The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| Arsenal’s future is looking bright, says Wenger Posted: 03 May 2013 07:51 AM PDT LONDON, May 3 — Arsenal are in a "very, very strong position for the future", manager Arsene Wenger said today as an eighth season without a trophy reaches a nervy conclusion. Wenger also played down any talk of him leaving the Gunners before his current contract ends next year, and said he felt as committed to Arsenal as he had done since arriving in the red half of North London in 1996. Arsenal are in a fight with their arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea for the two remaining Champions League places for next season as they seek to compete in the elite European competition for a 16th successive season. They are fourth in the Premier League, two points above Tottenham and one behind Chelsea, and could consolidate their position tomorrow when they make the short trip across London to already-relegated Queens Park Rangers. Spurs are at home to Southampton tomorrow while Chelsea travel to newly-crowned champions Manchester United on Sunday. Talking to reporters at the club's London Colney training base in Hertfordshire, Wenger said: "We have gone through a period that was very sensitive, we are coming out of it now and everything is here to have a great future. "We have a good fan base, we now have a strong financial situation, we have good young players and a squad with a bright future with the quality of the young players we have. "It is just to manage it well now."
Despite that, they have never fallen below fourth since Wenger arrived, have moved from the 38,000-capacity Highbury to the 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium and have played in the Champions League every season since 1998-99. There have been rumours in the past that the 63-year-old Frenchman might leave Arsenal and these gained ground last week with rumours of a move to Paris St Germain, but he has ruled out an imminent return to his homeland. "I have answered that question already. I respect my contracts," he said. "I believe a big club should be run where everybody does his job and I try to do my job. The only thing I can say is that I do it with a lot of commitment and a lot of loyalty. I try to do as well as I can for this club. "I want to stay if I do well and if I consider or the club considers that I do well, that is all." Of more immediate concern is this weekend's match at QPR and taking three points to keep up their top-four challenge. "The only thing we know is it can only be decisive if we win our games. That is compulsory. We focus on winning our games and then look at the results of other teams." — Reuters |
| Day at the races rests on United beating Chelsea Posted: 03 May 2013 07:38 AM PDT MANCHESTER, England, May 3 — Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is resorting to light-hearted bribery to keep his Premier League winners focused on Sunday's match against Chelsea by telling them they will only be allowed a day at the races if they win. His players sealed a 20th league title last week and there has been a party mood around the club since, Ferguson even sharing champagne with reporters at the news conference today. "I never took into account all the (celebration-type) things that happen," he said. "The PFA award, our own Player of Year awards, the parade and then (Nemanja) Vidic came to me last week and asked if the team could go to Chester races on Wednesday. "And I said without thinking 'Yeah, of course' but then when you put all these things together you think 'what the hell!'. "I hope they don't forget there's a game of football to be played, now if they don't win on Sunday I think that would be cancelled." The incentives do not end there. "In actual fact, I think I've got two horses running on Wednesday so I'll give them a tip if they win," he added.
They might put out their best team but there is no pressure. "It's time for us to play with good enthusiasm, enjoyment and relax and play good football and express ourselves, that's what I expect to see," said Ferguson as he sipped his bubbly from a plastic cup. Benitez dig Third-placed Chelsea are 20 points behind the champions in the standings with 65 points from 34 games and after a stuttering season have found some form over recent weeks, yesterday reaching the Europa League final. Ferguson said inconsistency had been the London side's problem in a season where they dismissed manager Roberto Di Matteo in November and appointed Rafael Benitez until the end of the campaign. "When they sacked Roberto Di Matteo that maybe knocked them back a bit, it took them a long time to get going again. It's only in the last few weeks that they've got any consistency again," he said. Ferguson praised Benitez for their good recent results, helped in part he believes by an easing in hostility from fans towards the Spaniard. But he could not resist a little dig at a man with whom he has often had a fractious relationship. "I think he's very concerned about his CV, he refers to it quite a lot," he said. Ferguson has not got any major injury concerns before Sunday's game at Old Trafford (1500 GMT) although striker Danny Welbeck has been ruled out and midfielder Paul Scholes is likely to be on the bench as he returns from injury. The United manager said he was not planning wholesale changes to his squad during the close season, saying "tweaking" was the right word for what he had in mind. "We'll maybe look at one or two bodies to come in but you've got to remember we've got a lot of young players we expect to improve, we've got to take that into consideration," he said. "In the main group, we know where we are, we are comfortable." — Reuters |
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