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Camden New Journal - by STEVE BARNETT
Published: 27 September 2007

Young guns ‘ready to battle’

Boss Wenger confident team has strength to back up its total football approach

ARSENAL boss Arsene Wenger has revealed that his young charges are ready to combine grit with grace having established themselves as clear contenders in the race for this year’s Premier League crown.
Wenger also feels that Emmanuel Adebayor’s physical prowess will be a crucial factor in the hunt for silverware after watching the Togan striker add to his two goals in the north London derby with a stunning hat-trick in the demolition of Derby on Saturday.
Wenger’s team of teenagers, who beat Newcastle 2-0 on Tuesday night in the third round of the Carling Cup, were criticised last year for trying too many fancy tricks and not grinding out enough results against the teams at the wrong end of the table.
But Wenger believes 6ft 6in Adebayor will bring an end to the Gunners’ often generous nature in front of goal and trouble top defences across Europe.
He said: “Physically Adebayor looks stronger. He has a huge force. He looks calmer, too, when he is finishing.
“Look at Cesc Fabregas. You think he is soft? He has been very hard with himself since he was 16 – and demanding. I saw that from an early stage and it was what impressed me most about him.”
In the past two trophy-less seasons, the Gunners have been guilty of trying to overplay the game and walk the ball into the net. But it’s a completely different story this season, with the lion’s share of goals coming from outside the box and from corners.
Wenger said his “total football” ethos would not change: “We try to play football we love.
“When we don’t do it we are criticised. When we win we are loved.”
Arsenal are enjoying an unbeaten start to the season, boasting a four-point lead over rivals Manchester United with a game in hand – but Wenger has already warned that he will not get carried away just yet: “The bigger difference with second the better, yes.
“We won in a convincing way at Tottenham and we won at Blackburn. But West Ham is still a big test.”

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