Invincible memories

[Rex Stone]

Probably won't take off but I'm just curious what you guys remember about watching the Invincibles. How they made you feel etc?

For me I got into football at about 9/10 so 03/04 was one of my first few seasons supporting the club.

I feel regret myself for not appreciating how much of an achievement it was and how good that team was. Dominating the opposition was all I'd ever known at that point.

My favourite memories of that season were van Nistelrooy missing the penalty in the last minute at OT, him winning the penalty had absolutely crushed me moments before.

Then secondly was Henry humiliating Carragher, think we'd just lost to Chelsea and Utd in the cups so bouncing back like that against Pool was quality stuff.

 

[ptrcopp]

Of a similar age and I have similar memories of the season. Remember being so ecstatic he missed, running around the house laughing, I missed the immediate aftermath. Then I calmed down everyone was on the pitch.
A couple extra from me: Bergkanp against Birmingham was pretty special. The counter when he was through on goal with a dink over the keeper.
Also Reyes. I think it was the FA Cup against a Chelsea. Two great goals.

 

[lamby22]

I remember that any time we went down to 10 men or went a goal down (3 down I think in the Boro game) that I never felt we would be beaten. That team had character and guts and didn't know how to lose. Like the OP the Liverpool game on Good Friday sticks in my mind. Henry dragged us through that one. Some memories of cracking goals scored by Henry - especially against Leeds and Man Utd.

Had dial up internet at the time and I don't even know if football message boards were a popular thing but I can bet rival fans were fuming at us and how good we were. Pity Twitter didn't exist back then either.

 

[rich 1990]

I remember that any time we went down to 10 men or went a goal down (3 down I think in the Boro game) that I never felt we would be beaten. That team had character and guts and didn't know how to lose. Like the OP the Liverpool game on Good Friday sticks in my mind. Henry dragged us through that one. Some memories of cracking goals scored by Henry - especially against Leeds and Man Utd.

Had dial up internet at the time and I don't even know if football message boards were a popular thing but I can bet rival fans were fuming at us and how good we were. Pity Twitter didn't exist back then either.

2, we were 3-1 down when Bergkamp scored straight away to make it 3-2. Greatest game ever that, imo.

 

[rich 1990]

01/02 still beats 03/04 for me. Some of the football that season is the greatest this country has seen, **** City. 4-1 Leverkusen, 3-1 United, winning at Anfield having had Van Bronckhorst sent off, it's only Ray Parlour, Berkamp's magic against Newcastle and Juventus, Pires form that year, Campbell having signed before the season etc. What a season, we won't ever better it, imo.

 

[lamby22]

01/02 still beats 03/04 for me. Some of the football that season is the greatest this country has seen, **** City. 4-1 Leverkusen, 3-1 United, winning at Anfield having had Van Bronckhorst sent off, it's only Ray Parlour, Berkamp's magic against Newcastle and Juventus, Pires form that year, Campbell having signed before the season etc. What a season, we won't ever better it, imo.

Scored the 2 best cup final goals you will ever see in a single game. It's only Ray Parlour. Then Freddie left John Terry on his arse to get the 2nd. Happy days.

 

[TromsoGooner]

I was around 13 at the time and while I was already an Arsenal-fan, had been over to the UK a few times and took great pleasure in our success I also feel regret for not appreciating and enjoying it as much as I would today. If I today were to see Wilshere score a goal that made sure we went unbeaten a whole season like Vieira did against Leicester I honestly think I would die of happiness and joy, such is the importance of Arsenal these days.

 

[Mo Britain]

My memories of the Invincibles are, perversely, bittersweet. The Champions League had our name on it that year and we incomprehensibly lost that quarter-final to an inferior Chelsea team. I was in the middle of the countryside in Japan (it was like five in the morning there) speaking on the phone to a friend who was commentating the game for me. Gutted.

The game I remember best was also in the CL, the amazing 1-5 win at Inter. The league itself was a bit of a blur how long can this go on??? And we went all the way.

As usual we didn't build on this, it was another false dawn.

 

[Jury]

I remember some Chelsea fan in work fuming about the the team. After about 3 games in to the unbeaten season, I heard him moaning to another Chelsea fan. "I can't see those ****s losing a game", he said.

