Arsenal legend Freddie Ljungberg has opened up on the 1 weakness he feels the Invincibles had beneath Arsene Wenger.
The Gunners established record in the 2003-04 season when they went a whole league marketing campaign unbeaten, a feat that has not been matched right before or because in the Premier League period.
Ljungberg played a essential job in that aspect, but admits they were not unstoppable, and has pointed out a weak point that was uncovered by Chelsea when Jose Mourinho took more than the Blues in 2004.
‘One most important weak spot was if I occasionally arrived out below, extensive correct, and people stated “Oh, cross the ball, Freddie, you are absolutely free just cross it”,’ Ljungberg discussed on Monday Night Soccer. ‘I imagine it was Mourinho and Chelsea that began to do it, they failed to come out and press.
‘So I could stand out below with the ball and the comprehensive back didn’t arrive. They’d just stand with their 4 in the box and they have been terrific headers, John Terry, Carvalho in the center, and our strikers have been not the finest in the air.
Freddie Ljungberg was element of the Arsenal Invincibles that went unbeaten for an overall league marketing campaign
Even with that historic achievement, Ljungberg nevertheless thinks Arsene Wenger’s facet experienced a essential weak point that was uncovered by Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea
Ljungberg spelled out how teams begun not urgent Arsenal out wide and forcing them to cross when they did not have good gamers in the air in the penalty box
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‘So they ended up just “no, occur on, cross the ball”. And that, in my viewpoint, we could not truly come across a menace.’
Ljungberg alluded to how teams appeared to figure Arsenal out soon after a while, but they still experienced wonderful achievement for the duration of this period of time, successful 3 league titles in six yrs, with their Invincibles capping off a golden era.
Ljungberg puts this down to acquiring a starting XI wherever every single player could declare to be one of the greatest 3 in the entire world in their posture. He refused to name who the very best participant was, but gave distinctive mention to Dennis Bergkamp, admitting he had great admiration for the Dutchman normally putting the staff ahead of himself.
‘I really feel wrong to say Thierry is the very best player I performed with because I was in awe of all my crew-mates. But in conditions of complex capacity, if you set that out there, I would say someone like Dennis Bergkamp, he did items I’d under no circumstances genuinely viewed,’ Ljungberg said.
‘He just did to perfection what was required. It was all so effective. You see him in training, he could do 15 stepovers, but he did not since all the things was powerful for the team.
‘I feel which is why a ton of us players we point out Dennis so usually. The respect of him that he could have performed so much a lot more for his possess moi but he played for the workforce. And, by the way, Thierry was totally incredible!’
Ljungberg was part of two title-profitable groups and lifted the FA Cup 3 moments, but the Champions League eluded him.
Ljungberg reserved specific praise for his previous staff-mate Dennis Bergkamp (pictured)
Ljungberg revealed he however regrets not profitable the Champions League immediately after Arsenal dropped the 2006 last adhering to Jens Lehmann’s early crimson card
Wenger’s adult males made it to the final in 2006, but missing 2-1 to Barcelona right after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was despatched off early on. Ljungberg said he is continue to indignant about missing out on Europe’s biggest prize.
‘It’s my most significant regret in my daily life. I actually dislike that I haven’t won the Champions League and I’m continue to indignant about it to this working day,’ he included.
‘I just can’t explain why mainly because we had a good group. The only point is when we went to a Champions League ultimate and we dropped we had changed the system and we went to 4-3-3 and we protected the centre a bit far more when we did that. And then we bought the sending off of Jens just after 20 minutes. That is the only change for the last.
‘But I can explain to you it even now eats at me now, I experience quite disappointed. But it is our duty, it’s us players. We didn’t do great more than enough. But when you seemed at it you felt like we should earn this.’