ARSENAL boss Arsene Wenger may be on the verge of making English football history, but he will still be the calmest man at Wembley on Saturday. The Gunners manager can become the first foreign coach to win the Double by adding the FA Cup to Arsenal's Premiership crown. But the ice-cool Frenchman refuses to get carried away by the excitement which is gripping North London in the run-up to English football's showpiece occasion. There is no doubt that Wenger's refreshingly laid-back attitude has played a major part in Arsenal's first championship in seven years and their transformation into the most exciting team in the country. He said: "I will not allow myself to think about the Double. I just want to go out and win this game. I will not allow myself to get excited - I'm only bothered about picking the team. " Arsene Wenger is not your typical run-of-the-mill football manager. He has a degree, speaks several languages, enjoys fine wine and is certainly not one for throwing tea cups and ranting in the dressing room. When the former Monaco boss took over the Highbury hot seat from Bruce Rioch in 1996, the Gunners faithful were asking 'Arsene Who?'. But they were quickly converted as he built an attacking team capable of challenging Manchester United for the title. Wenger has reached four cup finals during his managerial career - three in France with Monaco, where he was a victor only once. He also won the President's Cup in Japan, but the FA Cup Final is by far the biggest knockout tournament that the Frenchman has competed for. He said: "It's something special, for not only foreign players but for foreign managers like myself, to be at Wembley. If you had to think of two special stadiums in the football world, Wembley would always be one of them." Arsenal will be favourites on Saturday and their fast, attacking football will make them the neutral's choice going into the final. Wenger said: "The fans are enjoying our style and success. But I think they are only enjoying the style because of the success that has come with it. I'm sure that they would not have enjoyed our football quite so much if we had not won anything this season." Arsenal's surge towards the Premiership was a stark contrast to Newcastle's dour League form, which saw them flirt with relegation. But Wenger refuses to dismiss their chances and regards Kenny Dalglish as one of English football's natural winners. "A final is always 50-50. Half of the country will be saying Arsenal will win, but the other half will fancy Newcastle," he said. "Kenny Dalglish has an amazing FA Cup history and reputation and that means we cannot dismiss Newcastle's chances. They are still a very good side with at least three or four outstanding players. Alan Shearer will, of course, be a danger. He has received a lot of bad publicity and I'm sure he will want to respond to that on the biggest stage possible."

NO-ONE LIKES US WE DON'T CARE SAYS TOON'S BARTON   WARREN BARTON says Newcastle's recent bad press is just the inspiration they need to overpower red-hot favourites Arsenal in Saturday's FA Cup Final. Kenny Dalglish's team have been criticised for a series of blunders, both on and off the field, but Barton thinks that the knockers have only succeeded in building a dressing-room camaraderie that will give them the edge against the new champions. The Londoner, a life-long Gunners fan, knows just how important a Cup Final victory is to the Toon supporters and insists that the Geordies' new-found team-spirit can lift them to victory. ''The atmosphere is as good as during my time at Wimbledon, and the lads are all of the same mind - to stick together, work for one another and to really give it a go at Wembley," he said. "We haven't been given any praise for some fine results in the Champions League. We got a 2-2 draw at Kiev in front of 100,000, so why should we worry? ''We are very positive, and the fact that Wembley is only a couple of days away has now begun to sink in. There were flags out in Newcastle when we left, and it is simply great for the town. We want to give all of our fans something for their support. The reception we received at Old Trafford after the semi-final win was nothing short of exceptional. When you feel that passion coming down on your side you mustn't let them down. The Magpies have several experienced players in their ranks and former Liverpool striker Ian Rush has been trying to calm the nerves of his team-mates. Barton said: ''Rushie has played in nine finals at Wembley and said we must enjoy the day and then things will go our way. "For a club of this stature we've had a poor time of it, but this is a way for us to show what we can do. We have enough quality to cause anyone problems and if we can get the ball forward to Alan Shearer then anything is possible - we certainly don't think of ourselves as underdogs. Too much confidence can be a dangerous thing and Barton quickly added that he realises the Gunners will be a tough nut to crack: "They deserve every scrap of praise they've received; they deserve the credit, but don't write us off. We've got the quality to surprise everyone.''

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