stretford_oslo
Full Member
First match?
More like 12th ish so don't worry
First match?
As an Arsenal fan, yeah. We were very lucky that day to the extent the game was almost torturous. Not sure how there is any debate that United were lucky in 1999. Of course you were. We missed a last minute penalty and you were totally outplayed in the CL final on a day where I can't believe you didn't concede more.
If you take into account the quality of individual players then the Arsenal Invincibles team were the best ever in the English top flight within anyone's living memory.This is supported by the Invincibles achievement.
As for this game, if we show up at anything near our best we will win. The only problem is we normally don't tend to do that.
On my way to the airport en route to Manchester, we've never lost with me in the stands so i got a feeling this will go well
Can't wait!
My elder son is a gunner, luckily he is half my size so I should be ok.[/tasteless jokes]My brother is a die hard gunner, this is going to be awkward.
This. Although I'm quite excited about tonights match I feel the rivalry is long gone.I sort of miss them though, the rivalry has no edge to it anymore
As an Arsenal fan, yeah. We were very lucky that day to the extent the game was almost torturous. Not sure how there is any debate that United were lucky in 1999. Of course you were. We missed a last minute penalty and you were totally outplayed in the CL final on a day where I can't believe you didn't concede more.
If you take into account the quality of individual players then the Arsenal Invincibles team were the best ever in the English top flight within anyone's living memory.This is supported by the Invincibles achievement.
As for this game, if we show up at anything near our best we will win. The only problem is we normally don't tend to do that.
De GeaDi Maria has been at his best at the centre. We need to get him at his best again. I also want to see more pace up front, especially against Arsenal. Carrick and Blind can control and distribute. Januzaj and Young keeping the field wide.
Valencia Smalling Rojo Shaw
Carrick Blind
Januzaj Di Maria Young
Rooney
You seem to have forgotten that United had a perfectly good goal (scored by Giggs, I think) disallowed in the first game at Villa Park, so you were "lucky" to even contest a replay.
Sounds great mate!! Have yourself a great evening
There was a guy who used to play five-a-side with us when we were teenagers. He took it proper seriously, and just before the game was about kick off, he'd shout things like 'COME ON LADS, LET'S F*CK 'EM!!!'.
And we all be like 'Hmm. Well, can't we just beat them at a game of football, and then go home, if it's all the same to you?'.
But his shouts were meant to be inspirational, and that's kind of how I feel right now. Like the guy who shouts mad things to cultivate an atmosphere of determination and will to win.
Really, really want to see us get the victory here.
Convenient how everyone always forgets that there never should have even been a semi final replay as Roy Keane had a perfectly good goal ruled out in the orginal tie. Utd were also unbeaten in Europe in 99, won 3 trophies and lost less games in all competitions than the invincibles did. Going unbeaten was obviously an impressive achievement but I think Utd and Chelsea have both produced better teams.
You rarely win anything without luck, Pires diving against Portsmouth and RVN hitting the crossbar with a penalty could easily have gone the other way and Arsenal would never have gone unbeaten.
Yeah the entire lot (including the United team) were a bunch of twats. But you know, as long as they're in your team you love them. These days players swap shirts and hug the guy who stamps on them. It's beyond ridiculous.Forlán won the penalty, not RvN.
And Keown, Lauren, Parlour, Cole and co. demonstrated that day that they were some of the biggest cnuts ever seen in English football. It was vile. That Arsenal side were a hateful bunch of utter twats.
I sort of miss them though, the rivalry has no edge to it anymore
You mean Andre Santos does? Not necessarily having a direct go at Wenger but it's hard to imagine players at many clubs feeling they could get away with swapping shirts at halftime.Yeah the entire lot (including the United team) were a bunch of twats. But you know, as long as they're in your team you love them. These days players swap shirts and hug the guy who stamps on them. It's beyond ridiculous.
I was at that game. Atmosphere was fecking immense! Hope it is tonight.Forlán won the penalty, not RvN.
And Keown, Lauren, Parlour, Cole and co. demonstrated that day that they were some of the biggest cnuts ever seen in English football. It was vile. That Arsenal side were a hateful bunch of utter twats.
I sort of miss them though, the rivalry has no edge to it anymore
Not just that, but stuff like Liverpool players being all paly with morons like Costa in the League Cup semi and the pack of rabid wolves that comprise Chelsea's playing XI.You mean Andre Santos does? Not necessarily having a direct go at Wenger but it's hard to imagine players at many clubs feeling they could get away with swapping shirts at halftime.
This. Although I'm quite excited about tonights match I feel the rivalry is long gone.
