Wolves boss Glenn Hoddle will avoid any mind games with Arsene Wenger next week - as he already knows how the Frenchman thinks. Hoddles team, who take on Arsenal in the fourth round of the FA Cup next Saturday, provide the calm before the storm with the Gunners bitter rivals, Manchester United, the next visitors to Highbury. The impending Premiership clash has been overshadowed by verbal jousting between Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson. But Hoddle is anticipating a much gentler build-up to Saturday after admitting his admiration for Wenger, having played under him at Monaco. It is clear to see that Hoddle has been influenced by the Arsenal boss and is an exponent of Wengers footballing philosophies. And he believes that Wenger does NOT get involved in the mind games that have made headline news this week. The former England boss rubbishes the notion that Wenger employs those tactics, despite the long-running battle with Ferguson. I dont think there are any mind games, said Hoddle, who secured his first win as Wolves boss in the Cup earlier this month. I think its something that has been built up in the media and made into something that it isnt. I spoke to Arsene this week and hes not said anything about it. Genuinely, hes a good guy and I get on well with him. I have a lot of respect for him and hes someone Ive always been on the same wavelength with. When I was a player he spoke to me a lot about football and all sorts of things. We had a good relationship and its continued since hes been in England. Hoddle believes that Wenger has brought a new dimension to the game since his appointment at Arsenal over eight years ago. The former Spurs star was fully aware of what Wenger could bring to the English game when he first arrived - he was tutored in his footballing school during his four-year spell with Monaco. I know Arsene well from playing under him and I know exactly how he thinks, said the 47-year-old Hoddle. He would have gained a lot more experience since those days but back then he was very astute. There are certain things I learned that I do use. Going abroad is about expanding the mind and I did. You learn new things and there were a lot of things we werent doing in English football that we are now. I saw those things and I experienced them things as a player and I knew how they helped me. Theres a lot of things from my Monaco days that I got from Arsene and playing with other players in another style of football. There were aspects to it that were a bit of an eye-opener. They were more advanced than we were with fitness coaches and dieticians. But I think were catching up at Premiership level. There were several occasions, when I was England manager, when people would ask me about him and I would say go and get him because hes been successful wherever hes been. A couple of times people came back to me because no-one knew who he was in this country, but I said hes quality and hell win things. Hoddles prophecy has proved true with Wenger winning the Premiership three times and the FA Cup three times. The Wolves boss believes that Wenger will be gunning for a fourth FA Cup success this year, regardless of what side he picks for the tie or what else is on the agenda. The suspicion is that with United on the horizon, Wenger, like the other top clubs, will rest his big-game players in favour of Highburys next generation. Hoddle sees the sense in that but believes it could play into Wolves hands after Liverpools slip-up and Uniteds scare at the hands of Exeter. Id like to have a squad like Arsenes to choose and pick and mix but thats part of being a top club where the manager has a different type of challenge, said the two-times cup winner. Its about getting the balance right in trying to win those games and protecting the players. Obviously it didnt work out on the night for Liverpool at Burnley but I think they would have chosen a different team if they werent in the Coca-Cola Cup semi-finals. But if anyone thinks that these teams are not taking it seriously then they only have to see the line-up Sir Alex fielded in midweek. Arsenal will want to go all the way and win the FA Cup - theres no doubt about that. Thats the balancing act Arsene Wengers got, but hes got a squad to choose from to achieve that. What is the clubs priority? Maybe its the FA Cup, as they are 10 points behind in the league. But theyve got Manchester United a few days afterwards and theres Europe to consider. Its a problem that brings with it a headache but its a nice one to have. So of course weve a chance. In any given game theres a chance. Theyll be favourites but weve got nothing to fear - we really havent. Its a day off from fear. Theyve got it all to lose and weve got it all to gain. Well go there with a game plan and come 2.50pm there will be no-one in our dressing room, from the kit man to the players to coaching staff, who wont be thinking we cant get the right result. Everyone outside those dressing-room walls will think were going to get beaten and thats why the pressure is on them. But you just never know because this cup is such a wonderful cup and it throws up unexpected results. | 
