Van der Sar close to pen improved contract

February 8, 2010

Edwin van der Sar is set to sign a new deal at Manchester United. The Dutch goalkeeper will pen a new, £90,000-a-week contract this week, according to the Daily Express.

Van der Sar’s current contract is due to expire this summer. The 39-year-old shot stopper had delayed agreeing to the fresh deal while he monitored the health of his wife Annemarie, who suffered a brain haemorrhage two days before Christmas.

But Annemarie is well on the way to a full recovery back in Holland and Van der Sar can now turn to his own future at Manchester United.

Last month, Sir Alex Ferguson said he hoped that Van der Sar would extend his stay at Old Trafford.

“Edwin makes a big difference, it is not just his saves, it is his composure and use of the ball.

“I know there are a few young keepers out there doing very well but Edwin is the best in the league just now.”

The Daily Express reports that Van der Sar is close to committing himself to United for another 12 months by signing a new £4.7million contract.

Van der Sar joined the Red Devils in 2005 from Fulham.

Tags: alex ferguson, annemarie, brain haemorrhage, Christmas, composure, daily express, days before christmas, Edwin, Edwin van der, edwin van der sar, Express, fulham, Goalkeeper, health, Holland, Manchester, manchester united, new deal, red devils, sir alex ferguson, Trafford, Van der, van der sar

Ferguson sees United hitting form at right time

February 6, 2010

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson feels that his team are hitting form just as the season is beginning to get serious.

United have already lost five Premier League matches this season and were knocked out of the FA Cup at the third round stage by League One team Leeds.

Having lost in the Champions League at home to Besiktas and also suffered defeat in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final with Manchester City, United have had an unusually inconsistent opening to the campaign.

But, having beaten Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates last weekend, Ferguson’s team are still firmly in the race for the Premier League title race with Chelsea.

They have also lined up a League Cup final date with Aston Villa and are through to the second round of the Champions League, in which they face AC Milan.

Ferguson thinks that overcoming City in the second leg and then beating Arsenal have put United’s season on track and he expects his team to get stronger and stronger as the end of the campaign approaches.

“Historically, we have always grasped the nettle at this time of the year. They realise there is something at stake and we can’t afford inconsistency.

“Teams will drop points in every run-in, there is no doubt about that, but we are experienced and know that if you’re going to drop more than the rest you’re going to lose the league. That’s a fact.

“Our aim is to try to be as consistent as we can, and try to produce the kind of performances we did on Sunday (against Arsenal) and that will take us very close.

“We are talking about the run-in to the league now and three points is three points, it doesn’t matter where you get them from.

“Whatever games we have got left, if we win most of them we have a good chance.

“We have got to keep the momentum going, we have an important time coming up. We have to go to Villa Park on the Wednesday, then we’ve got the Milan game and League Cup final, we have got a big time coming up, consistency and form is going to be important for us.”

Ferguson believes his team’s conditioning gives them an edge at this time of the season.

“It definitely has a lot to do with the training we do, but you have to have the players. You can have the fittest team in the world but if they can’t play, what chance have you got?”

Ferguson is hoping that the possibility of playing in the World Cup can help Owen Hargreaves win his battle against serious knee problems.

The England midfielder has been sidelined since September 2008 and Ferguson has left him out of United?s Champions League squad.

The United manager remains confident that Hargreaves will play before the end of the season and thinks he could contribute to Fabio Capello?s squad in South Africa.

He said: “It’s hard for him, of course. He’s been out for a year and a half. It’s bound to be hard for him. The physios are doing their best with him. There are some times we feel he’s almost there, and then he seems to be slow again.

“I’m confident he will be back before the end of the season. It’s the recovery, it’s slow.

“The biggest incentive should be to get back into our team, but if at the end of it is that carrot of being at the World Cup, then I’ll be happy with that. I think he would be an important player for England too.

“If he gets back, the confidence would come back. If he were to start playing, the confidence would come back. The confidence would be the key factor in that.”

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

Tags: ac milan, alex ferguson, big time, champions league, CHELSEA, consistency, emirates, England, FA Cup, fabio capello, good chance, inconsistency, LEEDS, Manchester, manchester city, manchester united, Milan, nettle, no doubt, owen hargreaves, premier league, sir alex ferguson, South Africa, stake, villa park

Hull apply the brakes to Chelsea title charge

February 3, 2010

Didier Drogba celebrated his return to Premier League duty with a first half equaliser at the KC Stadium to cancel out Stephen Mouyokolo’s earlier effort on a frustrating night for Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea.

