Hello, Gooners. I may stir the hornet's nest just a little here with an opinion many may find disagreeable. Was watching a pretty long collection of highlights of our 07/08 season and for much of the season when everyone was fit, we played probably the best football I've seen in the PL era. In a 4-4-2, Rosicky, Hleb and Fabregas played some of the dreamiest stuff with remarkable flair, guile, poise, technique and invention supported by Flamini's steel and tenacity in midfield. Adebayor was outstanding as a target-man, Van Persie as a near perfect foil and Clichy and Sagna as fullbacks had their best season in an Arsenal shirt. Do you think we played better in the invincibles season? I'm not really convinced but I guess it depends on the style of football you prefer. We were more intricate in 07/08 forming the blueprint for the more disappointing tippy-tappy football in recent years while we were more direct in 03/04. Just a shame we couldn't keep our heads when the pressure was at it's highest that season. Also a shame we allowed so many of those players depart including a formidable bench that had Eduardo, Gilberto, Diarra etc.
Fair comparison. The trouble with the invincible season was that towards the end of the season it almost became more important not to lose than it was to win - we drew 5 of our last 9 league games including games against Portsmouth , Newcastle and Birmingham, so if you ask me then yes we played better football throughout the 07/08 season when. Old point but 03/04 also represented the start of the chequebook bullies when Roman spent £100m in one window, that team took time to gel but once they did only those with similar financial muscle could hope to challenge them. As Man Utd and Chelsea were both spending wildly at the time I'd have to say that had we won the league in 07/08 or 08/09 it would have been our greatest ever achievement.
08/09 we were almost fifth had it not been for Aston Villa's capitulation. 09/10 we were decent. 10/11 we would have won the league if we won the carling cup. The extra motivation would have spurred us on to do enough. And then we might have kept Fabregas and Nasri and Clichy. And then... wow...
Apologies - 07/08 Can't believe it's almost 4 years since Eddys leg break and Gallas' sulk which kick started the demise....
It's still hard to fathom Mr Samurai, how we could have been so stuck in reverse gear after the CC final and worse still, that nothing could be done to alter the course of events. Makes you wonder as to how we managed to summon the determination to beat Utd and yet fall apart against just about everyone else. I wonder what went in to motivating the players during this time.
In hindsight that game against Birmingham was the start of the demise that leads us to where we are now. All our current problems began back then.
Also look at the forwards we had in that season. Ade,Van Persie,Eduardo and Bendtner. Damn, that was pretty good. Oh well.
Hleb, Flamini, Adebayor, Diarra. I think you have to feel for Wenger, as these were all players that he wanted to keep. Now Fabregas and Nasri. Just think of the team we could have had if those players had stayed. I know it's fashionable to knock Wenger at the moment, but the aforementioned players were nobodies before Wenger made them into the players that they became.
I think most players who have left have done so for reasons beyond Wenger's control. Hleb wanted to go to Barca Flamini wanted to go to AC Milan Adebayor threw his toys out of the pram when Beyonce spurned him. Diarra was impatient and forced a move to Real. Fabregas wanted to go home. And Nasri was a greedy ****.
Ferguson has had players who wanted to leave too but that hasn't stopped him being successful. I think we could have kept all of those players if we really wanted. Fabregas is a slightly different situation as he was tired of being in a team that always made the same mistakes when he could be at Barca but if we had kept more of our better players then maybe he wouldn't have felt that way. Of course everyone is an expert in hindsight and I thought the deals for Adebayor and Nasri were good at the time (and still do in Nasri's case) but looking at our squad now we could really use player like them.
That was a close season. Wenger could have won it, so could Avram Grant, but we won it. Trouble is, nobody will remember Arsenal in that year, that was when English club football ruled Europe and United had just dumped the unstoppable Barcelona out of the Champions League over two legs. Arsenal were beaten by Liverpool in the last 8, Bindippers then went on to lose to Chelsea in the semi's. To be remembered, you had to at least have fought a good fight, and in truth, Arsenal finished the season with a whimper. That season will only be remembered for the colossal battle between Man Utd and Chelsea on all fronts, with Man Utd taking the two most important trophies from the 3 on offer. I hope Wilshere gets back soon, so you lot can start playing again. He's the best English midfielder for me, and that's a huge compliment coming from a Man Utd fan. I could rub your noses in it, but I'd hate to lose our best players in one summer then our best midfielder to a crippling injury. We all know you're better than what you're showing at the minute.
