"I would choose Carrick as
Robin had it (FWA Footballer of the Year) last season. Give it to somebody
different.
"Carrick is a quality passer.
He could play in Barcelona. He would be perfectly suited to their game.
"He has a good vision and an
intelligent player and it is for what he has achieved in his whole career as
well.
"It is this year or never for
him. Just because he is nearly 32 years old and after they go down."
United may have strolled to the
championship, some 16 points clear of rivals Manchester City as they target a
record points haul, but Wenger does not expect the Red Devils to lose much
focus on Sunday.
"It would be a big mistake for
us to think they will ease off straight away," he said.
"You are still on the high for
the next game, but it can happen in two or three weeks after (securing the
trophy)."
Wenger maintains there was never a
possibility of Arsenal refusing to hold a guard of honour, which United
performed themselves in 2005 for Chelsea, who then returned the gesture two
years later. United also honoured Arsenal when they visited Highbury back in
1991.
"That is nothing to do with
being a winner. It is just to respect those that have been stronger than
you," said the Gunners boss, whose team have not held up a trophy since
the 2005 FA Cup.
"In life it is about doing as
well as you can and if someone is stronger than you then respect him. It is not
easy, but for me there is nothing wrong with that. I am proud to be a culture
that does that."
Wenger admits it was "one of
the hardest decisions" to sell Van Persie rather than look to hold him to
the final year of his contract.
"It is difficult when the
player does not want to be here, to force him to be here and know that at the
end of the season the club does not get anything with knowing that he might not
contribute as well, so you are twice a loser," he said.
"We have lost some other big
players like Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, but they had won with the club and
they were around 30 or 31.
"Robin could help us to win
because we haven't won for a few years. That he left before that, was
frustrating for us."
Wenger, though, can understand Van
Persie's desire to look to guarantee success elsewhere rather than continuing
to wait in hope for Arsenal to finally come of age.
"Robin arrived at the age of 29
and thought 'can we win the championship here or do I have to more chances to
win it somewhere else?,"' said Wenger
"There is a kind of time scale
like for a woman who has no baby at 39, she starts to think 'I have not much
time left now'."
