Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is not expecting any fireworks at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow.
Any United meeting with Arsenal triggers memories of their past feuds, notably that Highbury tunnel bust-up between Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira in 2005. However, since that duo were separated, the battles have become less intense, with even Ferguson and Arsene Wenger able to have a cordial relationship.
"You have to go back a few years to when it was a bit combustible and Keane and Vieira had that love match in the tunnel," Ferguson said. "It has not been anything like that in the last three years. It has calmed down."
Not that either manager has changed his values, even though Arsenal have not won a trophy since beating United in the 2005 FA Cup final.
"Arsene Wenger has not changed his philosophy," Ferguson said.
"It is his way of doing it and it has paid dividends for Arsenal over a long period.
"He has a different type of player now. They are younger but they are still trying to do the same things.
"They still try to entertain and play the football their way."
Ferguson has confirmed he expects Darren Fletcher to be out for the remainder of the season as he tries to combat a chronic bowel condition.
However, fellow midfielder Tom Cleverley could be back for the February 11 visit of Liverpool to Old Trafford as he steps up his recovery from an ankle injury.
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SAF knows they cannot beat Arsenal at Emirates because his players make mistakes in every minute of the game
Kevin kk, I bet your not a United Fan for real. You are full of negative comments about Man Utd, S.A.F and our players. Even LFC knew they were backing the wrong guy but they obliged to support him simply because he plays for LFC and you have the guts to slate Evra? Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger are the only top managers anywhere in the top European football leagues to keep a weakened team at the top 3 of the league. Check out your real manager at City ( I know your a Man City Fan) struggling to cope with the absence of just a few top players while United have been selling top players for years like Arsenal and still winning trophies and yet still in the tittle race a season after our back bones retired. How we missed our Edwin VDS... the greatest goal keeper to retire at the top of his game at his age. If your present Manchester City team looses the amount of players Man Utd has lost to injury this season...City would be fighting a relegation battle for real.
to kevin kk
Tell you what k3.If your idea of being a supporter means you calling the manager "dementia ridden" YOU are the last guy we wish to see involved in any way with United. Your sort are a disease in football and the sooner the editors of this column filter out such abuse the better.Tell us your season ticket number and where you sit-that is of course if you ever go anywhere near a football ground. Bet you've never played football !
Ferguson appears to have lost his insight, he doesn't seem to have grasped the fact that his weak squad badly needs strengthening. He may have been the master but is now in danger of becoming the master of inactivity.
In hope we get hammered just as a wake up call for our dementia ridden manager.
man utd 2 1 arsenal
Me thinks the only drama he got is trying to back scuttle another black a,,,r,,,s,,e behind evras back.
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