I wrote this post quite soon after our invincible season was safe for another year but after recent goings on at Anfield well, here it is.
To go unbeaten during the 2003-04 season was a remarkable achievement. Everyone at the club together with its fans knew back then that it would take a special group of players to repeat Arsenal’s history making season, let alone the 49 match unbeaten record.
I think it was in 2002 when Arsene Wenger suggested his then squad were capable of winning the league without losing a single game. A bold statement some suggested whilst others probably thought he was either arrogant or bonkers. As it turned out, he was neither. He just recognised the quality in his players.
Not everyone gushed over what Arsene Wenger and his players had achieved in May 2004, after all, there’d been too many draws claimed Fergie. Not enough points won either said another but of course, bitterness and envy can be expressed in many ways. At least Arsenal hadn’t needed ‘Wenger time’, something which had spared Fergie a loss or draw on so many occasions. I bet if someone had the time and inclination to research Utd’s ‘additional extra time’ over the years Fergie was manager, they wouldn’t have won as many fixtures as they did. Nor titles perhaps as the points margin between 1st and 2nd was very very close at times. Definitely the 1998/99 season and possibly the 2002/03 too when the gap was just one and five points respectively.
There have been times since 2003/04 when it looked like our feat might be matched. Chelsea under money bags Mourinho were pretty good, Man City under Pep with his open cheque book and even Fergie after Arsene Wenger had lost his mojo after that unbeaten season but none managed it. Why? Because it was bloody difficult and I bet Fergie would have given his right arm to have turned all of his teams defeats into a draw back then.
This season it was meant to happen for Liverpool. They have the near perfect squad, they know how to win, didn’t know how to lose and they were ready to go unbeaten because they are that good. They have the best front three in football, the best defender in VvD, the best goalkeeper in Allison. They are better than Arsenal were in 2003/04. A ridiculous comparison to begin with really because things were different back then to what they are now. This Liverpool of today don’t know what it’s like to face a club full of kickers. The likes of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and the Neville sisters. A diving Rooney or a cheating van Nistelrooy. Nor a Sam Allardyce led Bolton team to name but a few.
Personally, I think think the squad which won the title in 1998 was the best Arsenal have had in the Premier League but they weren’t the history makers.
Over recent weeks, Liverpool started to show a few cracks in my opinion. Lady Luck had been looking over them but as the old saying goes, you build your own luck. But I don’t think they’ve had to cope with some of the things we did back then. Like being reduced to ten men after 25 minutes against Everton when Sol Campbell was shown a red card but still winning. Trailing against Leicester, Man City, Toots, Portsmouth, Liverpool and Charlton but fighting back to win. The toughest perhaps being at Anfield and then Leicester on the final day of the season.
Admittedly, our points tally for that invincible season has been beaten on more than one occasion, smashed to smithereens by City as it will again by Liverpool this campaign but when one considers how many clubs are going through ‘transition’ right now, there was only ever going to be one team Liverpool had to get the better of really and that was Pep’s Man City. None of Utd, Toots, Chelsea, Arsenal were expected to make a real go of winning the league before the season kicked off, let alone after further managerial changes were made mid season as has been the case for Toots and ourselves. Liverpool are a settled club with a manager well into his stride after building his squad for the last five seasons. Something only Pep has done in a similar amount of time yet even he has had his struggles during this campaign.
It was ironic really that Watford were the ones to end Liverpool’s chance of going unbeaten. Not a top four club, not a club the media drool over or suck up to but a club fighting for survival in the Premier League. Their victory wasn’t fluky either, or a VAR interference which caused a Sky Sports outcry, or some other ‘Watford got lucky’ headline. No, this was a well deserved 3-0 thumping of the league leaders by a club which Arsenal back in the day might have fought hard to earn one of their far too many draws against.
Perhaps only now will certain people realise the enormity of what Arsene Wenger and his squad achieved. Thank you Watford FC.
See you in the comments guys.
