Sir Alex Ferguson has no concerns about the team Arsene Wenger will pick for Arsenal's key Premier League clash with Liverpool at Anfield tonight.
A point for Rafael Benitez's men will be enough to send them top once more, even though they will have played two games more than Manchester United.
However, Arsenal's chances of avoiding defeat could be adversely affected if Wenger decides to make a significant number of changes to the team defeated by Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday.
Having fielded a virtual second team himself against Everton at Wembley, Ferguson is hardly in a position to complain.
In any case, he does not believe any team Wenger sends into battle will lack hunger, which is why he is confident Arsenal will give Liverpool a stern test."I don't know what Arsene will be thinking about (tonight) but no matter what, Arsenal always try," said Ferguson.
"That is the mantra of Arsene himself. He is a winner.
“Providing they try, it is all I can ask for."However, Ferguson recognises the most important task for his team this week is to beat Portsmouth at Old Trafford tomorrow night.
After winning their last two games to end a two-match losing streak, the Red Devils are in the happy position of knowing they can afford to slip up once on their seven game run-in and still complete a Premier League title hat-trick.
"I am not concerned about tomorrow's game," he said, referring to Arsenal's visit to Anfield.
"I will concern myself with my own team. That is enough for me to think about."
Part of that thinking will be the fact that Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic combined to help keep another clean sheet in Sunday’s penalty shoot-out defeat to Everton, reiterating the point that the defensive woes that had been hanging over them last month, could now be a thing of the past.
"The win at Sunderland a couple of weeks ago was a watershed because the defence was starting to look solid again," said Ferguson.
"That was important because now we are on the run in, we want to cement the foundation we have had for most of the season."
With seven games remaining, United are in the happy position of knowing they can afford to slip up once and not be caught, even though they are likely to have dropped back to second by the time Paul Hart’s improving side arrive at Old Trafford tomorrow.
"We have seven games left," said Ferguson.
"All we want to do now is whittle them down one by one. We can only do that by winning."
Meanwhile, Ferguson can see no resolution to the pitch problems which blighted this weekend's FA Cup semi-finals.
After Arsene Wenger's attack on the Wembley surface, which he branded “a disaster" following Arsenal's defeat to Chelsea, Ferguson weighed in with his own criticism.
"There is nothing you can do about it," said Ferguson.
"It is the FA's baby and they have to deal with it themselves.
"I understand the cost of paying for it means the stadium has to be used for other things.
"But when you keep pulling the pitch up and and putting a new one down, it is difficult to bed in.
"Since the new stadium opened, there a very few games when there have been a lot of goals.
"From a spectator's point of view, when he is paying that amount of money, it is an issue."
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/premiership/ferguson-puts-full-faith-in-arsenal-14275520.htmlMore Mind Games? Piling the pressure on Wenger? Mantra Indeed.
