Source: Team_Talk
Fergie tips cap to 'winner' Wenger
When Wenger was famously declaring at Bolton in January 2005 that he would "never talk about that man again", the image of him one day riding off into the sunset with Manchester United manager Ferguson was pretty hard to conjure.
Yet that was the pay-off line Ferguson delivered as he ended a fulsome tribute to the man who will go down as the one who challenged him the most, and longest, during almost three decades in England.
The pair have been scrapping away for 13 years now, and at no point has the mutual respect been as evident as it is now.
"When Arsene came to Arsenal at first there were feisty things between the clubs and that probably transferred itself into both managers," Ferguson said.
"But there has always been a respect for the work that has been done by both managers and for each other, nothing has changed in that respect.
"We are winners. That is why we are at big clubs like United and Arsenal. The history of both clubs means you have to be number one.
"Arsene and I have been here for such a long time that it's hard to imagine you're not going to have one or two arguments in that period of time.
"New managers come in and vanish after a couple of years so there's no longevity. Now it is just the two of us, so we will probably ride out in the sunset together."
Wenger has another theory. Ferguson no longer wishes to argue with him because he does not feel Arsenal are a threat.
Yet the United manager feels the Gunners are still capable of mounting a challenge at the top end of the table.
They go to Old Trafford tomorrow having won their two Premier League games by scoring a combined total of 10 goals, having also scored five in two games against Celtic in the Champions League.
"It is an impressive start - six goals at Everton - but I think the thing that is maybe overlooked a little bit is that he has got quite a young team that you expect to improve," Ferguson added.
"I don't remember anyone scoring six at Everton before.
"Arsenal have to make up that ground from last season and maybe they lack the experience of ourselves and Liverpool and Chelsea, but nonetheless they will be there, I'm sure of that."
Like Ferguson, Wenger is clearly not scared of making big decisions.
Many pundits felt Arsenal might have been kissing goodbye to their top-four hopes by letting two of their star men leave for a major rival, Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor signing for Manchester City.
The Blues have certainly benefited but Arsenal have not exactly struggled without them.
"One thing Arsene Wenger has done fantastically well is sell at the right time," Ferguson said.
"He has always known the right time for a player to leave and he has done it again with Adebayor and Toure.
"It is not easy to manage that kind of change but I don't think the level of ability has changed one bit and he seems to have a good harmony in the squad."
Although United have now found their feet after a tricky opening week, that shock defeat at Burnley has left them trailing the four clubs, including Arsenal, who still have 100% records.
So while Ferguson is not convinced much can be gleaned from one battle, no matter how eagerly anticipated it is, he does not want United to drop any more points, particularly given his team struggled against all the big four last season, registering just one win in six outings.
"We dropped six points to Liverpool, four to Arsenal and two to Chelsea," he reflected.
"We need to address that and do better. One opportunity comes along tomorrow. We have lost one game and we cannot afford to lose another."