Hi Rico well written I remember watching a doco a few years ago and they interviewed some players from our Invincible team and that they admitted they were not the best Arsenal team ever but they had trust in each other and new if some one was not switch on what they needed to do to fix the problem.
Morning Geoff, all.
The season wobbled a bit once the title had been won but we had real leaders then. Makes a big difference.
Yes Rico and I recall the hardest wins were once the title was won due to natural relaxation….
What a fantastic post, Rico, massive thumbs up from me!
When you think about it, it is amazing it hasn’t been equalled, when you think of certain teams and their dominance over the years – the mancs and Fergie time, Fergie always having a word in the ref’s ear, never winning a penalty at OT.. you’re right, he would’ve given his right arm (as well as his bottle of whiskey 😀) for it! Any manager would! Even Klopp!
Then the chavs, city, now the scousers… to be on the top of your game for 38 games is something very special.. and we managed it..
A chav once said to me “But you drew 12 games”…..to which I replied “If It’s that easy, how come your team haven’t managed it”… no reply haha!!
What a force we were, and I believe we’ll be back up there again one day……
And as you rightly said, Rico… thank you Watford 👍
Indeed Pat, didn’t we go behind to Everton before equalising and then Paddy scored the winner? Last game of the season and at home if my memory serves me right…
No quite as exciting as Martin Tyler’s ‘would you believe it’ moment when Big Tony burst through like a striker against Everton before that 03/04 season…
Fab post, Rico! I did send a comment, don’t know where it went – stupid phone haha!!
That Adams goal 😍 one of my all time favourites, love it!!
Thanks Sue.
One of mine too. Mr Arsenal loved it too..
I found it in the ‘spam’ folder Sue. You apologise to your phone. Lol
😂😂 (is that trying to tell me something, being ‘spammed’ haha!!)
This isn’t football related, but how cute is this Rico….
https://www.her.ie/life/rae-the-unicorn-dog-501712
Bless her Sue, what a sweetie..
Rico I don’t think the unbeaten record will remain unbroken if only because of the namby pamby attitude to physical contact in the game today.. Players falling over at the slightest touch and referees falling for the pantomime antics of those doing so. In addition there is a perception that every tackle is, not only a foul but, a cautionable offence.
Thanks Rico wonderful stuff,
The blog equivalent of comfort food for Arsenal fans.We really have to be grateful to Watford,imagine if the season had been suspended a few weeks earlier, and Liverpool were still undefeated in the League,how unbearable their fans would be.
Also Atletico Madrid for beating them home and away, fair and square.Of course no Liverpool fan or pundit will accept they were beaten by a better team.
It was fully expected…..
Virus Alert Update (VAU)
The English are feeling the pinch in relation to the recent virus threat and have therefore raised their threat level from “Miffed” to “Peeved.” Soon, though, the level may be raised yet again to “Irritated” or even “A Bit Cross.”
The English have not been “A Bit Cross” since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out.
The virus has been re-categorized from “Tiresome” to “A Bloody Nuisance.” The last time the British issued a “Bloody Nuisance” warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.
The Scots have raised their threat level from “Pissed Off” to “Let’s Get the Bastard.” They don’t have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.
The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its alert level from “Run” to “Hide.” The only two higher levels in France are “Collaborate” and “Surrender.” The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France’s white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country’s military capability.
Italy has increased the alert level from “Shout Loudly and Excitedly” to “Elaborate Military Posturing.” Two more levels remain: “Ineffective Combat Operations” and “Change Sides.”
The Germans have increased their alert state from “Disdainful Arrogance” to “Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs.” They also have two higher levels: “Invade a Neighbour” and “Lose.”
Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.
The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.
Australia, meanwhile, has raised its alert level from “No worries” to “She’ll be alright, Mate.” Two more escalation levels remain: “Crikey! I think we’ll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!” and “The barbie is cancelled.”
So far, no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.