Drogba struck his 20th goal of the season on 43 minutes to haul the Premier League leaders level after Hull defender Mouyokolo had headed Phil Brown’s Hull City side into a surprise lead with his first ever goal for the top flight strugglers.

But despite Drogba coming to the rescue it wasn’t enough to help Chelsea secure the win they so badly needed to restore their four point advantage over Manchester United at the top of the table.

The London club now have a lead of just two points and United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will be thankful to Hull for holding his great rivals to a draw to blow the title race wide open.

Ancelotti had the luxury of recalling Drogba for the first time since he departed for the African Cup of Nations over four weeks ago, while England internationals Joe Cole and Ashley Cole had to be content with a place on the bench.

John Terry also maintained his place in the side despite the on-going pressure on him to resign as England captain following his off-field problems while Deco was recalled to the starting line-up.

Brown, meanwhile, made just one change to the side which was held to a disappointing draw with Wolves last weekend, recalling Craig Fagan on the right wing in place of Bernard Mendy. The Hull manager resisted the temptation to hand a full debut to new loan signing Amr Zaki.

Hull had gone nine games without a victory and found themselves entrenched in the relegation zone. Considering Manchester City were the next visitors to the KC Stadium then the immediate future looked bleak.

But Chelsea struggled to find their rhythm from the start and seemed to make Hull’s evening easier than expected.

Frank Lampard worried Boaz Myhill with a swerving drive inside nine minutes which the Hull goalkeeper could only palm straight to Nicolas Anelka but the French striker stubbed his shot badly wide with the goal at his mercy.

It wasn’t until the 24th minute that Chelsea threatened again when Branislav Ivanovic sent over an inch-perfect cross for the waiting Michael Ballack but all the German midfielder could do was power his diving header straight at Myhill from close range.

The longer the game went on the more Hull seemed to grow in confidence but it still came a surprise when they took the lead with their first real attack of the game.

Terry was nowhere to be seen as Stephen Hunt swung over a corner and Mouyokolo rose the highest to head past the helpless Petr Cech.

But Hull’s lead always looked fragile and it lasted just 13 minutes before Drogba levelled the scores with a powerful free kick into the bottom corner of Myhill’s goal.

Hull could have restored their lead on the stroke of half time when Tom Cairney’s free kick found the head of the unmarked Anthony Gardner, but the defender could only direct his effort over the crossbar.

Yet Chelsea always carried a threat and Myhill had to be at his best to keep the scores level with a fine double save just before the hour mark.

First he got down sharply to tip wide a skidding drive from Florent Malouda before producing an even better stop to keep out Drogba’s downward header from Malouda’s cross as Brown’s men hung on for a point that is of much more use to them than Chelsea.

HULL, England (AFP)

Tags: african cup of nations, alex ferguson, Anthony Gardner, ashley cole, bernard mendy, Boaz Myhill, Brown, carlo ancelotti, CHELSEA, Cole, Craig Fagan, didier drogba, England, england internationals, frank lampard, frustrating night, HULL, hull city, Joe Cole, john terry, kc stadium, london, london club, Manchester, manchester city, Michael Ballack, Nicolas Anelka, Petr Cech, phil brown, point advantage, premier league, relegation zone, sir alex ferguson, Stephen Hunt, Stephen Mouyokolo, Terry, Tom Cairney, Zaki

Ferguson: ‘Everyone thinks Nani is fantastic’

February 2, 2010

Reports suggested that Sir Alex Ferguson was fed up with Nani and that the Portuguese international was set to leave Manchester United during the winter break. However, the 23-year-old winger stayed at United and silenced his critics with an excellent performance against Arsenal.

Nani played a part in two of United’s goals as United closed the gap on the leaders Chelsea to a single point. Ferguson believes the former Sporting Lisbon player is now coming of age, presenting a welcome selection dilemma in competition with Antonio Valencia.

“Nani has settled down now and is getting maturity,” Ferguson said on MUTV. “He has been pretty immature since he came to the club, but you are seeing the development now.

“He is a shy boy and you hope games like at Arsenal will give him the confidence to know he is a United player.

“We are all delighted with him. It is amazing when you talk to the players, they all think he is fantastic and want him to play.

“We are getting consistency from him now. It gives me a massive decision now between Nani and Valencia.”

