LUKE HOPES IMPS WILL FAN FLAMES
GIANT-KILLERS Lincoln claim that Arsenal fans might back the Imps just to turn up the heat on under-fire Emirates boss Arsene Wenger.
Skipper Luke Waterfall says Danny Cowley’s FA Cup heroes will try to turn the whole stadium against the Gunners in tomorrow’s quarter-final clash.
Wenger’s men will face the National League side in the last eight with the Frenchman fighting for his future following his side’s 10-2 aggregate Champions League humiliation by Bayern Munich. And Waterfall, 26, has revealed Cowley and Co have discussed using the Arsenal fans’ anger against them.
“The gaffer said if we can go there and be in the game after 15 or 20 minutes, then the crowd might turn on them and we might have 60,000 supporting us instead of 9,000,” said defender Waterfall (below).
“You never know, it’s one of those situations where they want the manager out.
“So there might be a lot of Arsenal fans going to that game wishing we can get something out of it to see the end of the manager.
“We have got to use it to our advantage.
“The pressure is massively off us this time, all the pressure is on Arsenal.
“They are only fighting on this front now – the FA Cup is all they’ve got to play for and so they are going to be trying ridiculously hard.”
Cowley’s men have already seen off Premier League Burnley and ® Championship duo Brighton and Ipswich, as well as League One side Oldham on their way to the last eight.
And victory at the Emirates could spell the end for Wenger, who is already set to decide on his future in the summer.
But ex-teacher Cowley said: “They’ve got a world-class, very experienced manager who has forgotten more than I know.
“He has been a pioneer for English football. “If you look at his tenure and Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure, I don’t think you will see the likes of those again in modern-day football.
“And what he did with the ‘Invincibles’ – I don’t think will be done again in English football.
“Unfortunately, though, I don’t think he’ll be appreciated fully until he’s gone.
“That’s just the nature of football.”