out of competition. Taking and testing two samples independently can minimize the risk of error and NOTHING SHOULD BE MADE PUBLIC until the player has been declared guilty of cheating. (I was trying to think of a better way to word my thoughts but I couldn't - please forgive any inclarity).