Arsene Wenger risks Sir Alex Ferguson's ire

By Jeremy Wilson

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Arsene Wenger has risked angering his great rival, Sir Alex Ferguson, ahead of their FA Cup fifth-round showdown at Old Trafford by saying that Manchester United could be adversely affected by their recent trip to the Middle East.

Manchester United's big FA Cup showdowns with Arsenal

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United flew to Saudi Arabia last week and enjoyed a four-day sunshine break. They are understood to have received £1?million from the Saudi royal family for agreeing to face Al Hilal in a testimonial in honour of former Saudi international Sami Al Jaber.

	The history boys: Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson will go head-to-head in the fifth round of the FA Cup

They showed no sign of tiredness while defeating Tottenham 3-1 in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday but, with United and Arsenal also currently level on points at the top of the Premier League, Wenger said that the trip could still have had an impact.

"I've never done it and I'm not a big fanatic of that," he said. "It can have a long-term impact. In the short term, sometimes you can suffer in the next game because you travel, you come back, [you might need] time to adjust again and you switch off a bit when you go into a different country. The focus could go a little bit."

Wenger's comments could add extra spice in the run-up to his side's Cup clash with United who have won the trophy a record 11 times but lost on penalties to Arsenal in the 2005 final. Between them, Wenger and Ferguson have won nine the Cup nine times.

Wenger was boosted yesterday by the news that Tomas Rosicky, who suffered suspected cartilage damage against Newcastle on Saturday, will be out for "days rather than weeks". Robin van Persie will also return to training today and hopes to be available in time to face United.

"We have certainly, at the moment, the smallest squad [compared to Chelsea and United], that's why it's important that we don't have injuries," said Wenger. "At the moment we have two injured, three players at the African Nations Cup. If we lose players now and we get injuries in the African Nations Cup, I will have to do something."

In the other highlights of yesterday's Cup draw, League One side Huddersfield Town will travel to Stamford Bridge to face last year's winners Chelsea while Sheffield United manager Bryan Robson will take on his former club Middlesbrough.

"It's one the lads are entitled to think they are in with a chance of winning after beating two Premier League sides already," said Robson, who guided Middlesbrough to the 1997 FA Cup final.

Arsenal, meanwhile, face Newcastle tonight in a repeat of Saturday's FA Cup tie and, although Michael Owen was ineffective at the Emirates Stadium as his side lost 3-0, Wenger is still wary of his threat.

Owen has scored only two goals this season in 14 Premier League matches and there is a degree of conjecture whether his place in Fabio Capello's first England squad can be guaranteed.

In pics: FA Cup fourth-round action

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"You see that the quality is there but he is not completely 100 per cent," said Wenger. "That's normal though. He has been out for a long time, it takes you a few games to get back. You still feel that if you make a mistake, he will be there to take advantage of it because he is so intelligent in his runs.

"I was worried with him on Saturday because if nobody is at the near post, you know he will be there. I feel he still made some good runs, he was in two or three dangerous situations but, of course, the game sharpness will only come with repeated games." Fifth round draw

FA Cup fifth round draw in full:
(ties to be played on weekend of February 16/17)

Bristol Rovers	v	Southampton
Cardiff City	v	Wolves
Sheffield United	v	Middlesbrough
Liverpool	v	Barnsley
Manchester United	v	Arsenal
Preston North End	v	Portsmouth
Coventry City	v	West Brom
Chelsea	v	Huddersfield Town

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Related articles Arsenal Premier team page Man Utd Premier team page Previous FA Cup winners

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Luke Chadwick - Funny you should mention one team comprehensively outplaying another and then losing on penalties.
It wasn't the 2005 FA Cup Final you were referring to was it? Thought not.

Posted by xanadu on January 29, 2008 3:17 PM
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Must be a slow day there when a story like this makes it in. Talk about scrounging scraps!
Posted by Alsace on January 29, 2008 2:52 PM
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Forget the annual "handbags" between these two, there is a more important question which needs answering. If, as a club, "The Arsenal" are in such rude health as earlier outpourings from the Emirates would have us believe, why oh why has Arsene Wenger not sourced and purchased some back-up in defence, I don't think he is going to help his case should this season remain trophyless, by stating the bleeding obvious "we had a smaller squad than our rivals", the fans are aware of this, and will acknowledge the lack of activity in the window
Posted by s.g.mackenzie on January 29, 2008 1:34 PM
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David at 12.57pm falls into the age old trap of believing that United actually had much say in the 2000 trip to Brazil.
United were "asked" to go in much the same way as a young squaddie is "asked" to do things by his Sergeant Major in the Army. The FA saw United's visit as an integral part of England's bid to host the 2006 World Cup. The club didn't particularly want to go but felt that it had no choice. If England's bid failed (which it did anyway) then United would have got the blame.
Slag United off till the cows come home if it makes you feel better, but try and make it something that they deserve slagging off for.
Posted by xanadu on January 29, 2008 1:25 PM
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Not even a story. Suppose it's another chance for United fans to moan about being the most victimised team ever. Whatever is said beforehand doesn't matter as the inevitable will happen i.e. Arsenal will comprehensively outplay United but will end up losing to a(nother) Ronaldo penalty and maybe a(nother) late deflected Ronaldo goal.
Posted by Luke Chadwick on January 29, 2008 1:22 PM
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I doubt the authenticity of Wenger claiming that United's 2000 trip to Brazil gave them an advantage. I think 'Sean' made this up. Furthermore, United's 2000 trip, which also meant they withdrew from the FA cup was the most disgusting and disrespectful move by club management, in modern english football.

