When it boils down to it, football can be a highly competitive business, so it’s always nice to hear coaches speaking well of each other. Ahead of tonight’s FA Cup game between Man United and Arsenal, Louis van Gaal lavished praise on his counterpart, Arsene Wenger, who has been at the helm of the club since 1996.
Of course, Wenger has had his share of critics since failing to win the Premier League trophy with the Gunners (the last time they won it was 2003/04)
“In my opinion what (Wenger) has done is amazing. It can only be in England, I believe, where managers are so long committed with one club. It shows how much he can mean for a club as a manager. I like that – like Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger – I think it’s fantastic that you can do that,” said Van Gaal.
He added that tonight’s game will be a huge indicator of where both teams will finish at the end of the season.
“I think if we beat them it is a big blow for them, but if they beat us it is a big blow for us. It is very important game, not only for the FA Cup but also for the [Premier League] rat race,” said Van Gaal.
Added Marouane Fellaini : “It will be a challenge. Monday is a massive game. We have to win it in one game because playing at Arsenal would be difficult. The FA Cup is a special competition, a big trophy in England. I lost a final. I played in a semi-final. This season, I can win it. We have showed it spirit already a lot of times now and we have to continue like that. We have a big game on Monday, so it is good for the confidence. We always keep going and scored in the last minute [against Newcastle]. The spirit was good, we kept going and that is important.”