Post by Salem6 on Nov 4, 2003 18:07:16 GMT
By Richard Clarke
Arsène Wenger has defended his side's home record in the Champions League before the crucial Group B game against Dynamo Kiev at Highbury on Wednesday night.
Although the Ukranian side visited Arsenal on October 21, 1998, it will not be déjà vu tomorrow. That game was at Wembley, Arsenal's Champions League home in those days. By Wenger's own admission, the team never excelled in the national stadium and you could argue that Sergei Rebrov's 90th-minute equaliser that night was the start of a poor run in North West London.
"Wembley was not as advantageous at the time because we had an older team," he told Arsenal.com this week. "Also we did do not feel psychologically that were we playing at home. So we came back to Highbury."
However, Kiev return to London with Wenger side's in desperate need of ending a poor at Highbury. They have won just once in their last eight Champions League ties at home.
"It is difficult to explain," admitted Wenger. "But you have 20 teams in Europe who can do well. You see that with Manchester United, Rangers, Celtic, Liverpool. They can all lose at home and then win away.
"In these games it is the little details that can go for or against you. When you have enough experience or exceptional players on form you can turn it into something for you. The difference is very little so there is nothing to be alarmist about."
Certainly the home support is not to blame, according to Wenger.
"In Europe they have been really good with us," he said. "We have always got the support when we needed it and I cannot fault them at all in their behaviour.
"But they want us to make the difference, they feel that the teams who come here have a lot of potential so they are scared sometimes.
"They are desperate for success and they have the same doubt as we have -can we do it or not?"
Laying the ghost of that late, late equaliser five years ago will breathe belief into both players and supporters alike.
Arsène Wenger has defended his side's home record in the Champions League before the crucial Group B game against Dynamo Kiev at Highbury on Wednesday night.
Although the Ukranian side visited Arsenal on October 21, 1998, it will not be déjà vu tomorrow. That game was at Wembley, Arsenal's Champions League home in those days. By Wenger's own admission, the team never excelled in the national stadium and you could argue that Sergei Rebrov's 90th-minute equaliser that night was the start of a poor run in North West London.
"Wembley was not as advantageous at the time because we had an older team," he told Arsenal.com this week. "Also we did do not feel psychologically that were we playing at home. So we came back to Highbury."
However, Kiev return to London with Wenger side's in desperate need of ending a poor at Highbury. They have won just once in their last eight Champions League ties at home.
"It is difficult to explain," admitted Wenger. "But you have 20 teams in Europe who can do well. You see that with Manchester United, Rangers, Celtic, Liverpool. They can all lose at home and then win away.
"In these games it is the little details that can go for or against you. When you have enough experience or exceptional players on form you can turn it into something for you. The difference is very little so there is nothing to be alarmist about."
Certainly the home support is not to blame, according to Wenger.
"In Europe they have been really good with us," he said. "We have always got the support when we needed it and I cannot fault them at all in their behaviour.
"But they want us to make the difference, they feel that the teams who come here have a lot of potential so they are scared sometimes.
"They are desperate for success and they have the same doubt as we have -can we do it or not?"
Laying the ghost of that late, late equaliser five years ago will breathe belief into both players and supporters alike.
