In the end there can be only one Invincibles!! Arsenal
Today I called into a Football chat show on Sirius XM, called the Football Show. It is hosted by Giorgio Chinaglia and Charlie Stillitano with Neil Barnett of Chelsea TV filling in. Neil was on co-hosting with Giorgio today and for some reason I felt compelled to call in. I don’t know I don’t particularly like the show. It is nothing more than a name dropping, Chelsea propaganda show. But today I felt I should call and talk up Arsenal’s chances to win on Sunday against City.
First though, I thanked Neil being the Blue he is for his team’s preserving our status as the “Invincibles.” I said I had hoped it would’ve been Arsenal to deny City it’s unbeaten run but now that it was over, I was happy that there would be no more talk of it in the press. However, the response I got was – to “stop living in the past.”
“Stop living in the past” I said this to myself a few times. We’ve heard this before. We hear it when our uppity North London neighbours feel the need to tell us where they are in the table right now. Doesn’t matter that they’ve not accomplished anything yet, they still are taking some delight in this. I hear from City fans that want to chastise Arsenal as being a feeder club.
So I asked myself, is wanting to preserve our status as the Invincibles just living off the past or is it more than that?
It. Is.
Club’s that don’t have a history of winning or have a history at all can’t identify with the pride such events as the unprecedented run in the Premier League of 2003-2004. Pundits were lauding Manchester City for their start to the season, ready to christen them the next invincible team. But their loss Monday night showed what an amazing feat Arsenal accomplished because what they did is so hard to do.
We mention and protect this heritage because it is part of what makes this club great. It is something only one other club has done in the modern era and something no other club has come close to repeating in the Premier League era. We talk of it because its as much a part of us as that amazing night at Anfield. The double in ’71 or Arsene’s two doubles which were promptly overshadowed by the 03-04 season.
We cherish it because at the end of the 02-03 season Wenger said he thought his team could go undefeated. He was scoffed at and quickly set everyone to apologize by doing it.
Arsenal fans don’t recite or relish the fact that we have this memory in our history because of our trophy drought, but because we did it. Not for any other reason than that. It wasn’t done through spending billions of pounds on a fantasy team. It was done through hard work and developing a team and fixing. The ground work for this team was done in the overhaul Wenger went about starting in 2001-2002. Campbell and Brockhurst were the big names that came in with Jeffers, Inamoto and Richard Wright filling out the transfers that season. The last piece of the puzzle would come when David Seaman left for oddly enough Manchester City and was replaced by £1.5 million stopper from Borussia Dortmund, Jens Lehmann.
Filling out an already impressive squad that would eventually be lauded high and low, the Invincibles were a special group of players assembled by an a special manager. Before Mourinho would call himself the special one, Wenger was truly special for changing the game in England and developing a squad that would eventually go on an unbeaten run of 49 league games. Only Brian Clough’s Forest were close with 42 and Preston North End;s 1888-1889 squad went undefeated. Alan Smith called the team – the best Highbury had ever seen.
What’s this all mean? To us, Arsenal fans it means alot. We’re sorry to all the other clubs who believe we are holding on to our history. Tell it to Liverpool and United. Both these clubs have a rich history as well and there are points across that history the celebrate, cherish and remember. Those who would tell us we would live in the past only say this because their club has no history. They don’t have memories to cherish. They don’t have memories like the battle of Old Trafford that had Van Nistelroy converted his cheaply won penalty, we’d never be talking about an unbeaten run. They don’t have memories of Henry’s mazy run past Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia leaving them on the floor only to watch him finish past Jerzy Dudek. And finally they don’t have a win against Leicester City to secure their place in history as the kings of the modern game.
That is still ours and right now, noone can take it away not even for a billion pounds.
The invincible season is a badge of honour Arsenal fans wear proudly. We hold on to it and when pundits start proclaiming the next coming or players start drawing comparisons – we know its a load of tosh and we can’t wait for the team’s eventual downfall. It’s not about living in the past. It’s about being a club with a rich history, a sense of the occasion and celebrating both loudly and proudly.
It is one of the reasons why I am proud to be a Gunner even in the darkest of times. History is something that no matter how much our club is hated on, noone can take away from us.
We are the Invincibles. We Are Arsenal!