So news of them going to Saudi (a country with one of the worst records on human rights on earth) for a paltry million quid, is hardly surprising...
Posted by david on January 29, 2008 12:57 PM
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A typically myopic comment from xanadu. Arsenal are routinely offered money-making exhibition games in the pre-season period, but Wenger always declines taking part in them, believing that they are just examples of clubs prostituting themselves for financial gain. Certainly the spectacle of man utd going to Saudi Arabia confirms that under the Glaziers Man utd's first priority is to make money over any footballing consideration. It always strikes me as funny that a man who makes so much of his socialist credentials ( Alex Fergusson) doesn't realise that any success he achieves at man utd in the glazier era, simply strengthens the glazier's hold on the club and perverts the club from its original ideals, (i.e that a club should serve its community). How ironic that the man who sees himself as such a heavy-duty 'socialist' is the key cog in such a capitalist operation: i.e the Glazier's intent to turn man utd into a giant cash-cow.
Posted by Martin on January 29, 2008 12:09 PM
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Sean,

a hypocrite is someone who says you
should\shouldn't do something but then does/
doesn't do it themselves.

From www.dictionay.cambridge.org:
hypocrite, noun. He's a hypocrite - he's always
lecturing other people on the environment but he
drives around in a huge great car.

If Wenger had said the trip to Dubai was a bad
idea and then taken his side to Dubai, then he
would be a hypocrite. he is actually just being
contradictory.

From www.dictionary.cambridge.org:
contradictory, adjective. If two or more facts,
pieces of advice, etc. are contradictory, they are
very different from each other.

I, of course, am being punctilious:

From www.dictionary.cambridge.org:
punctilious, adjective. Very careful to behave
correctly or to give attention to details,

and pretentious:

From www.dictionary.cambridge.org:
pretentious, adjective. Trying to appear or sound
more important or clever than you are, especially
in matters of art and literature.

hope that helps ;-)
Posted by Dan Cowell on January 29, 2008 11:19 AM
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Don't get your knickers in a twist fellas, Arsene Wenger is just indulging in a bit of sh*t stirring in the hopes of getting under Sir Alex's skin.
He could, of course, have been misquoted!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Geoff Turner on January 29, 2008 11:17 AM
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Probably for the first time in my life I agree with a Gooner in Ian Vaissiere. Arsene Wenger is a great manager, no question, but I wonder if he hasn't allowed Ferguson to get under his skin more than he is prepared to admit.
Wenger wants to put one over on Fergie by being at least as successful, and preferably MORE successful, by spending much less money. Ideally, he would like to do it without spending any money at all. Only time will tell if he is proved right, but his judgement will come into serious question if United go on to win the league title and/or European Cup and Arsenal don't win either.
Posted by xanadu on January 29, 2008 10:45 AM
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I agree with Ian V.

"If we lose players now and we get injuries in the African Nations Cup, I will have to do something" - what will you do Arsene? The transfer window closes on Wednesday.
Posted by Ray The Gooner on January 29, 2008 10:16 AM
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I think Alex Ferguson has every right to be annoyed with Wenger.Doesn't Wenger know that the only manager allowed to talk about other clubs is Alex Ferguson?Just note Fergusons recent observations about Newcastle and Liverpool.
So someone should make Wenger aware of this at once.I mean who does he think he is?
Posted by chris dee on January 29, 2008 9:56 AM
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AW just peeved that Sir Alex didn't put all United's
energies into the Carling Cup and as a consequence
they had a positive freshen up paid for by the
Saudis... whilst the Gunners went down !
Posted by Greg on January 29, 2008 9:35 AM
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I think it’s fair to say that some mind games were going to kick off the minute these 2 were picked out of the hat. If AW is so worried about the size of his squad then why doesn’t he add to it? As a gooner I suspect there’s some stubbornness and conceited arrogance coming into play. I, and most gooners don’t care what the average age of the team is, we just want to WIN. If that means getting the cheque book out and buying 2 players, then do it. Utd went on their trip and probably made a fortune, good luck to them; however, had they picked up a few key injuries then it wouldn’t have been such a successful trip. He should (AW) have bought Woodgate, it’s still not too late to sign someone. If KT comes back and after 30 mins in his first game his groin breaks down where will we be then - wishing we'd bought a centre back. As for the cup match, I’d take 3 points for the premiership any day, but anything can happen in the cup.
Posted by Ian Vaissiere on January 29, 2008 8:13 AM
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I doubt this so called story would have made the back pages if Arsenal and United had not been drawn to play in the next round of the Cup.
If Arsenal had been offered £1million clear to pop over to Saudi in a private jet just to play an exhibition game then you can bet your life they would have taken it. The decision wouldn't have been Wenger's either.
Posted by xanadu on January 29, 2008 7:56 AM
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How desperate for a "story" can you get? Is the Telegraph using the Sun as it's template now? I know Wenger can be an irritating little man but his comments were quite objective and not at all offensive to United or Fergie. He merely stated that such a break that United had can have an immediate, detrimental effect on the team but long term benefit.
Posted by Steve on January 29, 2008 4:09 AM
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In 2000, Wenger claimed United's trip to Brazil for the World Club competition gave us an unfair advantage by going to a warm climate for a break.

He can't have it both ways! He always has been and always will be a hypocrite!
Posted by Sean on January 29, 2008 1:30 AM
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