One War Too Many?

By Chris O'Brien
January 18 2005

Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have kicked off the early-rounds of what looks like another long war of words ahead of the Premiership clash at Highbury on February 1st. Is this a verbal battle too far?

In the build up to the massive Arsenal against United Premiership clash on November 1st, the war of words between Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger is gathering pace. Fergie has already branded the Frenchman a 'disgrace', whilst after previously stating he didn't want to enter a verbal fight with his Sir Alex, Wenger has contradicted himself by claiming that the United's boss has brought the game of football into disrepute.

This latest battle between two of football's most successful managers sparked after Ferguson went in-depth about events that followed United's magnificent 2-0 victory at Old Trafford over the Gunners, ending a 49-match unbeaten Football League run from the London club. Sir Alex, who usually gets the better out of Arsenal's chief, accused Wenger of starting a fight and branded him the kind of man to never say sorry.

"In the tunnel Wenger was criticising my players, calling them cheats, so I told him to leave them alone and behave himself," said Ferguson.

"He ran at me with hands raised saying 'what do you want to do about it?' To not apologise for the behaviour of the players to another manager is unthinkable. It's a disgrace, but I don't expect Wenger to ever apologise, he's that type of person."

After watching his Arsenal side lose 1-0 at Bolton to slip further behind run-away leaders Chelsea, Wenger refused to bite-back. Attempting to take a sophisticated tone, he tried to pretend he was one-up on Ferguson. However, the refusing to throw his toys out of the pram just made Ferguson look the winner!

"I've always been consistent with that story and told you nothing happened. If he has to talk, he talks. If he wants to make a newspaper article, he makes a newspaper article." proclaimed the man who, despite being touted as one of the world's best manager's, never manages to see contentious incidents on the pitch!

"He doesn't interest me and doesn't matter to me at all. I will never answer to any provocation from him any more. I will never answer any questions about this man."

However, later that day, Wenger changed his approach. He entered the name-calling arena, and oh how the press love that, and accused Ferguson of bringing football into disrepute. The man who labelled Van Nistelrooy 'a cheat' is not happy at Sir Alex dragging up the post-match incidents back in November.

"The situation (concerning the food fight) has been judged and there is a game going on in a month. The managers have a responsibility to protect the game before the game. But in England you are only punished for what you say after the game.

"I don't respond to anything. In England you have a good phrase. It is 'bringing the game into disrepute'. But that is not only after a game, it is as well before a game."

That's all for now, but with the top-of-the-table Premiership clash weeks away you can expect plenty more. Meanwhile, the League Manager's Association are sick and tired of the squabble and want to act as a peacemaker.

Though watching Ferguson make a fool of Wenger is entertaining, and the constant verbal from the two manager's give the national press plenty for the back pages, has this gone too far? Whilst the pair use the press to get at each other, Chelsea continue to take English football by storm and look certainties for the league Championship under the leadership of charmer Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho must be loving it as his Chelsea side win game after game and continue their onslaught on the unthinkable quadruple. It all started off as good fun, but it is perhaps a little sad watching our beloved Fergie spend his time digging away at Wenger whilst on the pitch we are simply not in the calibre of the boys from Stamford Bridge. It could be time for the chairman to step in, end the row and try and get the two sides challenging for the title this season, rather than battling for the runners-up slot.