Morning all.
Life’s a funny old thing isn’t it? There I was on Sunday, bored with flicking through the television channels looking for something to watch before The Durrells started a little while later, so I pushed the little voice programme search button and simply said Arsenal. Various options popped up, one of which was Man Utd v Arsenal, 1998. That’ll be just fine I thought, after all, one can never see Overmars slip the ball under the body of Peter Schmeichels too many times eh. The following morning, there it was on the official club website, a Pat Rice interview about that very season and that game.
1997/98 was Arsene Wenger’s first full season at the club. In the summer before the new campaign kicked off, I doubt many would have thought our season would have unfolded how it did. In the summer, Arsene added a number of players to his already growing squad. Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit came in as did Alex Manninger, Christopher Weah, Matthew Upson, Giles Grimandi, Luis Boa Morte and Alberto Mendez. (Who?) Paul Merson though headed north to join Middlesbrough. A few others left too but none surprised me as much as Merse departing.
Arsenal did well to start with but when November arrived, we hit a brick wall it seemed. Three defeats in four matches saw us drop to sixth before Santa arrived and the chances of winning the Premier League looked gone for another season. By the time 1997 was done and dusted, twelve points was the difference between us and Fergies Utd who were defending their title yet again.
The bookies were so confident Utd would successfully defend their title, rumour has they paid out to those who backed Fergies lot. A decision they’d later regret.
By the time March 14th 1998 arrived, we trailed Utd by twelve points but up our sleeve was three games in hand. These days, I doubt many of us would feel confident of winning those matches but back then, it was quite different.
An early kickoff at Old Trafford, a game we simply couldn’t afford to lose and with Utd missing a number of key players, there was hope. We too had a couple of injuries with both Seaman and Wrighty missing out. Manninger was also a doubt before the game but was declared fit enough.
We had chances and many of them as did Utd but neither side could break the deadlock before halftime. Not through the lack of trying I hasten to add, certainly not in Arsenal’s case. Marc Overmars was causing Utd all sorts of problems down the left and he was denied a stonewall penalty. Perhaps Utd were too when the ball decided to make contact with the arm of Petit. Just before halftime, Christopher Wreh felt the boot of Gary Neville in the side of his head. Nasty but then that was Neville all over really.
The second half was very similar the first really with chances for both sides but it took until the eightieth minute for the only goal of the game to come and how fitting it was too that our little Dutch winger was the guy to get it. Not even a bend it like Beckham free kick towards the end of the game would save Utd that day. As good as our outfield players had been, our young goalkeeper Alex Manninger was equally as good if not better. There wasn’t much of him but he was fearless, certainly that day.
The deficit between the two sides was cut to six points and with three games still in hand, the rest as they say, was history. In Arsenal’s case it was too. The first League title for Arsene Wenger, the first double too which was pretty special. It was Anelka and Overmars goals which secured the FA Cup trophy, another first too as on the two previous occasions we’d faced Newcastle Utd in the competition, we were left with a runners up medal.
What a season 1997/98 was, especially for us fans.
Rico. Good morning. I remember it well. 🙂
Morning Adam, me too. Those were great times under Wenger. It’s so hard to think it’s the same man managing us nowadays..
I always liked Manninger , where I was behind the goal I thought that he should have kept his place when Seaman came back from injury. Unlike the decision Mertersacker made Seaman did not know when to pack it in and spoiled Manninger in te process . Seems to be the theme of Arsenal life not knowing when time is up .
I liked Manninger too. Not much of him but he wasn’t afraid to stick his body in the way of anything..
Afternoon Rico and All
The question I always ask myself:
Is Arsene really as good as his early
results for us show.
Could it be he had many leaders in our
squad when he arrived.
We all now know Arsene hates leaders,
players that are opinionated,give him
sleepness nights.
It’s no coincidence most of our top
explayers are given the Cold-sholder,
at the club,these day’s.
Afternoon Fred, always thought the same as I think many have as time has gone by. I wonder what he’d have achieved had he had to put a defence together when he first arrived. Same in the keeper department..
Getting Sol on a free I thought was a slice
of luck.Sol wanted to stay in london.
How many managers of top,top teams
would sign a keeper barely 6ft tall,and
mostly right footed centrebacks.
Bit like Cech really..
You would have thought Cech could
make a difference leadership wise on
the squad.Even that has not worked.
Was in the last century… when old Arsenal stands up!
Afternoon /evening rico and all
Has been really quite couple of weeks..
well except of course the ozzies scandal and one arsene wenger gIving his thoughts to his 2nd employers BEIN sports ..
Talking bollox as usual about ageism and sacrifice. .he really showed how manipulative and twisted he has become
forget arrogant, stubborn and deluded, this is a new low.
Obviously he is not going to call it a day, and our merry go round BoD won’t have the gut to tell him it’s over. .
what a hopeless predicament we find ourselves in..
you wouldnt think this situattion is happening in the heart of the civiized world in the 21st century. One man holding a club and its millions supporters to ransom..
