Wenger reveals Fergie respect

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed he holds a grudging respect for Man Utd boss Alex Ferguson. Wenger admits his old rival's all-consuming passion for Manchester United strikes a chord with him.

The Frenchman believes a willingness to devote every waking hour to the cause, even if it means sacrificing family life, is behind their ability to stay at the top for so long.

"You must sacrifice your life to be such a long time in a job like this," Wenger said. "You get up in the morning and drive to the training ground and you're at work but this job never leaves your head wherever you are.

"He (Ferguson) has most of the qualites you need to be a great manager. He is passionate, makes the right decisions and has personality and consistency in his motivation.

"He will not be there forever and neither will I, but I have been doing this job for 25 years without stopping and no-one else has done 21 years in one club like he has so it is a very special sacrifice.

"You need to be consistently determined in your attitude and we are the same as far as the sacrifice is concerned.

"That's where the common ground is. And he is not scared to take a chance with young players and bring them through. Nor am I.

"Sometimes, it was hotter. The climate was a bit warmer!" Wenger said. "The reason it changed was down to the fact that we didn't compete directly with them, so games were not really the deciders. That calms it down.

"To say we are enemies is a big word. I don't know Ferguson well enough to say that I am friends with him. I respect him for what he has done and for what he is doing in the job. That's it.

"You could always handle things differently and just sit back and do nothing. I cannot give you any guarantees about tomorrow."