“Well, the bully finally got a punch in the nose. After roughing up all comers Arsenal has been on the receiving end, first against Everton and then Auxerre. Ok, had to happen some time, now the question is how much damage was done.
We’re one point out of first in the Premiership, so it’s not exactly game over there. We’re still in first place in our group in the Champions League, so we don’t have to hit the panic button quite yet.
The danger now could lie in teams like our next opponent, Blackburn. When you’re going for the unbeaten season every game is meaningful. Now how does Wenger get the boys up for this one? Well, we’ve got to get back to winning ways so Blackburn won’t be hard, but what about when we play some other middle of the pack team. Focus is going to be critical now. Squad rotation is going to play a big role as well. We haven’t even started the FA Cup yet, but with Euro 2004 qualifying things are getting sticky.
This isn’t the time for a soft touch. I think Wenger needs to keep on the team, put pressure on them. You think Sir Alex is taking it easy on his boys? You think Houllier is going to take his foot off the gas pedal?
Winning the double last year was great. It put us in a solid third in terms of English teams. That’s right, third. Like it or not, ManU is still the big dog from a European standpoint. Liverpool, with their resurgence (a treble two years ago) has reclaimed their spot as an English elite team. We’re just a squad that has won a couple of domestic titles over the last five years. That and a buck-fifty will get you a cup of coffee in Europe.
But if we win the Premiership again and do real damage in the Champions League – I’m talking semifinalists at a minimum – then we’ve accomplished something, taken it to the next level. Everything we accomplished last season is nice, but it won’t matter if we don’t do it again, now.”
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