I’m not so sure Cicero. I think we’d be hard pressed to find a team playing as well as Liverpool did during the first half of the season but perhaps playing in such a way has been their downfall because now they looked knackered.
Thank you Limey, that’s kind.
Atletico knew how to get at them, I think in our time it was called ‘getting in their faces’ – after they’d unsettled them, they beat Liverpool with some good football and an excellent goalkeeper. But as you say, the pundits will never admit that, especially ex Liverpool players. Simeone is a smart manager.
I have just been going through some old paperwork and came across an old photograph of P.C Alexander Morgan singing at a carol concert at.Westminster Abbey.
As us oldies will remember he was more famously known as The singing copper at Highbury .
https://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/heritage/the-story-of-constable-alex-morgan-arsenal-s-singing-policeman-1-5163139
Well. One learns something new every day. I never knew about the ‘singing copper.’ How fab, I’d have love to heard him.
He used to sing with the Police marching band that always tossed the mace for the North Bank who whistled trying to get him to drop it . To my knowledge he never did.
Not heard of ‘tossing the mace’ either. Sounds more fun than what’s on offer these days though.
I believe that their reward for marching and playing before the game and at halftime, was to sit in the front two rows of the main stand near the corner left of the dugout. I remember them getting the bird, on one occasion, when they didn’t come out at halftime because the pitch was too wet and muddy.
Can you imagine Old Mother Wenger’s reaction if he saw them march up and down on his prized pitch? 😉
I want that Unicorn Puppy !
Very nice post rico, reminiscing in these troubled times.
Thanks for posting that Potter.
The band master had a great rapport with the North Bank.
As he got nearer to the Pen Area he would pretend to toss the Mace up
the bank would cheer and whistle and then would boo when he didnt.
He always had a smile on his face when it happened
It was the hight he tossed the mace that I remember most.
A consensus seems to be building that it would be unfair not to hand the Premiership to Liverpool. This cannot be right as long as it is mathematically possible for them to be overtaken.
Thanks Andrew.
Too late Lc, I have her..
I think they should just void the season. Start again in August, if of course this bloody virus has gone by then.
It’d be unfair on the rest of the clubs fighting for top four to end the season as it is with the placements as they are. Too much money at stake.
And what about the teams on the verge of promotion? I don’t like West Brom, but what about them and Leeds? Leeds have been in the championship for an eternity, but all everyone (that I know anyway) keeps harping on about is how unfair it’d be on Liverpool…sheesh! Although I did see this which I have to say did make me chuckle –
https://mobile.twitter.com/FootyHumour/status/1238803607119638530
Just jotting a few words about that Sue. So many reason why it would be difficult, wrong even to just end the season now. Void yes, that imo would be the fairest.
I know toilet rolls are the miracle cure for Covid-19, but a season ticket at a toilet manufacturing factory would not cure Scousers if the season was classed a null and void.
Well I look forward to reading that, Rico 👍
Christ, imagine the carnage up north, Le Coq, if that was to happen… instead of lock up your daughters it’d be lock up your cars!! If you’ve got a garage use it!!!
😆
Calm down calm down! 😆
Jan Molby has let himself go a bit!
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/847777032285167616/gr7dVkIX_400x400.jpg
🤣🤣🤣
Only my opinion but with the doubts about when the season could be restarted or if it could ever be ended, the only fair thing to do is to anull the season entirely.
Start again in August if possible, with the same teams who qualified for the various competions taking the same places in the same competions, and the same teams in the same leagues.
At this moment in time no team has won promotion, equally no team is actually certain of relegation. Why should any club be favoured over any other?
I still think the fairest thing to do when we start playing matches is to get every team back to equal amount of games played then every club plays 2 games per week ( Saturday and Wednesday ) but to help with resting players and preventing burn out the matches are changed from 90 minutes to 60 minutes with a 10 minute half time break until we catch up or the end of season.
If all matches are cancelled world wide for the rest of this season should we have a 1 off transfer market were all countries have it at the same time
Morning all.
New post up now.