Wenger needs an Italian job

14 April 2012

In simple terms, Arsenal's Champions League progress tonight depends largely on their ability to do what no English team has done for 42 years - beat Internazionale here in front of their own passionate fans.

The only English team to win here, believe it or not, is Birmingham City in the old Fairs Cup in 1961 and, since then, some of European football's great names such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton, Aston Villa and Newcastle have tried and failed.

Arsenal's woeful start to this season's competition - eight points dropped in their first three games - means that this latest European adventure could come skidding to a halt on a drenched pitch in the 83,000-capacity San Siro Stadium.

Arsene Wenger is realistic about Arsenal's chances. He said: "It's quite clear. We have to win if we want to be sure of staying in the competition. A draw might be enough to keep us in, but I don't really consider that an option. We must take all three points."

Bear in mind, of course, that the Italians were initially responsible for jeopardising Arsenal's bid for European supremacy. Their 3-0 win at Highbury in September established a climate of doubt that Arsenal only began to repair with the 1-0 win over Dynamo Kiev earlier this month.

Inter might benefit, too, from the early kick-off in the other Group B match between Lokomotiv and Dynamo Kiev in Moscow. The result will be known before ArsenaI kickoff and, if Kiev win, the new Inter manager Alberto Zaccheroni could settle on a containing strategy designed to secure the single point that would put Wenger's men out.

Wenger added: "Even if Inter believe a draw is good enough it won't change the game for us. We will still need to win."

Zaccheroni, the former AC Milan and Lazio coach, succeeded the Argentine Hector Cuper last month and, while he's introduced a more attacking 3-4-3 formation, he has yet to see his team concede a goal in Serie A. He said: "I'm starting to see the right spirit in my side. The overall mentality is changing."

Twice European champions and three times winners of the UEFA Cup, Inter are one of the great club sides of Europe. The development of the libero and attacking full-back can be traced back to their legendary No3 Giacinto Facchetti, who played in both their European Cupwinning teams.

His attacking forays are emulated today by players such as Carlos, Cafu, Thuram and Inter's defensive star Fabio Cannavaro, who scored a stunning goal from 40 yards in the 6-0 demolition of Reggina Calcio last week.

Thierry Henry, whose goals have shot Arsenal to the top of the Premiership, has to negotiate a route past Cannavaro, while his teammates steel themselves for the counter-attacking threat posed by Christiano Zanetti, the holding midfield player who can quickly turn defence into attack, and Christian Vieri, the moody cricket-loving Australian-Italian who scored 24 goals in 23 Serie A matches last season.

Wenger said: "Wherever you look they have world class players. It's a difficult match for us but we have to cope. It would be a big disappointment to go out but it won't be a disaster. It would help us financially to go through but the finance is always secondary in my thinking."

Wenger will be asking the predatory Henry to supply the goals that will ensure Arsenal face Lokomotiv at Highbury next month with a chance of progressing to the second stage. In Europe Arsenal's reliance on Henry is almost total - witness his hat-trick in the 3-1 win over Roma in the Italian capital last season-"Even with the best planning it's almost impossible to stop him," said Wenger. "He won the game for us in Rome when no one expected us to win. So, we can do the same tonight.

"I'd really like to win this competition. I accept that I'll never be completely fulfilled as a coach if I don't. When I look back I never look at what I've won, but what I've lost. It's the challenge of trying to get it right year after year that keeps me going."

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