Fergie mind games

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

Daily Mail

Fergie taunts Chelsea: United's clashes with you can't match the 'history and quality' of our Arsenal showdowns

Sir Alex Ferguson has taunted his opponents in Sunday's crunch Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge by insisting that Manchester United's matches with Chelsea will never carry as much meaning as those against Arsenal.

Just two days before the Red Devils face Luiz Felipe Scolari's in-form Blues at Stamford Bridge in a clash between most people's Barclays Premier League title favourites, Ferguson has stoked the fires by claiming Chelsea cannot match the 'history and quality' of their London rivals.

The United boss' claim may come as a surprise to the Chelsea hierarchy given it has been them who have fought United for the title for the previous four seasons - winning it for consecutive years in 2005 and 2006.

But speaking at the League Managers' Association's dinner for their Benevolent Trust and Community Fund at Wembley, Ferguson said: 'If you look back over the last 12 or 13 years, who has it been? - Arsenal v Manchester United, Manchester United v Arsenal.

'Of course we've got Chelsea at the moment, that's without question, but the history of Arsenal versus Manchester means that you're not just talking about winning a football match, you're talking about your own history against the other team's history.

'There's a dominance attached to that. You want to be the dominant team and they want to be the dominant team - and we've had some volatile matches because of that.

'But you can't beat the history and the quality that both teams believe in, and the way they want to play has never changed.'

Wenger agreed with his rival's assessment and claimed the Gunners' matches with United were always the acid test of his players.

'It is usually the decider of the season - big games that tell you a lot about your team. Will they be capable of winning the big matches?' he said.

'You go into the season with the feeling that you must win the big games, and the big game usually is Manchester United.'

The history of the Premiership will tell you that Manu and Arsenal have usually been the top dogs and have battled it out for most of that until we broke the monopoly of both teams. In the past 5 years we have either finished 1st or 2nd. Fergie knows were a threat and is talking bollocks imo.

Arsenal have faded away, but theres always been needle between them. Ian Wright on Schmeichel, Keown on Van Horseface, etc.... So obviously theres a history between them. He's trying to undervalue our position as his main title challengers.

Doesnt wash with me.

[Fulham Broadway 17,367]

He seems to be shitting himself a bit recently, and what happened to ''I dont talk about the opposition'' ??

Father Alex McGuire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH9LAGP1BjA

[terry26 6]

awwww sadly Fergies Jedi mind tricks dont work against Chelsea anymore

[Elliott 7]

Load of bollocks.

He's just playing it down cause he'll know they'll lose.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Fergie won't get a response out of Scolari, although I wouldn't mind Felipao giving him a left hook like he did to Dragutinovic

[misschief 24]

Read this earlier, of course he's on a wind-up and as usual there'll be loads that fall for it, just made me laugh though. Scolari won't rise to it so its not a big deal.

[Kez 2,727]

Load of bollocks.

He's just playing it down cause he'll know they'll lose.

Absolutely he's shitting himself