SOCCER:ALEX FERGUSON has responded with a mixture of disdain and bemusement to Arsene Wenger's allegations of Manchester United's "anti-football" tactics and launched a strong defence of Darren Fletcher, the player most heavily implicated in the Frenchman's criticisms.

Ferguson described the midfielder as “one of the more honest and fair players in the game” and, more provocatively, questioned whether his old rival was lashing out because he was “agitated” about the failure to win a major trophy since 2005.

After a period of calm between the two managers, Ferguson made no attempt to conceal his displeasure about Wenger’s complaints after Arsenal had lost 2-1 at Old Trafford a fortnight ago.

Wenger did not name Fletcher directly but complained of a player being on the pitch “only to make fouls” and of United’s “repeated fouls” being a “more urgent issue” than the problem of diving.

“I think he was a bit agitated right from the start,” Ferguson responded.

“He knew it was a big game for them; a bigger game for Arsenal than it was for United because, well, the last two or three seasons have been disappointing for them,” added Ferguson.

“This time, they started well, putting six past Everton and four past Portsmouth so it was frustrating for them.”

Ferguson is understood to have raised the matter with Wenger when they attended a Uefa event in Switzerland in the week after the match, and he added:

“Because Darren wins the ball, and he does it fairly, that has probably annoyed him. But that is Darren’s job and it is one he is very good at. He is marvellous at pressing the ball. His energy is incredible.

“The other thing about Darren is that Arsenal seem to bring the best out of him. He always seems to be man of the match against them. There was that semi-final against Arsenal at Villa Park, there was a game at Highbury when he was man of the match.

“Arsenal just seems to be one of those big clubs that Darren always stars against. So I am not bothered with that because I thought Fletcher was fantastic.

“I said right after the game that, for me, he was the star man. Wayne Rooney, who got the man of the match, said it should have gone to Fletcher and we all agreed.”

United take on Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane today before flying to Istanbul tomorrow for their opening Champions League tie against Besiktas two days later.

Ferguson explained why he had registered Owen Hargreaves in his 25-man list with Uefa rather than Zoran Tosic, the 22-year-old Serbia international who has struggled to make an impact since signing from Partizan Belgrade in January.

After 10 months of intense rehabilitation in the United States, having had surgery on both knees, Hargreaves is due to return to Manchester on September 23rd and Ferguson believes he could be fit for United’s fourth Champions League match against CSKA Moscow on November 3rd.

“It was a dilemma,” Ferguson said.

“We wondered what we should do about Owen Hargreaves, whether we should put him or Tosic in the 25 and we came down on the side of Hargreaves because, having taken the medical advice, we think he will be available for the last three Champions League games.

“That will be the time when we want to push him back into action and he is such a versatile player, he could be a very important player for us at that time of the season,” added the United boss.

The decision, Ferguson added, would be “very disappointing” for Tosic, who has been limited to three substitute appearances in his nine months at the club.