TALK, TALK, TALK
"There's always an edge to a game against United. We have to
think and try to play our best and if we play our football,
then we can get through it. We're playing in a Brazilian way
and I enjoy it a lot. But we must keep playing our kind of
game, with passing, movement and going forward, while
ignoring any tackles and provocation that may come.
think and try to play our best and if we play our football,
then we can get through it. We're playing in a Brazilian way
and I enjoy it a lot. But we must keep playing our kind of
game, with passing, movement and going forward, while
ignoring any tackles and provocation that may come.
"There will be tackles in a game like this and we have to be
ready for them and be prepared to respond well by not
getting involved with stupid things, but just focusing on
our football. It's two big clubs and everybody wants to win.
You know there will be tackles coming in but you have to be
ready to stand up for yourselves as well."
Arsene Wenger:
"United will be motivated for the game - but we will be
super-motivated. I want us to be focused on victory and to
getting the three points. That is the only important thing
and is the best answer to everything else.
"I will not need to speak with Patrick about the match. He
knows what he must do - as do the rest of the team. It is
important that we win. We are capable of doing that. The big
prize for us is the Premiership. That is all we need as an
incentive to win. United have enough good players to make
them very dangerous opponents for us. We must forget what
happened before and just focus on the game.
"It is difficult for me to talk about other clubs but it is
clear they have had problems because they have had to change
the team so often through injuries and suspensions. When you
lose the basis of your team it is even harder. You struggle
to find fluency. Then they lost Rio Ferdinand and that would
be like us losing an important player such as Sol Campbell
for a long time."
Wes Brown:
“We need to show some character on Sunday. We know 12 points
is a lot but we will never give up the chase. Basically, we
have to keep winning games. It is the same thing we have
been saying all season but unfortunately we have lost too
many.
“Arsenal have been playing some fabulous stuff this season
but we are determined to go down there and show them what we
can do.''
Ryan Giggs:
"I wouldn't say there is ill-feeling between Arsenal and
Manchester United players, but there is always an edge when
we clash. The tackles fly in, and the passions run high -
but that shouldn't be too surprising because we have been
genuine title rivals for as long as I can remember.
"History shows that over the years, there has been plenty of
trouble when the two clubs have met, so I don't think we are
fiercer enemies now than we have been in the past.
"I just hope that Sunday's match is remembered for all the
right reasons. The atmosphere will be intense and the desire
will be as high as it always is, but this is a game of
football and not a fight.
“I was punished by the FA for my part in that row in
September. But when you look at incidents over a season, I
don’t think that dispute was particularly worse than a lot
of others.
“I accept something had to be done about it, however,
because it was such a high-profile match. But that’s all
behind us now. Our team will be totally focused on how we
play and nothing else.”
Paul Scholes:
“So far this season they have been the best team. They are
top of the league and deserve to be so because they are
unbeaten. It is up to us now to beat them and break their
run. Arsenal have had it too easy in the last few weeks.
They’ve not had someone breathing down their necks at this
critical stage of the season. We’ll see then how they
react.
“But we’ve not put them under pressure enough recently to
know how they’ll take it. Sooner or later we have to get
over this slump. It can sometimes click into place overnight
— but we’d prefer to be playing a lot better than we are at
the minute before these two games against Arsenal.
“The big difference with the form slump we are experiencing
is the stage of the season when it has happened. Normally,
we are a little bit sloppy before Christmas but we then
build up to a good finish. It hasn’t happened this year.
“The timing of the poor form has made it a lot worse. If
this had been in November or December, then you have more
chance to recover. It is going to be very difficult but we
won’t give in and we’ll give it our best shot.”
ready for them and be prepared to respond well by not
getting involved with stupid things, but just focusing on
our football. It's two big clubs and everybody wants to win.
You know there will be tackles coming in but you have to be
ready to stand up for yourselves as well."
Arsene Wenger:
"United will be motivated for the game - but we will be
super-motivated. I want us to be focused on victory and to
getting the three points. That is the only important thing
and is the best answer to everything else.
"I will not need to speak with Patrick about the match. He
knows what he must do - as do the rest of the team. It is
important that we win. We are capable of doing that. The big
prize for us is the Premiership. That is all we need as an
incentive to win. United have enough good players to make
them very dangerous opponents for us. We must forget what
happened before and just focus on the game.
"It is difficult for me to talk about other clubs but it is
clear they have had problems because they have had to change
the team so often through injuries and suspensions. When you
lose the basis of your team it is even harder. You struggle
to find fluency. Then they lost Rio Ferdinand and that would
be like us losing an important player such as Sol Campbell
for a long time."
Wes Brown:
“We need to show some character on Sunday. We know 12 points
is a lot but we will never give up the chase. Basically, we
have to keep winning games. It is the same thing we have
been saying all season but unfortunately we have lost too
many.
“Arsenal have been playing some fabulous stuff this season
but we are determined to go down there and show them what we
can do.''
Ryan Giggs:
"I wouldn't say there is ill-feeling between Arsenal and
Manchester United players, but there is always an edge when
we clash. The tackles fly in, and the passions run high -
but that shouldn't be too surprising because we have been
genuine title rivals for as long as I can remember.
"History shows that over the years, there has been plenty of
trouble when the two clubs have met, so I don't think we are
fiercer enemies now than we have been in the past.
"I just hope that Sunday's match is remembered for all the
right reasons. The atmosphere will be intense and the desire
will be as high as it always is, but this is a game of
football and not a fight.
“I was punished by the FA for my part in that row in
September. But when you look at incidents over a season, I
don’t think that dispute was particularly worse than a lot
of others.
“I accept something had to be done about it, however,
because it was such a high-profile match. But that’s all
behind us now. Our team will be totally focused on how we
play and nothing else.”
Paul Scholes:
“So far this season they have been the best team. They are
top of the league and deserve to be so because they are
unbeaten. It is up to us now to beat them and break their
run. Arsenal have had it too easy in the last few weeks.
They’ve not had someone breathing down their necks at this
critical stage of the season. We’ll see then how they
react.
“But we’ve not put them under pressure enough recently to
know how they’ll take it. Sooner or later we have to get
over this slump. It can sometimes click into place overnight
— but we’d prefer to be playing a lot better than we are at
the minute before these two games against Arsenal.
“The big difference with the form slump we are experiencing
is the stage of the season when it has happened. Normally,
we are a little bit sloppy before Christmas but we then
build up to a good finish. It hasn’t happened this year.
“The timing of the poor form has made it a lot worse. If
this had been in November or December, then you have more
chance to recover. It is going to be very difficult but we
won’t give in and we’ll give it our best shot.”