Tags: alex ferguson, Antonio Valencia, arsenal, CHELSEA, coming of age, consistency, dilemma, Ferguson, games, gap, Manchester, manchester united, maturity, nani, portuguese, shy boy, single point, sir alex ferguson, sporting lisbon, winger

Who needs Ronaldo when Nani plays like that?

February 2, 2010

Has Alex Ferguson got lucky or did he see something in Nani that nobody else could?

The Scot has always stood by the Manchester United winger despite his extremely unfavorable comparison with Cristiano Ronaldo and on Sunday against Arsenal all the pieces appeared to fall into place for a player who has flattered to deceive.

Nani’s bamboozling dribble was too much for Arsenal defence as United went in front at The Emirates. The Portuguese then displayed perfect timing and weight of pass to slide the ball though for the marauding Wayne Rooney that effectively settled the game as they went on to win 3-1.

Rooney has been incredible this season, carrying United when they have not played well. But Nani’s contribution as the spark around the solid midfield platform of Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher and Paul Scholes could be just the injection of firepower that will carry United to a 19th league title.

Nani will never score the goals that Ronaldo managed at Old Trafford but his performances in recent weeks suggest that he finally believes that he belongs in a United shirt. The way he tied Gael Clichy, one of the best fullbacks in Europe, in knots on Sunday bodes well for United.

Nani was eventually replaced by Dimitar Berbatov with a minute to go at Arsenal and received the acclaim of the visiting fans who may just have witnessed the coming of age of another Old Trafford hero.

PHOTO: Manchester United’s Nani celebrates after scoring a goal during their English Premier League soccer match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in London January 31, 2010. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

Source

Tags: Â The, alex ferguson, berbatov, Clichy, darren fletcher, Eddie Keogh, Emirates Stadium, English Premier League, english premier league soccer, Europe, firepower, fullbacks, keogh, london, Manchester, Michael Carrick, nani, old trafford, paul scholes, perfect timing, reuters, ronaldo, Scot, wayne rooney, win 3

Mancini tells City to keep up United standard

January 31, 2010

Roberto Mancini has urged his Manchester City players to put their midweek League Cup disappointment behind them when Premier League strugglers Portsmouth visit Eastlands on Sunday.

Mancini and his squad have been licking their wounds since Wednesday’s crushing semi-final defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford, but the Italian has been making a good job of hiding his hurt in the hope that this will give his players the lift they need.

Mancini says he was proud of his side and believes City will have no trouble in securing Champions League qualification for the first time if they can maintain the same levels that saw them push Sir Alex Ferguson’s men to the very limit.

Mancini said: “That game is now in the past, but after the game on Wednesday we still feel that we are strong.

“United scored late and won the game, but we still think we played very well. For us, the most important thing is that we did well and showed that we can win. I’m happy about that, but disappointed for the players.

“But now it’s in the past and we must think about the next game. We need to keep up the same level of performance. If we can do this and win the next three games in front of us then we know we have a good chance of getting fourth place.

“If we continue to play like we did against United then we will be fine. Okay, we lost to United but that is football. We played well.

“The important thing was that in two games we played at the same level as United. I am pleased with that. Now we have to focus on the game on Sunday, which is very important. We want to win and we must win.”

Mancini welcomes back Kolo Toure from African Cup of Nations duty, while Emmanuel Adebayor could be in line for his first start since his ill-fated departure for the same tournament with Togo.

Former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira remains sidelined with a calf injury, however, but Mancini believes he will be fit to make his debut against Hull next weekend and bring an end to supporters’ fears that his signing might have been a gamble that has backfired.

Portsmouth could well represent cannon fodder to City as the club’s financial troubles show no sign of easing. It was not even certain that Avram Grant would still be their manager for Sunday’s match, such is the depth of the turmoil at Fratton Park.

The players have once again been forced to wait for their wages for the fourth time in succession, while Grant and chief executive Peter Storrie have accused the club of trying to sell players without consulting them both.

Storrie has decided against walking out on the club but admits he and Grant have plenty of cause to consider their futures.

He said: “We are both angry, frustrated and fed up, but neither of us are quitters. I don’t intend to quit now I’ve slept on it and although I cannot speak for Avram, from what we have talked about I don’t think he will quit either. And, let’s face it, we both have good reason to walk out.

“I am no longer involved in the finances, I am not involved in the transfer negotiations and Avram doesn’t know what players are being sold.”

The duo’s anger surfaced when Portsmouth opened negotiations with Tottenham to sell defender Younes Kaboul and goalkeeper Asmir Begovic without their knowledge.

