The huge difference between today’s team and the Invincibles of 2003/4 is that this team is young and unproven, that team was made up of players who were reaching their peak.
Pires, Vieira, Henry, Campbell, Lauren, Ljungberg – this was their moment, and although they didn’t vanish at once, in retrospect we can see that this was it. Even the subs had the look of the old guard – Keown, Parlour, Wiltord, Kanu. Only Clichy stands out as a promising youngster. Dennis Bergkamp was in and out – an utter genius, but unable to play game after game.
We all know that hardly any of the old guard are left – but the repetition of the fact that Toure, Gilberto, and Lehmann are just about all that there now is of that wonderful team hides the fact of how much longer this current team can run.
Which means that this team should not just deliver the league title once – they should be able to do what M Wenger has yet to do – deliver it twice in a row. That would be rather nice. Although the match this week showed us reduced to getting ill players out of bed, it is a fact that there are more youngsters fighting for a place in the team than ever before.
The great worry this season was that during the Theft Period, when 3 of our players were removed to play “internationals” while Arsenal had to pay the salaries and take the consequences, we would slip back. We survived, and that’s why it all looks so promising. I didn’t think I would welcome Eboue back – but with the injuries we have, everyone is welcome.
Incidentally, during the Unbeaten Season we could only beat Blackburn 1-0 at home. Things are looking up.
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