(Manchester united News)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has shrugged off his side’s poor recent form at Old Trafford ahead of Monday night’s FA Cup quarter-final with Manchester United.
“I don’t believe too much in history,” he said. “At the moment we are doing well away from home, so it’s down to our effort. We are confident. We go to United to give absolutely everything. We are the holders of the FA Cup and want to keep it. The cup is about giving it all on the day, and we’ll do that on Monday.”
Wenger hailed the long-standing rivalry between the clubs. “It’s a special intensity because it’s between two teams with a chance of winning.”
The Gunners boss added that he saw parallels between Louis van Gaal’s first year in charge of a Barclays Premier League team and his own, in which both men have received some criticism. “It’s like that. The rule is everyday you have to criticise somebody or you don’t sleep well overnight. Because we are in a public job, we have to accept that. It’s important you know well the players you have, and I believe that United are in construction, because they got many new players this year. When I arrived here, I had a stable team, used to playing in the Premier League. I don’t look too much at United – I look at my club, what we want to achieve, and how I could achieve it.”
The Gunners boss commented that former Reds forward Danny Welbeck was “very important” to his team. “I think he’s played in nearly every single game. His position is one of the three up front - central, left or right. He can play anywhere. He plays very well for me and is an exceptional player who will have a great future here. I am very, very happy that I bought him.”
