It seems like a long week since the Liverpool game but we’re back in the saddle tonight as we resume our European campaign.
Porto away is always a tricky tie and the injury news yesterday makes this an even more difficult task. We’ve gone to Portugal with no Gallas, Song, Eduardo, Almunia or Arshavin. It means, I suppose, that Sol Campbell will come in for Gallas, Denilson for Song and Fabianski for Almunia. I wouldn’t really have any worries about Sol, I hope Denilson can find some form and Fabianski for Almunia is, at this moment in time, like the classic poo sandwich/bowl of sick dilemma. The Pole didn’t take his chance in the FA Cup game against Stoke, he needs a decent performance tonight.
The absence of Eduardo is a shame though. His season goes from worse to worser and it does leave us somewhat light up top even though Carlos Vela does return to the squad after an infected sombrero. I suspect we’ll line up something like:
Fabianski – Sagna – Campbell – Vermaelen – Clichy – Denilson – Cesc – Diaby – Nasri – Bendnter – Walcott
So a much more makeshift team than we would have liked and the manager is under no illusions as to what’s required:
We need to be special. We need to dig deep. You cannot go to Porto, who have played 10 consecutive years in the Champions League, and turn up with an average game. The difference will be mental. We also need to be defensively solid but not cautious; that means when you have the ball you have to play. We want a good result that keeps us in the tie.
I don’t think any of the injuries have left us that short really. We have a squad that should be able to cope and Wenger was keen to back the players, in particular the goalkeeper:
He has exceptional talent, he’s a very intelligent goalkeeper and he will have learned. Don’t forget that one of the greatest goalkeepers ever in England, David Seaman, made mistakes at 22 or 23.
Rather a generous comparison at this moment in time, you have to say, but hopefully he can put in the kind of performance that repays the manager’s faith. Up front we’re looking for Nicklas Bendnter to lead the line and, ultimately, score goals. Arsene has backed him too, saying:
He is the best age now for a striker, at 22 you have to start to play at the top level but I would remind you that Thierry Henry arrived here at the age of 23.
The manager is clearly urging a bit of patience here. I’m surprised he didn’t roll out the ‘Didier Drogba was playing in France’s 2nd division at 24’ line. The unfortunate thing for Bendtner is that he’s about our only fit striker now and there’s a level of responsibility that goes with that. Maybe you don’t want to give it to a 22 year old, only just returning from injury himself, but he doesn’t have any other option right now. Nick has stated more than once he just wants the chance to show what he can do in the central striking position, here’s that chance, sir.
You do feel we need to score out there, a draw wouldn’t be a bad result with an away goal or two under our belts. We’ve conceded in every European away game this season apart from the first leg of the playoff game against Celtic so we need to tighten up. The manager has called for the team to revive the spirit of the 06 run where we were so defensively solid, strangely enough with a back four that wouldn’t have been close to first choice. Martin Keown has no worries about Sol Campbell, saying:
I think it was a really good move to bring him back. You need that sprinkling of experience in the dressing room. He also provides a lot of power on the pitch and gives something extra. He hasn’t figured for the last couple of games but he has been around long enough to know what will be required of him.
It was interesting to hear that Arsene wasn’t keen on playing Sylvester alongside Vermaelen because it would mean two left footed centre-halves. Leaving aside the obvious about Sylvester, why is playing two left footed players any different from playing two right footed players? Most central defensive partnerships the world over are two right footed players. Yet conventional wisdom says you can’t play two lefties together. Odd.
Anyway, despite the injuries and long-term absentees, I reckon we’ve got enough to go there and win tonight. Looking forward to this one. And if you’re around London and want somewhere go watch it with other Arsenal fans there’s a screening in O2 Academy Islington. Details on the Online Gooner.
In other news the manager has reacted to the proposal to have a playoff for the final Champions League spot. As expected he’s against it, what’s interesting is that Everton manager David Moyes is also a critic, especially as his club are one that would probably benefit the most from it.
And this tickled me on Andrei Arshavin’s official website. Someone sent him a list of things that he had either done or not done in his life. Andrei was to place a + sign beside the ones he had done, a – beside those he hadn’t. Examples include:
72. Got offended and stopped talking to anybody for a day. +
64. Climbed a tree. +
49. Spent your last internet time on reading blogs. —
The last one is a classic though:
100. Died … —
Brilliant. Imagine going to all the trouble of making up 99 inane questions to ask a footballer then puzzling over the last one. “Hmmmm, I better cover all my bases here!”. Classic.
Anyway, that’s about that. Here’s to a good one tonight. Come on Arsenal.
