Celtic v Arsenal:NOT FOR the first time, it was as much about what Arsene Wenger did not say yesterday. Hard on the heels of Arsenal's turbo-charged start to the new Premier League season at Everton, which showcased his young squad's unity, among other things – consider those en masse goal celebrations – the question was put to Wenger as to whether the dressingroom had found fresh spirit.
It is no secret that Emmanuel Adebayor did not see eye-to-eye with Nicklas Bendtner, with whom he infamously clashed in a League Cup tie at Tottenham; that the Togolese had come to be viewed as a fractious element, rubbing up other players the wrong way. And while no one could accuse Kolo Toure of being a bad egg, he admitted that he did not get along with his defensive partner, William Gallas.
Adebayor and Toure have now been moved on to Manchester City, albeit in return for the princely combined sum of €45 million.
Had Wenger’s decision to sell taken in any issues related to team harmony? “I’m not sure but I don’t want publicly to come out on that,” the manager replied. “I never felt there was an issue spirit-wise at the club or within the team,” Wenger continued. “I felt that always we had a good spirit but it’s something that is difficult to measure when you aren’t living every day in the dressingroom. You do not always know everything.”
Wenger is clear on one thing. A 6-1 thrashing of disorientated opposition at Goodison Park, no matter how uplifting, has proved nothing; it merely has to be the first step on the long road ahead this season, which now takes in Celtic in the first leg of the Champions League final qualifying round in Glasgow.
Wenger is sensitive to the potential for setbacks, for checks to the confidence of his squad. The Frenchman plans to proceed with cautious optimism.
“We have a united spirit but you have to take care of your attitude and the players have to take care of the spirit because it is as fragile as the weather in England, quickly cloudy,” he said. “It’s strange because when you have no attitude or spirit, you have no results and when you have results, you can also lose it quickly. But I believe we have a good attitude and a strong togetherness and that came out at Everton.”
Wenger takes heart from the form of his team since the end of their wretched run last season, when they lost five of their first 14 Premier League games. “We were very consistent from November until May, we only lost two key games,” he said, referring to the FA Cup semi-final defeat by Chelsea and the reverse over two legs at the hands of Manchester United in the Champions League semi-final.
“Many people were doubting our capacity to win away from home but we scored more goals away from home than anybody else in the Premier League. So it cannot be a complete surprise to people who look at facts.”
A pressure-cooker atmosphere comes as standard at Celtic Park but Wenger’s players are no strangers to such tumult. Consider their 5-2 triumph over Fenerbahce in Istanbul at the Champions League group stage last season. Arsenal’s belief is swelled further by the availability of Andrey Arshavin; the Russia forward was cup-tied in Europe last time out after signing in mid-season.
“There is high pressure on us to perform,” said Wenger, who dismissed the financial implications to concentrate only on those of a sporting nature; success in the group stage could be worth up to €30.7 million to his club. “It is a massive game for us but, on the other hand, you want games with that kind of pressure. We can gain more respect if we perform against a team like Celtic.”
Wenger will stick to his new-look 4-3-2-1 formation which he honed in pre-season and used to devastating effect at Everton. With Theo Walcott ruled out with a problem that is affecting his side and lower back, Wenger also reported doubts over Cesc Fabregas, Denilson and Bacary Sagna. Abou Diaby, however, is fit and Fabregas is expected to take his place in a midfield three that, in Wenger’s words, affords him “more licence” to break forward. “Cesc scored goals when he was a young boy and I can’t see why that won’t come back,” said Wenger.
His players have their tails up and they intend to relish the occasion.
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