標題: Champions League - Wenger: Kids can beat Kiev [打印本頁] 作者: cchl8 時間: 2008-9-18 01:26 AM 標題: Champions League - Wenger: Kids can beat Kiev
Manager Arsene Wenger has called on his Arsenal youngsters to show their potential by opening their Champions League campaign in style against Dynamo Kiev, declaring "We are afraid of nobody in the world".
After recovering from the defeat at Fulham in the Premier League, Arsenal have picked up their form and head into their European tie a side full of confidence following the 4-0 victory at Blackburn, where striker Emmanuel Adebayor grabbed a hat-trick.
However, despite three straight wins and 11 goals scored without reply, a stern test still awaits in Ukraine - where Arsenal have yet to record a victory.
Yet despite being wary of the threat posed by Dynamo, Wenger insisted the on-song Gunners fear no-one.
"We are happy to play football - we are afraid of nobody in the world," he said.
"But we respect Dynamo Kiev because I feel mainly their strength is that they are very efficient as a team.
"They are a very had working team with good discipline, and they can score goals. In that kind of game you want to defend well,
"But as well we are an attacking team so we are only happy when we score goals."
Arsenal may have in the past failed to find their form when travelling to the eastern fringes of Europe.
But this time around - when the 17,000-capacity Stadion Valeriy Lobanovskyi will play host venue rather than the Olympic Stadium, which is being rebuilt ahead of Euro 2012 - the Arsenal manager believes things will be different.
Wenger said: "Usually football in this region can be a little bit destabilising because if you do not prepare mentally well you can be surprised by the level of commitment here.
"We have had some bad experiences in this part of Europe before, but when we lacked experience we were always surprised by that level of commitment and enthusiasm we got from Kiev.
"I believe we have learnt that any place in the world is difficult and I believe mentally we can cope with that better now."
Wenger added: "What is important is that we play well. At the stadium, they get a big support. We have enough experience to deal with that.
"But what is important when you go into a game like that is to play at least as close as possible to your full potential. In a Champions League game you do not get away with less."
"It took us a while to get going and to play at our full potential. Now everybody looks physically ready to play at the top level."
