Originally Posted by Joker
But the season doesn't start from October, so this statistic is meaningless and is the sort of "spin" you'd expect politicians to use. In response to the question, yes this is very likely a false dawn because the good run we've had has occured when the team hasn't been under enromous pressure. Yes, some will say we were fighting for 4th, but in reality that's not the same pressure as challenging for the league, or in the knockout rounds of a cup compeittion. In the later two examples, we HAVE crumbled under pressure regularly in recent seasons, which I think is a true measure of a team's "mental strength". I remember how we put together an amazing run in 2001-2002, and didn't drop any points in the league since the end of Febraury. That is a truly outstanding run of form, that happened just when we needed it, allowing us to win the league ahead of Man Utd. Do you really think a Wenger side would be able to recreate anything like that run of form these days, when the pressure is truly on and Man Utd are breathing down your necks? No chance, we buckled under pressure facing a poor Biirmingham side in the Carling Cup final last season, which says everything.
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