Piskie you have this totally wrong: Flamini was not even wanted the season he came in because of injuries and had such an amazing season he became a star for us, so you can only blame the management for that. Diarra wanted first team football and was not happy being a Carling Cup regular only, so left, again the fault of management and Diarra was hardly a nobody when he came to us, in fact the best I saw him play was for Portsmouth. OP - spot on with your analysis. I do wish we went back to the days of playing counter attack as well and not only tippy tappy going nowhere in a hurry football. when was the last time we countered with pace and scored a goal ? That used to be our bread and butter.
That team was our best. The chemistry in that side was just perfect. I reckon that midfield was even better than Barcelona's current one. It was so balanced, so lethal and so creative. Fabregas, Flamini and Rosicky could all score goals and Hleb got a few by virtue of having no other option than to shoot. When we had the likes of Gilberto, Diarra, Walcott, Diaby and so forth to call upon. Also worth mentioning is that one had Adebayor and the other had Messi to feed.
If we had been better with the players we've had over the last few years: GK: Szczesny, Fabianski LB: Clichy, Gibbs, Santos CB: Toure, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Koscielny RB: Sagna, Eboue, Jenkinson DM: Song, Flamini, Frimquelin CM: Fabregas, Arteta, Wilshere, Arshavin LM: Hleb, Nasri RM: Rosicky, Walcott, AOC ST: RVP, Adebayor, Eduardo (he's still a good player. We should have sent him out on loan) That's a squad capable of winning the league.
I agree completely. But it's still unbelievable when you think of just how good that would have been for us.
07/08 ------------Adebayor------------ ---------------RVP--------------- Hleb---Fabregas--Flamini---Rosicky 08/09 ------------Adebayor------------ ---------------RVP--------------- Hleb---Fabregas--Flamini---Nasri(injury to Rosicky) Clichy---Toure----Gallas----Sagna -------------Almunia------------- Bench includes:Song, Walcott 09/10 --------------RVP-------------- -----------Arshavin------------- Hleb---Fabregas--Flamini---Nasri Clichy---Toure---Vermalen--Sagna ------------Almunia-------------- Bench includes: Song, Walcott, Rosicky, Eduardo, Gallas, Eboue 10/11 ---------------RVP--------------- -------------Arshavin-------------- Nasri---Fabregas--Flamini----Walcott Clichy---Toure----Vermaelen---Sagna --------Fabianski/Szczesny--------- Bench includes: Song, Hleb, Eduardo, Rosicky, Wilshere, Eboue, Gibbs, Koscielny 11/12 -----------------RVP--------------- --------------Arshavin------------- Mata----Wilshere--Flamini---Walcott Clichy--Vermaelen-Mertesacker--Sagna --------------Szczesny--------------- Bench includes: Song, Hleb, Eduardo, Rosicky, Ramsey, Eboue, Gibbs, Toure I think it's fair to say that Adebayor, Nasri and Fabregas were always going to leave. The first two for money, the last for home. But we'd have Wilshere right now if we didn't overplay him last season. Only Mata has not been part of the team anyway. But we really should have got him. But that's what we'd have had with good management. EDIT: Also note the continuity in those sides. There's never a huge upheaval in personnel.
Well Ranna We almost had Mata of course. Seems it's always a case of so near and yet so far. That we did get all the way to the finish and finish well too as we did was down, not in small measure to what Arsene found when he arrived. That solid defence more than paid their way and paid our way. Arsene added some gr8 players too but RvP apart in the current lineup, it seems so much in our past now.
I think only RVP, Sagna and Song would get a sniff at the bench of 03/04. Perhaps Walcott for his sheer super sub ability.
I think Walcott is played so out of position. The times he had been used as a striker were successful if I recall correctly but Arsene knows better.......apparently I agree on La Sagna and but fear I have to say that while there have been times I've marvelled at Song, I have also had those moments of uncertainty. Overall it's positive though. I must go - my morning's almost gone please log in to view this image
