Arsenal could hardly have played a worse game right before Sky Sports showed the recently released video celebrating the amazing achievements of our best team ever; ‘the invincibles’ side that won the 2003-04 season without a single defeat. I watched it again anyway to cheer myself up.
But in a way it was the perfect time because it highlighted a failing that the Gunners have had for some time now, our vincibility (and that is a word you can look it up). In some ways the current side are great and we can play brilliantly but every now and then, like last night against Monaco, we go missing and make it so easy for our opponents to beat us.
A few things said by some of our invincible players really struck home and highlighted what the current team is lacking and what they need if we are to get back to winning ways or at least being able to mount a decent title challenge.
The first was when Wenger and Keown were talking about the training sessions, when every player was so determined to win that the manager worried they might injure each other and the training games had the same intensity as big games. We just do not have that winning mentality, desire and determination any more.
Arsenal played poorly in games that season and were a bit lucky not to lose at least one, but we always found a way and the players always believed we would. Now I feel the players are more inclined to believe that another hiding is just around the corner.
Vieira was the captain and he was very demanding of the players around and had no qualms telling them. Now we seem leaderless at times and the players performing badly do not have their captain and team mates on their back.
We know that the invincibles achievement was fantastic and may never be repeated (ha ha ha Chelsea) but I think that Wenger and the players could take on how it was done and try to get some of those crucial factors back into the squad.
I will leave you with a positive. That team lost 3-0 at home to Inter in the Champions League but when we went to Italy we pasted them 5-1. And we only need a 3-0 at Monaco…