Wenger tells United boss to 'prove it'

Arsene Wenger responded to Alex Ferguson's comments by effectively telling him to mind his own business last night. Angrily rejecting the United manager's allegation that his club had been involved in plea bargaining with the Football Association, Wenger remarked that detractors such as Ferguson would not rest even if his players had been hanged.

"I don't think I speak about other people, we concentrate on our club and our behaviour," said the Arsenal manager. "I do not want United players to be suspended or sent off, it is not my problem. I am only concerned by Arsenal. What happens at Manchester United is not my problem.

"For some people even if you hang us it would not be enough. You should hang us twice - and maybe at Hyde Park in front of the whole country. For people who don't like Arsenal it's never enough, for those who like Arsenal it is too much and there are more of the former."

However Wenger would not be drawn directly into condemning Ferguson for an accusation he considered baseless, saying that it would be serious only "if this guy comes out and proves we have struck a deal". He pointed to the severity of the sentence as proof there was none.

Arsenal were handed a record fine of £175,000 for failing to control their players, with a further £100,000 levied against the individuals involved in the scenes at Old Trafford on September 21st.

The Highbury club is still considering whether to appeal against the punishments, which also saw Lauren suspended for four matches, Martin Keown for three and Patrick Vieira and Ray Parlour for one game each.

"I have a problem with both the fines and the suspensions," he said, aware that an appeal could lead to a heavier penalty. "But we want to get on with it, we cannot influence the outside world who punishes us."

However, that knowledge will not prevent the Frenchman trying. He recalled the incident that led to Vieira's dismissal for a second yellow card against Manchester United, claiming the Arsenal captain was merely retaliating to provocation from Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Though Arsenal are said to be paying for past sins with the record fine - they have received 52 red cards since Wenger's arrival in September 1996 - Wenger defended that record.

"That is mostly because we have overreacted to provocation," he said. "That was the case with Patrick on Van Nistelrooy. Did Van Nistelrooy go for the ball for one second? No, he wanted to wind up Patrick. That's not football. If you go on the pitch to wind somebody up you can say it is clever behaviour but it is not fair."

If Arsenal do not appeal the FA's punishment, at least the suspensions could hardly have been timed better, starting from November 17th, with Lauren's four-game ban including games against Birmingham, Fulham and Leicester, as well as Wolves in the Carling Cup. But with Keown, Parlour and Vieira also ruled out of that trip to St Andrews, there could still be a significant impact on his defensive plans, especially with little cover for Lauren at right back.