LONDON, April 20: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger were at loggerheads again on Friday — over England’s World Cup chances.

Ferguson does not think England will reach the semifinals in South Korea and Japan and is tipping Italy to win the tournament.

But Wenger, who has offered to help England’s preparations for the Asia tournament, believes there is no reason why Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side cannot go all the way.

“If they get out of their group, they can go to the very end,” Wenger, who has managed J-League side Nagoya Grampus Eight, told reporters at Arsenal’s training ground.

“Why should they not win it? The England team has players from Manchester United and Liverpool and Arsenal — they are top players helping their clubs win trophies, so why should they all be less ambitious for England?

“England has a good young generation coming through who have not been proven at international level yet, but it can happen...things can just click.

“The potential is there.”

Ferguson, the Scot, and Wenger, the Frenchman, have endured an uneasy relationship since Wenger arrived at Arsenal in 1996.

United and Arsenal have been the leading two clubs in English football for the last six years and the managers’ rivalry has meant they rarely see eye-to-eye.

Ferguson fears England will struggle to qualify from their first-round group of Argentina, Sweden and Nigeria and thinks coach Eriksson lacks a young midfielder likely to make an impact at the tournament.

“I’d have to say the England group is very difficult,” he was quoted as saying in The Sun on Friday. “Aside from Argentina, Nigeria are not easy opponents. And Sweden, of course, also have a great record.

“England don’t have any young player breaking through who you would think is going to light up the stage.

“Kieron Dyer is an option but it’s not his best position. Sometimes we play Paul Scholes there and he does very well because he has good intelligence but it’s not the best position. And therein lies the problem.”

Ferguson is backing Italy to win the World Cup, with France, Argentina and Spain also making the last four.

“France have a marvellous group of players and they’ve some youngsters now breaking into the squad who will augment the great pools from the European Championship in 2000 and the 1998 World Cup,” he said.

“But I also feel Italy will have a big chance, while Argentina and Spain probably have some of the best young players around now.”

When he was asked who would win the World Cup, Ferguson said: “I must say Italy. I thought they were very unlucky in the 2000 European Championship and the team us young enough.

“They still have a great defensive strength in Cannavaro, Buffon and Nesta. Those three are marvellous players.

“And they have the youth of Totti, Delvecchio and Del Piero - they have plenty of talent in the team.”—Reuters