The Squad –
1 GK Jens Lehmann
12 RB Lauren
23 CB Sol Campbell
28 CB Kolo Toure
3 LB Ashley Cole
8 RM Freddie Ljunberg
4 CM Patrick Vieira (c)
19 CM Gilberto Silva
7 LM Robert Pires
10 CF Dennis Bergkamp
14 CF Thierry Henry
17 CM Edu
15 CM Ray Parlour
18 CB Pascal Cygan
11 RM Sylvain Wiltord
22 LB Gael Clichy
9 CM Jose Antonio Reyes
25 CF Kanu
5 CB Martin Keown
30 CF Jeremie Aliadiere
39 RM David Bentley
33 GK Graham Stack
27 CB Efstathios Tavlaridis
45 RB Justin Hoyte
57 CM Cesc Fabregas
53 AM Jerome Thomas
54 CF Quincy Owusu Abeyie
51 RB Frank Simek
16 CM Giovanni Van Bronckhorst
9 CF Francis Jeffers
55 CM Olafur Ingi Skulason
52 CM John Spicer
56 CF Ryan Smith
20 CB Phillipe Senderos
Primary Starting XI (4-4-2):
Lehmann, Lauren, Campbell, Toure Cole, Ljunberg, Vieira, Gilberto, Pires, Bergkamp, Henry
Final Standings –
Arsenal 26W 12D 0L 73 GF 26 GA +47GD 90 points
Chelsea 24W 7D 7L 67 GF 30 GA +37GD 79 points
Man Utd 23W 6D 9L 64 GF 35 GA +29 GD 75 points
Liverpool 16W 12D 10L 68 GF 37 GA +31 GD 60 points
The Battle of Old Trafford
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We beat Milan before and Spurs beat them last year. If RVP is firing we can take them out.
Its the “CHAMPIONS LEAGUE”…
so I would expect at some point that we will actually have to play some legitimate teams.
AC Milan is a good team… but its not exactly like playing Barcelona!
We have a good chance to take them down.
@stag133,
TBH, Id rather have AC Milan than Napoli, who Chelsea have nicely got. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has a pretty bad scoring record against English clubs and (hopefully) the pace of our passing game will be too much for them to deal with
It will be difficult without a doubt, but I fancy us to nip it over 2 legs
@George,
I agree with George. The front three of Napoli worry me more than Milan.
It will be a good match no doubt but I like us with our speed vs there plodding play.
@George, I wouldn’t exactly take AC Milan lightly! They have a lot of good players… and Ibra is one of the best strikers in the WORLD.
Just saying they are beatable… they aren’t on the level of Barca or even Real Madrid.
wtf…milan. really?!?
well to be the best you have to beat the best or something like that…
i can’t wait.@jroybower,
Today’s blog within a blog (cheers Mazza) will address the subject at hand…..
As most everybody knows, I’m just a noobtard, having fallen hard for the Arsenal when I lived at 17 Highbury Terrace (north end of Highbury Fields) in the Fall of 2006 (totally by chance, in free housing while my wife taught American Exchange students)….. The Emirates was just a couple of hundred yards behind us through a series of quiet streets and pathways, while Highbury (being converted to apartments) was perhaps a half mile to the north. It was a lucky place to land for an American who always had an interest in football, but was always put off by what we were given (the international game, world cups, etc.)….
I got up to speed quickly, of course, learning the game in the pubs and on the (fledgling, by today’s stardards) internet. Enthusiasm for the club and new stadium was very high and tickets outside the stadium could not be found….As I looked for extras, people would approach me, willing to spend 100 pounds, ($200!) to see us play Everton or CSKA Moscow….
But what does that have to do with the invincibles?
Knowing what I know now, the incredible thing about the invincibles and the new stadium and the club’s austerity and plan for the 2nd half of the oughts is that the one WASN’T necessary for the other. In other words, the new stadium (and redeveloping Highbury) and pursuing a plan of youth and wage parity were ideas that were based on demographics and observed trends in the game. Arsenal had a fan base over ten years ago that suggested a bigger stadium with (obscenely) high ticket prices would work. And by the time the stadium was ready the old stars would be moving on and new (cheaper) ones would be coming up….
In some ways it all went wrong through over-achievement. (My buddy) Stag sent me the “Untouchables” DVD (“Invincibles” would’ve cost a couple of quid, maybe, to use the name?) and it WAS incredible. Bergkamp and Viera were the heart of the team, Henry just poured in goals (or dropped passes to the like of Pires, Ljundberg and others for easy ones) while oozing confidence. And the defense seemed less shaky than the usual Arsenal product (and the likes of Campbell and Toure popped up with occasional set-piece goals and not many given up at their end)….WOW.
