Wenger: refs helped lift United to league heights
After the so-called ‘Battle of the Buffet’ at Old Trafford last year, a truce of sorts seemed to prevail until Ferguson re-ignited the feud at the weekend by claiming in a newspaper that Wenger had approached him in a threatening manner in the tunnel after United’s 2-0 win.
As the row escalated, Wenger in turn accused Ferguson of bringing the game into disrepute and suggested the FA charge the Manchester United boss for his comments.
But it was on TPS Star in France that the Frenchman was most critical, suggesting that Ferguson has lost credibility, and arguing that, but for poor refereeing decisions, United would find themselves in a mid-table position in the Premiership.
“Ferguson’s article was out of order,” Wenger said. “He has lost all sense of reality to the extent that he is going out looking for a confrontation, then asking the person he is confronting to apologise.
“He’s pushed the cork in a bit far this time and has lost a lot of credibility by saying what he has said.”
Wenger also suggested that video replays be introduced as quickly as possible to aid officials, and highlighted his argument by taking another swipe at Ferguson and United.
Referring in particular to the controversial decisions made during United’s recent win over Arsenal, and Tottenham midfielder Pedro Mendes’ last-minute effort that comfortably crossed the line, Wenger said United’s true position was mid-table.
“We need to introduce video replays as quickly as possible,” he insisted. “If you take the example of Manchester United, they would be in mid-table now if officials had the benefit of video replays.”
Wenger’s comments are likely to further incense the FA who sent strongly worded letters to Old Trafford and Highbury before Christmas expressing concern about the tense relations between the two clubs.
The FA will not publicly wade into the high-profile spat, even though the conduct of both managers continues to cause them concern at Soho Square.
Instead, it now seems certain the FA will redouble their efforts to restore peace and bring an end to the festering feud by a process of private consultation with both parties.
Privately, they are also concerned about the potential impact their continued bickering could also have on player safety when the two teams meet again at Highbury on February 1st and would prefer the chairmen of both clubs to restore order between the pair.
The FA’s own patience is wearing thin considering that, prior to Christmas, chairman Geoff Thompson sent stiff letters to both parties bemoaning the level of acrimony.
He has also talked at length with David Gill, United’s chief executive, and David Dein, Arsenal’s vice-chairman, about the real need for a better public image.
The governing body rightly expresses the view that such public bickering does little for the reputations of either manager or their clubs. But Ferguson’s decision to re-ignite the fragile peace with his scathing remarks about Wenger has only brought the whole issue to the boil once more.
Said Wenger: “There is a big game next month and we have a responsibility. Yet he does what he wants. He should go abroad and see how it is over there. For me, what is important is that we have a responsibility before the game. In England it is too easy - and too many people get away with this - to prepare an explosive. He can say what he wants. It is his responsibility.”
Thompson, who had previously tinkered with the idea of calling a meeting with representatives of both clubs, is now almost certain to put such a proposal back on the agenda. That would be welcomed by the League Manager’s Association who, despite their inability to sanction either manager, believe they have both overstepped the mark with their latest remarks.
Chief executive John Barnwell added: “The nearer you get to the end line emotions could get higher, but this one is perhaps a step too far. We have no big stick to beat them with.”
It emerged yesterday that the FA will also write to Chelsea and ask them for their observations concerning manager Jose Mourinho’s outspoken comments about Manchester United’s players last week.
They moved swiftly on Friday to examine freshly-reported comments made by Mourinho concerning the conduct of Manchester United’s players during the game.
Mourinho has already escaped action from the FA for his post-match comments concerning the half-time discussion conducted in the tunnel area by referee Neale Barry and the United boss.
But he re-ignited the issue on Chelsea TV, when he branded United’s players ‘cheats’.
He said: “Sir Alex was really clever, if you can say that, at half-time by putting some pressure on the ref. In the second half, it was whistle and whistle, fault and fault and cheat and cheat.”
Mourinho, during his pre-match press conference ahead of their trip to Spurs last Saturday, appeared to withdraw his use of the word cheat, but still insisted that United’s players appeared to ‘dive’ at every opportunity.
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