It is understood the club are waiting to receive payment from Tottenham for the Kaboul deal before they can cover this month’s staff wages.

In the meantime, Grant will welcome midfielder Jamie O’Hara back into his side for the trip to Eastlands.

O’Hara has returned to Fratton Park on-loan from Tottenham until the end of the season, although Grant is still waiting for Kanu, Nadir Belhadj and Hassan Yebda to return from the African Cup of Nations.

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

Tags: african cup of nations, alex ferguson, calf injury, champions league, cup disappointment, emmanuel adebayor, Fratton Park, good chance, good job, Manchester, manchester city, manchester united, old trafford, patrick vieira, Peter Storrie, Portsmouth, premier league, roberto mancini, sir alex ferguson, three games, Togo, Toure

United, Arsenal set for another “historic” clash

January 31, 2010

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Sunday’s Premier League showdown against Arsenal will provide another historic chapter in his club’s ferocious feud with the Gunners.

By the time Arsenal and United kick-off at the Emirates Stadium, Chelsea, who have a game in hand on both teams, could have opened up a four-point lead at the top with a win over Burnley on Saturday.

For much of Ferguson’s 24-year reign at Old Trafford it has been Arsenal who have provided the main resistance to his empire-building and the old rivals go head to head with their title hopes at stake once again.

Ferguson fulfiled his ambition to knock Liverpool “off their perch” at the top of English football years ago and Chelsea have only emerged as serious challengers in recent years, but Arsenal, whether managed by Arsene Wenger or George Graham, have always been a thorn in United’s side.

From the moment Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn launched a tirade of abuse at Brian McClair following the United star’s missed penalty in an FA Cup tie in 1988, there has been an extra edge to clashes between these super-powers.

The list of grudge matches is endless and endlessly entertaining: Roy Keane’s tunnel row with Patrick Vieira; Martin Keown’s frenzied celebration of a Ruud van Nistelrooy penalty miss and the Battle of the Buffet that saw Ferguson hit by pizza thrown by Arsenal players after a particularly spicy encounter are just a few of the more notable bust-ups.

Ferguson’s strained relationship with Wenger has often provided these games with an intriguing sub-plot, but they are closer these days and happy to savour such a big occasion.

“These games with Arsenal are historic,” Ferguson said. “Since I came down here, apart from the early years before George Graham won his first title, it was Arsenal and United who were mostly competing for the trophies.

“Without doubt Chelsea have become a prominent team in that respect too and it has been ourselves and Chelsea challenging for the league in the last few years.

“But you can never dismiss Arsenal because their history will always guarantee a challenge. And they are definitely in the fray again.

“Sunday’s game has great relevance because both sides have a genuine chance of winning the league.”

Wenger has always seemed more uncomfortable when the flak has been flying, but he would happily get under Ferguson’s skin again because it would prove Arsenal are serious contenders once more.

His squad certainly looks capable of pushing United and Chelsea all the way after over-coming a lengthy injury list to erase an 11-point gap to the leaders.

Even without injured duo Thomas Vermaelen and Eduardo – both sidelined by knocks during the midweek draw at Aston Villa – Wenger is confident his players will rise to the ocassion.

“I look forward to it because it is a match which always promises good football,” Wenger said.

“Manchester United and Arsenal have had some tough games, and sometimes they were not easy on the physical side, but both teams always tried to play.

“It was very rarely a boring game, you always thought at the start it would be a great football game, and so you love that. It is always one of the games of the season.”

Wenger will hand Sol Campbell his first league start since returning to the club. Nicklas Bendter or Samir Nasri will deputise for Eduardo, while Alex Song and Emmanuel Eboue are back from African Cup of Nations duty.

United will be without suspended defender Rio Ferdinand but that loss is offset by Serbian centre-back Nemanja Vidic’s return from injury and Ferguson can also rely on in-form striker Wayne Rooney, who has 13 goals from his last 13 appearances.

With games against Chelsea and Liverpool to come, this is a defining period for Arsenal, but Wenger is just happy to be in the hunt again.