Defeat was out of the question. You looked at every individual and you were confident that every one of them were capable of digging us out of any situation. The odd defeat really was just a blip or a robbery, and you couldn't wait for the next game to see them put it right, and they never let you down. Unless we were robbed again.

 

[A_G]

Sounds weird but the moment it hit home for me was watching the title celebrations after Leicester and seeing that "p38 L0" banner in the crowd, seeing it written like that really illustrated what that team achieved. Also that group scored probably my favourite Arsenal goal, albiet in a loss:

 

[albakos]

01/02 still beats 03/04 for me. Some of the football that season is the greatest this country has seen, **** City. 4-1 Leverkusen, 3-1 United, winning at Anfield having had Van Bronckhorst sent off, it's only Ray Parlour, Berkamp's magic against Newcastle and Juventus, Pires form that year, Campbell having signed before the season etc. What a season, we won't ever better it, imo.

I agree. 2001/2 and 2002/03 we played some out of this world games. Our team had that aura of arrogance in them, with Vieira, Henry and Sol being the ruthless mofos in the team, while Bergkamp and Pires were the "silent assassins".

Whenever I think of 2002/03 season, I get mad at just how we lost that season. It all started at Bolton with Walrus instructing his players to assault us, which ended up in a draw and 3 our players suffering injuries from their tackles.

 

[Mo Britain]

I agree. 2001/2 and 2002/03 we played some out of this world games. Our team had that aura of arrogance in them, with Vieira, Henry and Sol being the ruthless mofos in the team, while Bergkamp and Pires were the "silent assassins".

Whenever I think of 2002/03 season, I get mad at just how we lost that season. It all started at Bolton with Walrus instructing his players to assault us, which ended up in a draw and 3 our players suffering injuries from their tackles.

And now Citeh demand the protection from the refs which we never got.

 

[YeahBee]

Keown choking Ruud Van Nistelroy!

Also that our bench and squadies were so goddag wellrounded

I think we forget how frekkin immense ashley Cole was to, worldclass imo !

Later stuff soured our relationship but in hindsight with Wengers dealings and behaviour and other players also voicing their discontent I have begun to see another side of the issue

 

[albakos]

Back then it was the early age when everybody was against Arsène with typical absurd lines: "Get at their faces", "Arsenal don't like it up them"

 

[Ewarwoowar]

And now Citeh demand the protection from the refs which we never got.

Murmurs from the press now that Alexis needs protecting, never heard any of that when he was here.

 

[GoonerBoy19]

"Here comes Arsenal's sprint relay squad again". This was one of my all time favourite commentary. Still get goosebumps thinking about it. Poor Leeds, never thought they will go down so badly, they used to have some good players.

 

[Mo Britain]

Back then it was the early age when everybody was against Arséne with typical absurd lines: "Get at their faces", "Arsenal don't like it up them"

It was the xenophobia I mentioned in another post and got pooh-poohed. There had never been a successful non-British coach in this country before, it was resented and the dislike of Wenger in some circles has never gone away.

 

[Jasard]

Oh man don't trigger me like this.

 

[tap-in]

My memories of the Invincibles are, perversely, bittersweet. The Champions League had our name on it that year and we incomprehensibly lost that quarter-final to an inferior Chelsea team. I was in the middle of the countryside in Japan (it was like five in the morning there) speaking on the phone to a friend who was commentating the game for me. Gutted.

The game I remember bet was also in the CL, the amazing 1-5 win at Inter. The league itself was a bit of a blur how long can this go on??? And we went all the way.

As usual we didn't build on this, it was another false dawn.

I was at a beach bar in Goa about 2am watching that Chelsea CL game, absolutely gutted, I was also convinced CL was going to be ours that year. Agreed, the Inter game was an incredible result, I was in India for that too so had to stay up late but so worth it. What a team we had, the back bone was as tough as you get and the attack as potent as you can get, no surprise we won things and should have added the CL at some point in those years.

 

[Jury]

Back then it was the early age when everybody was against Arséne with typical absurd lines: "Get at their faces", "Arsenal don't like it up them"

We were that good that officials had another set of rules for us and our opponents. We were basically handicapped to make it fairer.