HIGHBURY HOUSE

Happy Boxing Day one and all…

I know the real meaning of the day but sometimes, I wonder if it’s more about our heads feeling like they have been battered left and right, almost like having gone 5 rounds with David Haye….

Two bottles of the fizzy stuff is possibly not the best thing to do, especially after not touching anything alcoholic for months.

Ouch, my head hurts!

No football today for us though, today is about those above and around us dropping points hopefully!

Back to yesterday and Sky Sports showed a programme to give us Gooners something to smile about.

Makes a change doesn’t it?

They covered the sports events of 1998 – a double winning season for us and the same year in which Dennis Bergkamp won PFA player of the season. Tony Adams, one of the best defenders we have seen at the club, finished off a 4-0 victory over Everton in a fashion that Gervinho can only dream of, and with it, he confirmed the first Premier League title under Arsene Wenger was ours.

What a season!

We had pace in abundance, we had a true winger in Overmars, a proper young striker in Anelka and an untouchable midfield duo in Vieira and Petit. They weren’t the only stand outs, we had many. From the great Dennis Bergkamp to the Pele of Romford in Ray Parlour and many in between….

After securing the league title, we faceed Newcastle in the FA Cup Final and we had a real chance for another double.

‘They know it and they want it’ said Richard Keys

And we won it…….

Heck, we even beat Manchester United 3-0 in the Community Shield prior to the following season kicking off and we beat them by the same scoreline at home in the league just a weeks later….

They were good times and it’s those yesteryear’s under Arsene Wenger which make today’s goings on so sad….

Once we were feared by most, now we are feared by few…..

Boy how I long for those days to return and I don’t even mean the trophies. I mean being able to watch a team full of players who don’t want to lose, a team who look like they can score at any time rather than concede! A team full of players who know how to entertain, know how to support each other and play like they want to win….

Oh those days…..

The following year we sold Anelka and many were furious, both with his brother for pushing the move away and the club for letting him go – but we signed Thierry Henry to take his place…..

All wasn’t quite so bad after all was it……

Have a good day all, Ibuprofen with Marmite on toast is good for hangovers ;)