UEFA Champions League Previews: Arsene Wenger yesterday asked Alex Ferguson to "calm down", describing the Manchester United manager as irresponsible for inflaming tensions in the build-up to Arsenal's match at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Wenger believes Ferguson stoked up ill-feeling by raising the issue of his team's behaviour there last season and laughed off the United manager's assessment of what happened 13 months ago.
Ferguson has said Arsenal "got away with murder" and the scenes were the "worst thing" he had witnessed in sport.
"I think he has a good sense of humour," Wenger said. "You cannot deny that." He wonders whether Ferguson wanted his team to face a firing squad: "Maybe it would have been better that you had put us up against the wall and shot us."
Four Arsenal players were suspended and the club were fined £175,000 for their conduct during the goalless draw. A late penalty miss by Ruud van Nistelrooy sparked the misbehaviour.
"You have to consider that he (Ferguson) and I are not in the best position to judge (what happened)," Wenger said. "The whole story has been judged (by the Football Association) and you have to accept that.
"I think as well that, as managers, we have a responsibility to prepare for these games as they are supposed to be. That means making it a football game and not a game full of resentment or unneeded aggression."
Verbal sparring has become part of the lead-up to Arsenal-Manchester United matches but Wenger believes Ferguson will gain nothing.
"I hope that he will calm down," he added. "I can guarantee it doesn't influence us at all and that we will, as ever, just focus on the way we play football.
"We want to make sure everyone will watch just a football game. That's the most important thing. No matter what you say five days before, the only important thing is how well you pass the ball and how well you win the ball back."
Martin Keown, who was singled out for criticism by Ferguson, has since left for Leicester and Ray Parlour has joined Middlesbrough. Patrick Vieira, sent off in the match last season, will almost certainly be absent on Sunday because of an ankle injury, according to Wenger.
Vieira is out of tonight's game at Panathinaikos, so Francesc Fabregas will partner Edu. Arsenal lost 1-0 to the Greek team three years ago and Thierry Henry lost his composure at the end. The striker will be captain tonight, confirmation that Wenger sees him as "calmer" now.
"This is a good measure of how far we have gone from where we were three years ago, because it was a non-inspirational Arsenal performance," Wenger said. "I want to see how much better we are. I am confident that we are much better."
Wenger will want an improvement on his team's last Champions League match, the 1-1 draw against Rosenborg in Norway. He wants Arsenal to dictate the pace, rather than let Panathinaikos play at their slower tempo. The Greek champions beat Rosenborg 2-1 in their opening home match in this competition and top Qroup E.
PANATHINAIKOS (probable, 5-4-1): Chalkias; Vintra, Kirgiakos, Goumas, Morris, Konstantinidis; Gonzalez, Basinas, Mitu, Skacel; Konstantinou.
ARSENAL (probable, 4-4-2): Lehmann; Lauren, Toure, Campbell, Cole; Ljungberg, Fabregas, Edu, Pires; Reyes, Henry.
Referee: V Ivanov (Russia).
