Depleted Arsenal face test at Sukru Saracoglu
The weekend game saw us face Everton without 2 of the starting back 4, unfortunately we had Kolo Toure succumb to a shoulder injury leaving only Clichy of the starting 4 available. This is not the position you want to be in when you are to play Fenerbahce at the cauldron that is Sukru Saracoglu.
Arsenal meet Fenerbahce in a vocirferous Sukru Saracoglu
Fortunately we will have Djourou back and Nasri has shaken off his knock to be ready for tonight. The atmosphere will be amazing, what Arsenal needs to do is dull the crowd quickly, take control of the game very early, not something we have been able to do consistently.
Fenerbahce has been going through a barren period recently, although they won last weekend they sit in 10th place loosing 4 out of 7 so far this season, collecting only 1 point so far in the Champions League. Aragones has not got the team firing yet, similarly to Spain who was woeful, but turned it around once he got the team to operate the way he wanted.
Boss Wenger has not forgotten has not been allowed to forget Aragones “motivational technique” from 2004, he considers it “clumsy”saying
“It was in a training session when he wanted to motivate Jose Antonio Reyes,” said Wenger.
“It was a very clumsy sentence. But, on the information I have, he is not a racist.
“Everyone is responsible for their own behaviour and, if you are a public man, you have more responsibilities. But Samuel Eto’o had him as a coach and said he was not racist at all.”
For me that’s a non issue, what is important is that the players are ready and Wenger does not go on one of is experimental tangents. Before the Everton match, I intimated that Arsene would not even consider using Eboue as a right back, and was thus proved correct. His hand will be forced tonight, but there’s still the possibility that he will shunt Djourou our right. I know it’s wrong, you know it’s wrong, but Arsene does not see the problem.
Hopefully common sense will prevail and we will see a back four from left to right of Clichy, Silvestre, Djourou, and Eboue not saying that Wenger doesn’t have common sense, but you know how he can be. in the middle and front is anyone’s guess, barring the Rosicky and Eduardo we have a full complement of staff to pick from.
Unlike some of our domestic ties, I believe we are more capable of controlling European ties, their style suits us. I strongly believe the only thing between us and champions league glory is another English side.
It will be hard but we should leave Turkey with a victory, a draw wouldn’t be a bad point but I think it will end 3-1 again we will concede a goal as per usual. Don’t you agree?