But that generation gave way to a new one of extreme player power and big money (and debt) teams. I can only imagine how much it hurt seeing true legends like Viera and Henry flirt with the mega Spanish teams, while up and comers like Ashley Cole went across town for a little extra. And it’s gotten worse: Adebayor, Kolo, Clichy and Nasri are happy riding the bench in baby blue, (or getting loaned around) for double the money. My point: given that the stadium was a long term investment and that management was dedicated to sustainable growth, Arsenal were NEVER going to pull out the short term stops to try and keep up with the noisy neighbors….(Which is not to say that they couldn’t have done better, nor were they not misguided—Stan, freaking Walmart, Kronke…. I’m still not very sure about HIS sort….)
But back to the invincibles….Mac City are gonna be a pain until the Shiek gets bored, which, I think, won’t be anytime soon. From all I hear, MCFC is the most positive global representation going these days for the Arab world, which has taken its share of hits for the past decade and beyond. Still, City is a work in progress. David Silva was a fantastic buy and a very fine player (who like Luka Modric at Spurs benefits from all the hard work technical MF geniuses like Bergkamp and Fabregas did over the years), but until City determines who exactly is their go-to source for goals they are FAR from an unbeatable team. The defense, with the exception of Hart in goal—the English Wojciech Szczesny….is also far from settled, and struggling a bit these days….I guess it was looking good for them having gotten impressive wins at United and Spurs (and a 10 man draw at ‘Pool) but that is the poorest Chelsea team (in my years of viewing) to which they just lost and going out of the CL (with a squad as deep as theirs) is NOT a good thing (sorry, Stag).
OK, enough said for now….The proof is in the pudding (as they say) so if we take a beat down on the weekend I’ll stand corrected….and City will be back on track. Invincible, however, for now at least, they are not (thanks Chavs….)
Today’s blog within a blog (cheers Mazza) will address the subject at hand…..
As most everybody knows, I’m just a noobtard, having fallen hard for the Arsenal when I lived at 17 Highbury Terrace (north end of Highbury Fields) in the Fall of 2006 (totally by chance, in free housing while my wife taught American exchange students)….. The Emirates was just a couple of hundred yards behind us through a series of quiet streets and pathways, while Highbury (being converted to apartments) was perhaps a half mile to the north. It was a lucky place to land for an American who always had an interest in football, but was always put off by what we were given (the international game)….
I got up to speed quickly, of course, learning the game in the pubs and on the (fledgling, by today’s stardards) internet. Enthusiasm for the club and new stadium was very high and tickets outside the stadium could not be found….As I looked for extras, people would approach me, willing to spend 100 pounds, ($200!) to see us play Everton or CSKA Moscow….
But what does that have to do with the invincibles?
Knowing what I know now, the incredible thing about the invincibles and the new stadium and the club’s austerity and plan for the 2nd half of the oughts is that the one WASN’T necessary for the other. In other words, the new stadium (and redeveloping Highbury for big money, they thought….) and pursuing a plan of youth and wage parity were ideas that were based on demographics and observed trends in the game and beyond. Arsenal had a fan base over ten years ago that suggested a bigger stadium with (obscenely) high ticket prices would work. And by the time the stadium was ready the old stars would be moving on and new (cheaper) ones would be coming up….
In some ways it all went wrong through over-achievement. (My buddy) Stag sent me the “Untouchables” DVD (“Invincibles” would’ve cost a couple of quid, maybe, to use the name?) and it WAS incredible. Bergkamp and Viera were the heart of the team, Henry just poured in goals (or did good work and dropped passes to the like of Pires, Ljundberg and others for easy ones) while oozing confidence. And the defense seemed less shaky than the usual Arsenal product (with the likes of Campbell and Toure popping up with occasional set-piece goals and not many given up at their end)….WOW.
But that generation gave way to a new one of extreme player power and big money (and debt) teams. I can only imagine how much it hurt seeing true legends like Viera and Henry flirt with the mega Spanish teams, while up and comers like Ashley Cole went across town for a tiny bit extra. And it’s gotten worse: Adebayor, Kolo, Clichy and Nasri are happy riding the bench in baby blue, (or getting loaned around) for double the money, while Cesc slits his own hamstrings to move back to his hometown club. My point: given that the stadium was a long term investment and that management was dedicated to sustainable growth, Arsenal were NEVER going to pull out the short term stops to try and keep up with the noisy neighbors….(which is not to say that they couldn’t have done better, nor were they not misguided—Stan, freaking Walmart, Kronke…. I’m still not very sure about HIS sort….)