No wonder he gets associated with all them dictators and nutjobs….
Indeed Jm, unlike today eh.
Hi Kk..
I see Smith and Warner have been banned for twelve months. Good, but they should be banned for life..
Evening all. I am slowly coming around to the same thing re Wenger. I was sure that he would announce he was stepping down at the end of the season, reading about all the behind the scenes stuff goings on. Now though, I think Kk is correct. By the way he is talking about ageism etc, he is digging in for the long haul. He could even get an extension to it if we win the ropey cup.
We are stuck with an immovable man at the top, and there is nothing we can do about it. Kroenke, who doesn’t give a shit about ‘soccer’, thinks he’s the dogs bollux, and that’s the end of it.
Morning Rico. As far as the Aussies go, surely it is inconceivable that Lehman had no part in it. His press conference yesterday was cringe-worthy and unconvincing.
Morning Adam, all.
I thought Lehman had stood down?
Meerkat, I still think he’s going…
Morning all.
Lehman ? Guilty as charged. Surely he has to be the leader of the “leadership team”. In any event all the malevolent behaviour, both on and off the field are ultimately down to him. He’s the boss! As a matter of honour he should have impaled himself on his cricket bat, taken the blame, by proxy and resigned.
Same as Wenger. Pass ing the Buck and blaming others for their lack of leadership and cowardice is shameful.
Still, it just goes to show just how far the notion of honour and integrity has sunk from our two national sports. Our cricket is no ‘cleaner’ than the aussies’. We can hardly be judged as the innocent paragons of the noble sport of gentlemen!
And more happy thoughts to follow later……….(don’t hold your breath).
Sunny and warming up nicely here. Is spring in the air? I think it is!
Wavy, I reckon the Aussies have been at it for years and not just them and I still think Warne stood on his stumps on purpose whilst on 99 no….
I anticipate tears aplenty from the Aussie cheats, Lehman too. Their PR machine is in full damage-limitation mode now. They’re crying for themselves really and their loss of earnings.
It’s almost as nauseating as watching Neville or Danny Mills pontificating about foul play on a football pitch. Once you’ve finished playing it seems as though all sins are absolved and you are free to get your nose in the trough.
Mark Hughes too. He was a horrid player yet now, well, you’ve already said it Adam..
Rico. The list goes on and on. 🙂
With more to come I imagine.
But when you boil it all down, tears or no tears, praying at the font of forgiveness claiming redemption and a preparedness to commit to a few hail Mary’s and a few more Our Father’s, will not alter the fact that they are cheats and con merchants. And that is their cross to bear for the rest of their lives. They will never escape from the fact that they cheated.
Morning Wavy. I agree. If any more stuff comes out now, the Australian Cricket Board will look very bad.
Afternoon All…
Steve Bould was quite good at the presser today, dealing with any difficult questions with a straight bat, Wenger could do a lot worse than take notice, instead of constantly gobbing off about stuff that doesn’t or shouldn’t concern him.
Seems that Wilshere is ok and should play this weekend.
Lacazette might get a run out from the bench.
Moeen Ali and Woakes dropped and in comes serial failure James Vince.
I guess some people’s faces just fit, but after a run of ineffective batting displays I’m amazed that Vince is anywhere close to a start in the England team.
It does Adam.
Why Adams Kev, any idea?
So wenger is ill. .he is human after all ?
There is honour amongst thieves and cheats or so it would seem. Lehmann is to quit after the next test. Really couldn’t see how he could remain. And he has gone too, there will be more heads rolling yet, I think. The guy who did the presser, he’s toast. His performance was absolutely pathetic I’m afraid he’s just not fit for purpose!
Time for old Oz to clear out the locker and start over.
I read the snippets from this morning’s presser seemed that Bould performed well. Made a few honest remarks but closed everything down when asked about stuff concerning other members of the coaching staff! Wenger that is! Good on him. But I wonder what he really thinks?
Adams Rico?
You’ve lost me…. ?
Wavy, he probably thinks that he’s got a contract until 2019, after that, who knows?
I would imagine that quite a few of the coaching and medical staff are wondering about their job security…
Oops Kev, I meant Bould ?
Wenger has lost his voice apparently…
Wenger has lost his voice apparently… well he lost his eyesight sometime ago ( I didn’t see it ) and all the requests for him to leave have fallen on deaf ears and he’s lost his touch in man management. So there’s not a lot left really.
Lee Dixon is on the Supervet next week, with his woofa…
No British referees are going to the World Cup for the first time in eighty years..
No surprise really, as they’re all awful..
Evening Rico. That’s a bad reflection on Riley if there is so little confidence in British referees to do a job at that level.
Evening Adam, might go a way towards something being done about the officials in England though..
Riley should be sacked
Hung drawn and quartered would be better.
New post up now..