The Invincibles were indeed the best league side England has ever seen. Say what you want about it, but none could beat them in the league, which is a spectacular achievement. There was a bit of luck involved, sure but the fact that no other team managed it over a 38-game season shows how difficult it is.
Also feck Chelsea. They were a great side but they also had the advantage of being one of the first to be backed by unlimited cash. In that respect they did benefit from having a top manager who knew exactly the kind of players he wanted to buy and a market that had only one club with loads of cash in the bag. The fact that even with such favourable circumstances they couldn't win the title unbeaten shows how big an achievement it is.
For those saying Arsenal couldn't replicate it and hence they weren't a great side, you need a bit of context. We won the league in 2001-02 and were on course for the title in 02-03. We completely blew the chance to do it on the trot that year and the players have often spoken about how much they wanted to win the league because they knew they were the better side. That entire group stayed on for the following season, with the addition of mad Jens (Lehmann) and Reyes in January, and proved that they were the best side in England at the time. It speaks volumes about their mentality that they remained unbeaten throughout. That's in spite of Chelsea buying some big players (Crespo, etc) and having one of the best United sides as rivals.
That Arsenal team peaked in 03-04 and from then our era of austerity began because the club had sanctioned the new stadium. Chelsea's takeover was well-timed and credit to them for capitalising on our lack of financial power in the seasons to come. I still feel the Invincibles were broken apart too soon but that is ancient history now. What doesn't change is the fact that it was indeed a brilliant achievement and will be increasingly hard to equal in the years to come. Chelsea could have done it in 04-05, but I don't think any other team in the PL era was anywhere near being invincible.
I think you lot will either win or this will go to a replay. Can't see us winning tonight. Playing "shit" or not, your team is very hard to beat.I just think that we will struggle tonight against an in form team with an impressive away form recently, when we are playing shit since November
I would argue (strongly) that the Chelsea side of 04-05 were a lot better than the Arsenal invinciblesThe Invincibles were indeed the best league side England has ever seen. Say what you want about it, but none could beat them in the league, which is a spectacular achievement. There was a bit of luck involved, sure but the fact that no other team managed it over a 38-game season shows how difficult it is.
Also feck Chelsea. They were a great side but they also had the advantage of being one of the first to be backed by unlimited cash. In that respect they did benefit from having a top manager who knew exactly the kind of players he wanted to buy and a market that had only one club with loads of cash in the bag. The fact that even with such favourable circumstances they couldn't win the title unbeaten shows how big an achievement it is.
For those saying Arsenal couldn't replicate it and hence they weren't a great side, you need a bit of context. We won the league in 2001-02 and were on course for the title in 02-03. We completely blew the chance to do it on the trot that year and the players have often spoken about how much they wanted to win the league because they knew they were the better side. That entire group stayed on for the following season, with the addition of mad Jens (Lehmann) and Reyes in January, and proved that they were the best side in England at the time. It speaks volumes about their mentality that they remained unbeaten throughout. That's in spite of Chelsea buying some big players (Crespo, etc) and having one of the best United sides as rivals.
That Arsenal team peaked in 03-04 and from then our era of austerity began because the club had sanctioned the new stadium. Chelsea's takeover was well-timed and credit to them for capitalising on our lack of financial power in the seasons to come. I still feel the Invincibles were broken apart too soon but that is ancient history now. What doesn't change is the fact that it was indeed a brilliant achievement and will be increasingly hard to equal in the years to come. Chelsea could have done it in 04-05, but I don't think any other team in the PL era was anywhere near being invincible.
I would argue (strongly) that the Chelsea side of 04-05 were a lot better than the Arsenal invincibles
Evening kickoffs on a Monday should be illegal.
Utd have had better sides too. And the fact Arsenal never retained really points towards them not being that great at allI would argue (strongly) that the Chelsea side of 04-05 were a lot better than the Arsenal invincibles
Have a good one mate and hopefully keep being a lucky mascot .On my way to the airport en route to Manchester, we've never lost with me in the stands so i got a feeling this will go well
Can't wait!
This all day long. Agreed, I always have the feeling that our current batch of players are just not as mentally strong. We will see tonight though. I'm really hoping they prove me wrong.It’s true that if we manage to beat even unconvincely Arsenal tonight, it’s going to be a big boost for the rest of the season and another big game next Sunday against Spurs at home. It can be the victory to say “We are here despite all of you say, we can beat teams of the Big Four, and the second best team in England in 2015”.
We have the weapons to hurt them, to win this game, at home, to go to Wembley and been one step from the final, and make our end of season even more exciting. I’m just afraid of the level of our players and I’m not sure if they can be up for the fight tonight.
Michael Oliver