But back to the invincibles….Mac City are gonna be a pain until the Shiek gets bored, which, I think he won’t. From all I hear, MCFC is the most positive global representation going these days in the Arab world, which has taken its share of hits for the past decade and beyond. Still, City is a work in progress. David Silva was a fantastic buy and a very fine player (who like Luka Modric at Spurs benefits from all the hard work technical MF geniuses like Bergkamp and Fabregas did over the years), but until City determines who exactly is their go-to source for goals they are FAR from an unbeatable team. The defense, with the exception of Hart in goal—the English Wojciech Szczesny….is also far from settled, and struggling a bit these days….I guess it was looking good for them having gotten impressive wins at United and Spurs (and a 10 man draw at ‘Pool) but that is the poorest Chelsea team (in my years of viewing) to which they just lost and going out of the CL (with a squad as deep as theirs) is NOT a good thing (sorry, Stag).
OK, enough said for now….The proof is in the pudding (as they say) so if we take a beat down on the weekend I’ll stand corrected….and City will be back on track. Invincible, however, they, for now at least, are not (thanks Chavs….)
@HighburyTerraceSteve, Nice blog within a blog, surely will be buried by a new post in a few minutes though!
I still say City are LUCKY to be out of the CL … if they want to WIN THE LEAGUE.
I know in Arsene’s world, getting a Top 4 spot, and making the knockout rounds of the CL is better than WINNING the League, but its not in any other world…
I hope they fall from the lofty perch in which they sit… but unless United get a few very good men in January, they will walk the league…
We could REALLY make things fun and interesting by beating them in Manchester on Sunday…. and I am looking forward to the match more than I have in recent memory… basically, because I can’t wait to see what RVP does THIS WEEK! He’s worth the price of admission alone (except the price at the Emirate$!)…
And I am thankful to the weakened Chel$ki, because the longer the unbeaten record goes, the more likely it becomes to maintain it… and with them out of the CL, it would become like a Trophy… (like 4th place for Arsene’s bunch!)
But there’s only ONE Invincibles in the last 100 plus years… I ain’t counting Preston North End, as they were kicking around a sheeps head on Blackheath Common in those days!
@stag133, I think you underestimate the importance of team unity which is also a function of players being at least somewhat comfortable with a “pecking order” and knowing who’s got what responsibilities. From what I saw, the invincibles knew who would score the goals, who would keep things ticking in MF and who would offer a certain level of protection if things got too physical, etc…..
We’ve got that element (to a certain lesser extent and somewhat by subtraction, unfortunately) for the first time in years–our first 11 rather pick themselves. Who exactly are City’s first 11? For them, being as (insanely) deep as they are, being in the other competitions can only help, and having two “must win” competitions (League and CL) would give many of these players a chance to shine on a big stage. Sorry, but the Europa league, CC semis and finals and early stages of the FA cup (assuming they get past United) are not in the same realm. It all builds a ton of pressure on whoever gets the start in the league matches, which we could compound with a decent performance (and result) on Sunday.
So, as much as it would be awesome to have the likes of Nasri (a key player for us, who went to City so he could win the Balon d’Or!!!) or, better yet, Adam Johnson (whose pace might slot in for Theo or Gerv very nicely) on the bench it’s also something that requires adjustment (gelling?) if they suddenly are first 11. At the moment, Milner (far less talented, IMO) actually starts ahead of them because he doesn’t mind making a pass now and again……But maybe $amir can slot in for El Kun, Eden Dzeko (a rich man’s Nick Bendtner?) or Crazy Mario? None of whom seem to be able to score them goals quite like Henry or RVP at their most rampant…..
No problem, of course, if those guys don’t measure up others can be bought….In the meantime (for the moment at least) it’s all to play for, as they say…..
On the rumor mill (and my Christmas wish list)
Wolfsburg are interested in Rosicky… please, cut him loose at whatever we can get… he gets to go back to Germany and get some matches and try to revive his career… but his Arsenal career has been over for some time.
I hear Torres can be had for 20 Million!