“We love being in the race. Of course it was our dream to be in this position,” he said.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: alex ferguson, arsenal players, arsene wenger, brian mcclair, burnley, challengers, empire building, english football, fa cup tie, grudge matches, gunners, manchester united, martin keown, nigel winterburn, old trafford, patrick vieira, ruud van nistelrooy, sir alex ferguson, ups

Chelsea seek to avoid curse of Turf Moor

January 30, 2010

If Chelsea are to open up a lead at the summit of the Premier League this weekend, they must achieve a result that has proved beyond title rivals Manchester United and Arsenal.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti takes his side to Turf Moor to face Burnley, who have beaten Sir Alex Ferguson’s champions and held Arsene Wenger’s Gunners already this season.

Following on from an impressive 3-0 mid-week success against Birmingham, who had not lost for 15 matches ahead of their trip to Stamford Bridge, optimism will be high within Chelsea ranks that they can collect another three points.

However, this fixture will provide a test of character for the side and experienced players at the club will realise it requires as much concentration and focus as any encounter against one of the country’s bigger clubs.

The Blues have suffered two away defeats this term, at the hands of Manchester City and Aston Villa, and this latest game on the road is an opportunity to open the gap at the top of the league.

United and Arsenal face each other on Sunday, meaning a win at Burnley would leave Chelsea four points clear of Ferguson’s side, and five ahead of Wenger’s men.

“If we open up that gap again it’ll be great,” said midfielder Frank Lampard, who was an integral part of Chelsea’s two Premier League title successes (2004-05 and 2005-06) under Jose Mourinho.

“Those little mental things are great during the season.

“It’s a great to be back on top. We knew we had games in hand but we didn’t like to see ourselves down in third place. Arsenal were on a good run but it’s a marathon not a sprint.”

Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are both available following their return from the African Nations Cup but the Ivory Coast duo have been given the weekend off to recover from their long trip back to London.

Chelsea’s ability to cope without Drogba’s goals was questioned before he flew off to Angola, but since then the London outfit have won all four fixtures they have played — scoring 17 goals along the way.

“We didn’t say we’d struggle this month, everyone else did,” Lampard added. “We have a lot of belief. I just think the loss of Didier was talked about too much. We’ve got the players who can come in. Maybe some needed to step up and everyone has done.

“We have gone up another gear this month. We had a bad run in December, dropped some points and we’ve worked hard to get that back.”

The last time these sides met was in August, and Chelsea ran out 3-0 winners courtesy of goals from Nicolas Anelka, Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole.

Since then Burnley have changed managers though, and Brian Laws has failed to pick up a win since taking over from Owen Coyle earlier in the month. In fact, Burnley have not even scored a goal since he arrived.

The former Sheffield Wednesday chief has lost all three matches so far, leaving the Clarets inside the bottom three. And they have injury problems to contend with too.

Versatile anchorman Graham Alexander and midfielder Chris McCann are almost certainly ruled out of the game, although Cameroon international Andre Bikey returns from international duty.

Defender Leon Cort and goalkeeper Nicky Weaver have been brought in this week in an attempt to add strength in depth to the squad.

Cort, a 1.5-million-pound (1.7-million-euro) signing from Stoke, is set for his debut against Chelsea, while former Manchester City keeper Weaver, who joined as a free agent, has made it clear he is ready to challenge Brian Jensen for the number one spot.

He said: “The chance to come back into the Premier League was something I couldn?t turn down and hopefully it?s longer than just for a few months.

“There are 16 games left and a lot of points to play for and all the players will pull in the right direction to keep the club in the Premiership.”

BURNLEY, England (AFP)

Tags: african nations cup, alex ferguson, aston villa, burnley, carlo ancelotti, didier drogba, four points, frank lampard, gunners, Ivory Coast, jose mourinho, london chelsea, long trip, manchester city, Salomon Kalou, stamford bridge, turf moor, Wenger

Fergie hits out at Wenger over Fletcher criticism

January 30, 2010

Sir Alex Ferguson believes Arsene Wenger “has let himself” down over comments the Arsenal manager has made about Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher.

Ferguson described Fletcher as one of the best players in the world on Wednesday after his commanding performance helped United squeeze past Manchester City into the League Cup final after a dramatic 3-1 semi-final second leg win at Old Trafford.

But while the United manager is clearly a huge fan of Fletcher, Wenger is most certainly not.

After losing 2-1 to United at Old Trafford earlier this season, Wenger – angered by Fletcher’s fiesty tackling – claimed he was little more than a bully who played “anti-football”.

Ferguson has taken exception to that opinion and has questioned whether Wenger even believes it himself.

“I think that’s where Arsene lets himself down,” Ferguson said. “Everyone knows that Darren Fletcher is not a dirty player, not a physical player, not built that way, but he can win the ball because his timing and energy to get to the ball is fantastic.

