Arsenals Wenger cheered by Man Uniteds frailties
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants his young players to take advantage of Manchester Uniteds leaky defense and leave Old Trafford with some valuable away goals in the first leg of the semifinals of the Champions League.
Wenger has won just about every major title with Arsenal since taking over in 1996, but the closest he came to winning the Champions League was in 2006 when the Gunners lost to Barcelona in the final.
This is the moment weve waited for and this is the moment we want to show we have whats needed to take advantage of this first game, Wenger said Tuesday, The modern rules encourage team at home to be cautious and the away team to be audacious. To score away goals could be very important tomorrow.
Arsenal takes on United four days after the Premier League leaders overcame a 2-0 deficit against Tottenham in the second half to win 5-2.
Before that match, Uniteds back four had looked to have regained its durability by keeping three straight clean sheets after conceding 12 goals in five matches. Arsenal has already beaten United this season, recording a 2-1 win at Emirates Stadium in November.
I believe that they can concede goals, Wenger said. Lets not focus on Manchester Uniteds weaknesses but our strengths and the way we want to play.
United center half Nemanja Vidic said his teams slump is due to manager Alex Fergusons need to rotate the squad amid a tough match schedule.
In the first half (against Tottenham) we didnt defend very well, Vidic said. In the second half we came back much stronger, and that is how we need to play against Arsenal and any team we play against. It just happens - sometimes things go wrong.
We will try to fix the problems we have had in the last games, but we need to remember as well that we have changed many players. We have not played with a consistent team at the back, even in the middle or up front. We have so many games that sometimes you have to change the team and sometimes you need time to adapt.
The five-goal surge that kept United at the top of the Premier League may have boosted the strikers confidence ahead of its first European encounter with Arsenal, but Ferguson doesnt anticipate a high-scoring affair.
There will be vigilance from both teams, an awareness about not losing a goal, Ferguson said. We need to win the first leg without losing a goal. Ill be delighted to win the game 1-0.
Ferguson has a tough decision about which forwards will start at Old Trafford. Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Dimitar Berbatov all scored in the 5-2 win, but second-half substitute Carlos Tevez was the architect of the comeback.
Since beating Chelsea in last seasons Champions League final, Ferguson has wanted his team to be the first to retain the trophy since the new format began in the 1992-93 season.
Talk is cheap, but a faint heart never won a fair lady, Ferguson said. Its something I would dearly love to achieve. Some might say I am tempting fate, but here at Old Trafford we have always set our sights high and I want our players to appreciate that I believe they are good enough to rise to this challenge.
Nobody is saying it will be easy and we will certainly need to enjoy that little rub of luck and freedom from injury that can make or break you.
While United is still on course for a quadruple, having already captured the Club World Cup and League Cup, the Champions League represents Arsenals last chance of ending its trophy drought since 2005.
Im an optimist and I believe I will win it, and the sooner the better, Wenger said. Thats why Im here with complete belief.
Arsenal heads north to Old Trafford after extending an unbeaten Premier League run to 20 matches by beating Middlesbrough 2-0 Sunday, which all but secures another top-four finish and Champions League qualification.
Now Wenger wants his talented young players to show that they can win titles, too.
We have tried to build our team in a different way, Wenger said. We have just built a young team because we wanted to develop a special way of playing and a special spirit.
When the players had been educated together from the age of 16 to 23 or 24 there is something special we hope will come out at this level of the competition.
Arsenal has concerns at left back with Kieran Gibbs a doubt with an ankle problem. His likely replacement, former United player Mikael Silvestre, has a back complaint.