I’d take a punt on him for that price, and put him up front with RVP, or in place of him when he needs resting…
;)
Amauri is available… I think he’d complement RVP, and bring something different to the team as well…
I’d say I’m dreaming for a striker of NOTE, like Torres or “the Benz” from Real Madrid… still want a midfielder… Yorcuff? M’Vila? Gotze? Hazard?
and it appears we really need a LB or RB, that isn’t really a CB.
here’s hoping…
@stag133,
I dont get all this talk about us needing to get rid of Rosicky, yes he’s not great and played terrible at the start of the season, but he does a decent enough job to warrant a place on the bench/occasional start when players rested. The fact that Diaby will never be able to hold down a squad place and with Wilshere still out, I think we should hang on to Rosicky. Maybe this summer potentially, but with the hecticness of this Winter Schedule, we’ll need every player thats fit. Well, apart from Squillaci of course…. and Denilson.
@George, Rosicky has done absolutely NOTHING at Arsenal. I’ve said it before, I was ecstatic when he arrived… but the fact is, he’s been often injured and never produced any kind of decent run of form. Its time to MOVE ON.
There are actually two Invincible teams. Arsenal and Preston North End.
I’m an Arsenal fan since the early ’70s, but there’s no point in airbrushing the past like some meglomaniac Russian dictatorship.
However this is still funny http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/nov/30/kolo-toure-manchester-city-arsenal
@Ricky66, Yeah, I don’t think Preston North End in 1898 or something matters… they were kicking around a cow’s head in a pasture somewhere!
;)
@stag133, http://www.talksport.co.uk/magazine/features/2011-12-15/proof-prestons-invincibles-were-better-arsenals-invincibles-and-had-much-better-moustaches
gotta thank gael clichy in helping preserve our unique status as the only modern day, bpl invincibles. has he ever been sent off before yesterday? perhaps he’s still a gooner.
think about henry. this guy hasn’t even hit 35 and has a statue of himself in front of one of the most sensational football arenas in the world. think about that. your own fucking statue at 34 years old. wow! well done, theirry henry.
the invincibles were truly remarkable. but there would have been no invincibles without patrick vieira. in my very personal opinion, patrick vieira was the best player in the world. he was the most complete and dominant footballer in the game. i’ve never seen a player that good at everything. at 3.5 million, he was arsene’s first and best ever signing. it’s no coincidence that arsenal haven’t won a thing since he was sold. he was the leader of that team; the heart and soul of the invincibles.
bergkamp was no slouch either. in my desperate attempt to explain to steve how good dennis was, i told him to imagine fabregas and van persie in one package. that would be bergkamp. dennis mentored both fabregas and van persie. he also made team mates like freddie ljunberg look way better than they actually were. henry may be the poster child for the invincibles but it was the influence of vieira and bergkamp that made that team great.
@joshuad, Love PV4… my favorite Arsenal player ever, with Henry a close second… and I agree that team revolved around him in the midfield… and the dominance he maintained there…
He took yellow and red cards when necessary to protect our star players, and he did everything you need from a leader on the pitch.
Bergkamp was amazing as well… but I don’t think he “made Freddie better than he was”… Freddie was sensational for about 2 seasons here… give the man his props!
The collective unit, with all the parts, from Pires, to Ljungberg, to Kanu, to Wiltord, and on and on and on…. unsung players like Lauren, who just did a solid defensive job all year… Ray Parlour who did his part…. Edu… Reyes… littered with role players who produced when they got their chances.
:)
ahhhhh those were the days my friend!
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At the moment, all we have is the past! Its been 6 years since we won anything…
but the the Invincible season was the most amazing sports season I have every witnessed.
I’ll hold onto it, and the memories of it for the rest of my life.
I still watch the video (which I once sent to HTS to view)…. and it still literally brings tears to my eyes.
I LOVED that team. How together the players were. How they stood up for each other… how they had many role players that contributed… and THEY ALWAYS SCORED. It was never a matter of if, it was when, and how many… they were DOMINANT… let in only 26 goals all season…. and regularly played opponents off the pitch.
The only negative on the season, was obviously, the CL exit to Chelsea… frankly it was SHOCKING. We had been unbeaten against Chelsea in like 18 matches? something crazy like that…. and we led that match as well… I just couldn’t believe we lost. I did not think we could be beaten in any match, because the players believed that too, and their opponents BELIEVED IT.
Most opponents were beaten before they walked onto the pitch. You were NOT beating this Arsenal team… they would find a way to make sure it didn’t happen.
so, yeah… perhaps we are living in the past…. but as you noted, when you have a great history, and have achieved an UNBEATEN Season, which nobody has done in over 100 years… then its SPECIAL.
And this chatter about City going unbeaten when they’d only played 1/3 of the league matches… proved to be a joke.
And I am HAPPY that they lost. So what.
There is only ONE Invincible’s team… and yes, its The Arsenal.
LONG MAY IT LAST.