“You can’t call that a fault. That’s a great part of the game, being able to tackle properly and he does tackle properly.

“It’s disappointing. I don’t think Arsene really believes that.”

United visit the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to face Wenger’s side with the race for the Premier League title as tense as ever.

United are currently in second position with 50 points with Arsenal just a single point and place behind them. As a result, Ferguson knows he will need his big players to put in a performance and he is backing Fletcher to come out on top.

“He’s competitive and there’s not many players who run off the ball as well as him,” he added.

“His movement, energy and commitment in every game is wonderful to see.

“There’s not been many big games that he has not played in over the last couple of years and it had maybe taken a while for the fans and press to appreciate what the boy has.

“And there is little you can do about that because he is not stylish player by any means, he is ungainly and gangly but he is a fantastic player.”

Ferguson has recently been employing a single striker in his formation, with Wayne Rooney being tasked to fill that position.

Before this season began, concerns were raised as to whether Rooney could play as an out and out forward but 21 goals so far this season, including five in the last two, has comprehensively answered that question.

And Ferguson is now backing the 24-year-old to continue to prove that he is one of the most influential players in European football.

“There are periods where players hit great form,” Ferguson added “Wayne has hit that great form now. He wasn’t playing as well as that a few months ago.

“His form has increased. I thought Wednesday was an indication of the improvement from Wayne. In the last few weeks he has come on great.”

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

Tags: alex ferguson, arsenal, big games, bully, darren fletcher, emirates, Emirates Stadium, England, Ferguson, game, Manchester, manchester city, manchester united, midfielder, old trafford, premier league, single point, sir alex ferguson, squeeze, tense, Wayne, wayne rooney, Wenger

Fergie bills Gunners clash as biggest game of season

January 29, 2010

Alex Ferguson has billed Manchester United’s visit to Arsenal on Sunday as a match that could make or break his squad’s season.

“I think the game on Sunday, to my mind now looking at the way the league is shaping up, is the biggest game of the season for us,” the Scot told reporters at United’s training ground on Friday.

“Arsenal have gone on a consistent run and it’s amazing how this league has changed.

“The team that is most consistent will win the league now and Arsenal’s current form has been very good and I’m looking forward to it.

“At the moment the league is looking like a three horse race but there have been so many changes and different result from the top sides that you cannot be 100 percent certain.”

Just two points separate Chelsea at the top of the table and Arsenal in third with United in between. “Of course Chelsea have the advantage of the game in hand and if they win that they go four points ahead of us,” Ferguson added.

“So that is the catch up part we are in and that means Sunday has a great relevance to both of us because we have a genuine chance to win the league.”

Ahead of the match, Ferguson has appealed to United’s travelling supporters to get behind his players in a positive way rather than indulging in the personal abuse of his Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger which has been a regular and unpleasant feature of meetings between the two clubs.

“I think it’s unavoidable in the way that managers get abused today,” Ferguson said. “Sometimes I can’t hear these chants and I can’t make them out but I know there’s been some terrible abuse from our fans to Arsene Wenger and there must be a line drawn and I think our fans must know that themselves.

“I was really proud of the way they supported us (in the League Cup win over Manchester City) on Wednesday. We don’t need to worry about anyone else — they should be proud of the team they are supporting.”

Ferguson meanwhile has hinted that United will not appeal against the ban that has ruled Rio Ferdinand out of the club’s next four matches despite what he sees as blatant inconsistencies in the handling of violent conduct cases.

Ferdinand was charged by the Football Association after flooring Craig Fagan with a swinging arm in United’s 4-0 win against Hull last weekend.

The mandatory three-match ban was increased to four after the FA deemed United’s appeal to be “frivolous” and Ferdinand will miss Sunday’s encounter with Arsenal as well as further games against Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Everton.

Ferguson initially announced that United would try to have the decision looked at again only to later contradict himself by insisting the incident is now finished with.

“We have to decide if we appeal it because there are conflicting ways of viewing some of these decisions,” he said. “I watched Charlton and Leyton Orient the other night and the Leyton Orient goal came after an elbow on the Charlton player three times and nothing happened.

“So there’s a lot of confusion in terms of these decisions but we accepted he is banned and we will get on with it – there’s nothing we can do about it.”

If United were to appeal again, they would risk the ban being increased to five matches which would rule Ferdinand out of the League Cup final at the end of next month.

MANCHESTER (AFP)