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Arsenal 01-04; Interrupted
Topic Started: May 9 2009, 09:37 PM (187 Views)
Scholes
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Nothing's as it seems
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Arsenal won the title in 01/02, and of course won it again in 03/04, going unbeaten. However, in 02/03, they looked set to retain the Premier League, before United pulled off one of the greatest Premiership comebacks to date.

My question is; how much damage has United's title in 2003 done to Arsenal's perception? Had they not bottled that title, it would've been back-to-back titles, and quite probably three titles on the spin.

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But Arsenal have never retained the Premiership, so do not have a claim to Premiership dominance. I think everyone respects Arsene Wenger's Arsenal and the challenge they posed United, but is it a case of 'what could have been' for Arsenal?
Scholes
 

Seriously, Frank Lampard is an absolute legend of the game. He needs to be recognised in some way eg. Frank Lampard OBE, Sir Frank Lampard or some kind of lifetime achievement award.

AntMcfc
 
Greatest ownage machine: Scholes. Absolute animal when he was a regular poster, I always knew I was in the right when he was backing me up, and I couldn't wait to read a topic that he was posting in because I knew he'd be tearing someone apart
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KOL
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Big Daddy Welbz
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This will sound incredibly biased, but at the time i didn't truly believe the best side in the league won the title that season. They deserved it in 99, 00 & 01, but that year i was just unbelievably distraught that we didn't win the league. We were actually playing better then them all season, even when we weren't winning, but at times we just became complacent. I remember that game against Bolton, which, with about 5 games to go, was the first time Man United took the lead in the league. We should've scored about 10 in that match, and in the last 10 minutes Bolton scored twice to make it 2-2. Whilst all this was happening Man United were just grinding out wins without playing particularly well, and managed to win the league because of it.

That was a horrible year, felt robbed
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Scholes
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My favourite title win ever :D Such a special comeback, 13 points at one point and 8 points when level on games :deepthought:

We started off pretty poorly and pretty much had to keep any hope alive with a string of games around November which involved - Newcastle (H), Liverpool (A), Arsenal (H) - the three best sides excluding United.

United 5-3 Newcastle, Scholes, RVN (3), Solskjaer
Liverpool 1-2 United, Forlan (2)
United 2-0 Arsenal, Veron, Scholes

That merely kept us in the hunt, so early in the season, but after Christmas is when we really gathered momentum. Scholes and RVN amassed a total of 65 goals between them that season, and the dropped points at Everton, Blackburn and Bolton were very special as we crept back in the hunt.

Then we faced the same three sides on the spin again towards the end of the season.

Newcastle 2-6 United, Solskjaer, Scholes (3), Giggs, RVN (pen.)
United 4-0 Liverpool, RVN (2 pens.), Giggs, Solskjaer
Arsenal 2-2 United, RVN, Giggs

Then Viduka sealed the title on one of the best days ever :)

Anyway, back to the thread; should Arsenal regret their slip-up from 2003 and how much does it, and should it affect their image? It was the difference between winning back-to-back titles twice, and never retaining the Premiership.
Scholes
 

Seriously, Frank Lampard is an absolute legend of the game. He needs to be recognised in some way eg. Frank Lampard OBE, Sir Frank Lampard or some kind of lifetime achievement award.

AntMcfc
 
Greatest ownage machine: Scholes. Absolute animal when he was a regular poster, I always knew I was in the right when he was backing me up, and I couldn't wait to read a topic that he was posting in because I knew he'd be tearing someone apart
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rollingstone
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Clearly, winning 3 titles in a row is something that really marks a side out as exceptional. The only side to date that have managed this (post 1990) is the Treble winning Man United team, and they are certainly regarded in high esteem. Consequently, anyone that takes a cursory glance at Premiership statistics will not perceive that Arsenal team in the same bracket as the Treble winners. But, I think this would be a mistake.

