We’re improving with every game, says Senderos

PHILIPPE SENDEROS is an intelligent young man with the luxury of being able to hit back at his critics in five languages.

Yet the young Swiss centre-back, under fire for much of this season, will forego any variety of phrases at his disposal and employ actions instead against Villarreal at Highbury tonight when Arsenal seek to extend their Champions League record for clean sheets to nine games in the semi-final first leg.

At 21, Senderos is the youngest of an inexperienced Gunners back four that has most recently kept Real Madrid and Juventus scoreless, eclipsed the feats of AC Milan's Nesta, Costacurta, Maldini and Cafu and is being tipped by Arsene Wenger to match the talents of Highbury's legendary brick wall of the 1990s led by Tony Adams.

Adams, Steve Bould, Lee Dixon and Nigel Winterburn, were the stoutest and stingiest of defensive units, first for George Graham and later, with Martin Keown replacing Bould, for Wenger.

The original quartet conceded just 18 goals on their way to the 1991 league title and Wenger believes Senderos, Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue and Mathieu Flamini have the defensive gifts to equal their English fore-runners.

"The ingredients are there," the Arsenal boss said yesterday of the scratch backline thrown together in the wake of injuries to Lauren, Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole.

"They have the qualities to do as well as their predecessors. They have good examples to follow in what the former players have done."

Keown has been working with the Arsenal defenders since Christmas, toughening them up and educating them in the more subtle arts of the rearguard action.

The former England defender has also insisted that the four French speakers two from the Ivory Coast, a Swiss and a French man stick to his native tongue as their working language.

"It depends," Senderos says, "but we try to speak English because Martin Keown insists upon it. He prefers that because he says it helps the others to understand on the pitch, but it depends on the situation to be honest."

Flamini adds: "He's there with us in training every day. He talks to us all the time and passes on his own experience, which has been an extra help to us."

Senderos believes one of the most important lessons handed down by Keown has been not just how to defend as a unit but as a team.

"Our success feels good because it has been a team effort. We have gone eight games without conceding because the whole team knows how to defend. It's not just the back four. Our first defender is Thierry Henry.

"I know people have criticised me but I always had confidence in myself. I knew I had enough ability to do well in the end. My philosophy has not changed. I see every game as a test and in every game, I seek an improvement in my play."

Arsenal equalled Milan's record of seven games without conceding in the first leg of their quarter-final against Juventus at Highbury last month, and Juve were snuffed out in the return two weeks ago as the Gunners reached their first semi-final.

Yet Senderos, who has played the full 90 minutes in each of the last six European games, agrees with his manager that the real turning point in Arsenal's fortunes came in the previous round with the shutout of Real Madrid.

"Every game is another test for us, and maybe we are not aware ourselves of the qualities that we have. Every game we play, I wouldn't say we are surprising ourselves, but we are realising that we are a good team and we can beat anyone on our day.

"We have to keep our feet on the ground, but we know we are getting better with every game, which helps the confidence."

Senderos has charted a personal progression from week to week.

"That's the good thing about having a lot of young players, we are all in the same situation. We need the experienced players to help us, but at the same time we are learning together. I think we are benefiting now from going through a more difficult period earlier in the season. We learnt a lot then.

"The back four have really performed well together lately. You can see that there are no problems there. When someone gets injured there is someone behind him to do the job. Manu Eboue is not just doing a good job, he's doing a great job. That's his position at right back and that's why he's here. Mathieu Flamini is a utility player who has been magnificent at left-back. He is getting used to that position, we are all talking to him and to each other and it helps to adapt."

Senderos has also shown his versatility, filling in during the season at left-back.

"I play where the boss asks me to play. I am always happy to be in the team and to just try my best. It was different, and unusual for me, but it's good to know that if necessary I can play in another position."