Fenerbahce could be a litmus test for our season
Add comment October 21st, 2008
Sometimes you feel going into games that they might just prove to be pivotal. I’ve got a feeling tonight could be one of those nights.
In the last few games we’ve looked shaky at best. Tonight’s game in Turkey would be a test at any time, but in our current form it’s that little bit more daunting. It remains to be seen how we will cope with what Arsene call’s the most passionate atmosphere in Europe. Le Boss says:
“It is a big night for us. They have dropped many points already in the Champions League and it is important to start in the right way so we don’t give them the needed confidence.
I am not worried about the atmosphere but we have to play to dictate our game. We don’t have a team who is built to defend more than attack. We will play. We will want to attack.”
He’s right there – and even if we did have a team built to defend, the fact that we’ll be without three first-choice defenders (Sagna, Gallas and Toure) means that we’re bound to fare better going forwards than backwards. In the absence of the aforementioned trio, Manuel Almunia will wear the armband, whilst Arsene expects Mikael Silvestre’s experience to be vital.
As Arsene intimates, Fenerbahce haven’t been in the best of form this season. If we can frustrate them in the first twenty minutes, that fiercely passionate crowd might begin to get antsy.
I have a feeling there might be a few goals tonight. With a tricky month of fixtures on the horizon, a victory tonight could provide a much-needed confidence boost.