When one considers the manner in which the Arsenal side bottled the 02-03 title, could you not suggest that their acheivements the following year should be given even more credit? This team managed to overcome the gutwrenching experience of losing a title right at the end of the season. But not only did they overcome it, they revelled in it by maintaining an unprecedented unbeaten record. This team should certainly be regarded on a par with the United team from 1999-2001.
Edited by rollingstone, May 9 2009, 10:45 PM.
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Scholes
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After disappointment like that, it's easier to motivate yourself. Had they retained the title in 2003, you probably wouldn't have seen the same eagerness next season, so no.
Scholes
 

Seriously, Frank Lampard is an absolute legend of the game. He needs to be recognised in some way eg. Frank Lampard OBE, Sir Frank Lampard or some kind of lifetime achievement award.

AntMcfc
 
Greatest ownage machine: Scholes. Absolute animal when he was a regular poster, I always knew I was in the right when he was backing me up, and I couldn't wait to read a topic that he was posting in because I knew he'd be tearing someone apart
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rollingstone
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$chole$
May 9 2009, 10:55 PM
After disappointment like that, it's easier to motivate yourself. Had they retained the title in 2003, you probably wouldn't have seen the same eagerness next season, so no.
Well that would mean that teams wouldn't retain titles as there would be no incentive, which, is obviously somthing that happens quite a lot. Does dissappointment make it easier to motivate yourself? Well, that depends on what type of person you are. For some, dissappointment leads to loss of confidence, spiralling into more dissappointment etc etc. So if the dissappointment of 02-03 caused a loss of conidence for Arsenal, the fact that they won it in he manner they did the next year points to them being a great team. Conversely, for those who are motivated by disappointment, it is testament to their mental character and desire to win - characters of a great team. So if Arsenal were motivated to win because of their dissappointment, would it not show them to be a great team too?
Edited by rollingstone, May 9 2009, 11:18 PM.
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Scholes
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We know they were an exellent team during those years anyway.

But take United this season for example; it is a massive achievement to yet again be fighting on all fronts, and having the drive and hunger to again be so successful. But look at Liverpool, a team starved of recent success, and that is the CATALYST for the vast improvement this season, in which they've shown great desire and will-power to achieve.

The hungrier team is always the team that has gone longest without success, and that's why retaining the title is so impressive.

And therefore, your claims about the achievements of Arsenal's Invincible season being heightened by the pain the previous season is simply untrue.

The fact of the matter is, despite Arsenal playing lovely football in 02/03, United won the title by 5 points, and showed great resolve, style and character in doing so, and that means Arsenal are yet to dominate the Premier League like United, and perhaps Chelsea.
Scholes
 

Seriously, Frank Lampard is an absolute legend of the game. He needs to be recognised in some way eg. Frank Lampard OBE, Sir Frank Lampard or some kind of lifetime achievement award.

AntMcfc
 
Greatest ownage machine: Scholes. Absolute animal when he was a regular poster, I always knew I was in the right when he was backing me up, and I couldn't wait to read a topic that he was posting in because I knew he'd be tearing someone apart
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Homer
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You have only made this thread to downgrade Arsenals credibility but anybody who knows about football knows the reality.
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7seven7
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Dirk Kuyt
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May 10 2009, 12:22 AM
You have only made this thread to downgrade Arsenals credibility but anybody who knows about football knows the reality.
Perhaps, but the reality is that Arsenal have no credible claim to have dominated the EPL.
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Homer
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Arsenal dominated from 02-04 easily despite Man Utd luckily winning the league in 03.
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7seven7
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Dirk Kuyt
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May 10 2009, 12:27 AM
Arsenal dominated from 02-04 easily despite Man Utd luckily winning the league in 03.
So how is it you can dominate without retaining a title?
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Homer
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You were probably jealous of Arsenal back in those days
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7seven7
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Dirk Kuyt
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May 10 2009, 12:39 AM
You were probably jealous of Arsenal back in those days
No, they were a very good side but Utd still had some wonderful players.
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Homer
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We could talk about how supposely Man Utd are the greatest club in the world even though they have won just 3 european cups in their history and only 1 before 99. I wont bother with this thread its just a wind up.
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7seven7
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Dirk Kuyt
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May 10 2009, 12:46 AM
We could talk about how supposely Man Utd are the greatest club in the world even though they have won just 3 european cups in their history and only 1 before 99. I wont bother with this thread its just a wind up.
Did I at any point say that Man Utd were the greatest club ever? Because Utd aren't and that I'm ready and happy to admit.
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