Arsenal-Mania

Píres: Arsenal against United is the biggest game

By Jonathan Chong on Friday, November 2, 2007

Past results
Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R
Nov, 03	12:45 PM	P	Manchester United (H)	2	2	Draw

Former Arsenal winger Robért Píres says that his former club's rivalry with Manchester United is the biggest in the Premiership.

The Frenchman, now with Villareal, said: "What exactly motivated this rivalry in the first place is not totally clear to me.

"But I believe towards the end it was all to do with Manchester United's excessive arrogance and their excessive physical play.

"With each triumph, (United manager Sir Alex) Ferguson would insist that his team was the best and that never went down well at Arsenal. These things irritate players.

"For any Arsenal player, there are six matches each season that really matter more than the others: the ones against Spurs, Chelsea and Manchester United.

"But United is extra special. It is another step up from the other two. At the start of my time, United had been the traditional champions for a decade and believed they held some kind of power over London clubs.

"Because of that, any victory over United was sensational and one to savour. That is still the case today.

"In the dressing room before a United game, Wenger would have one message every time.

"He would just ask us to be calm and to play with our usual style and not to be affected by the opposition.

"Specifically, he would tell us not to enter into wars with people like Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney or the Neville brothers.

"He would tell us that he knew what United would do but that we had to be professional. But Wenger badly wanted us to beat them.

"In the run up to those games he would remind us of the rivalry and tell us what it meant to our supporters.

"There was no extra money on offer, of course. The win bonus would be the same for United as it would, for example, against a team like West Brom.

"But Arsenal players don't need an extra incentive when they face United. It's all in their heads already."

User Comments

3

Pel

Posted on 2 Nov, 2007 at 03:28 PM - Reply

We miss you Bobby!

2

pimpf_halo

Posted on 2 Nov, 2007 at 02:39 PM - Reply

well done and well said bobby! ferguson always upped the ante against arsenal because he fears us!he refused to feed keane for a week before our clashes and terrified the rest of his team to come out snarling gnashing and ready to draw blood lol Arsene though was far too clever for red nose fergy ans sent out teams prepared to play - not kill - for the cause. it will be te same on saturday and failing a monkeyboy fluke from 30 yards, I reckon cesc and the beautiful game will win out against thuggery

1

Morgan

Posted on 2 Nov, 2007 at 01:45 PM - Reply

Down in Africa,zambia in Livingstone,the game fever for supporters is high as though the teams were indeed ours. A Man United and Arsenal game is really big. I believe its Arsenal's year of glory.