In 2007/2008 we had a team that nearly won the title, it was our best side in four years and we had players like Clichy, Sagna, Flamini, Hleb, Rosicky, Adebayor, Eduardo and erm, Almunia at their peaks.

In pre season, I could sense something potentially special was on the cards as we battled in the Amsterdam cup and in our away CL qualifier we gave Repka, notorious Czech hardman, a run for his money. The penny had dropped, this Arsenal werent going to be bullied any more. Also, the departure of Henry helped us more than it would have hindered us as many had predicted. The team were not relying on an injury prone moody striker anymore.

Some of the football we played that season, ie away to Reading, home to Sparta Prague (Theo was a monster that night), away to Liverpool (even though we drew), away to Villa (Hleb's best ever game in an Arsenal shirt), away to Everton (showed so much grit and determination as we went down to 10 men) ,away to Spurs (who could forget that goal by Cesc. This game meant we went top and though early in the season it made people sit up and notice us), away to Milan (took three years to top this victory when we beat barca earlier this year) and at home to Chelsea and Newcastle.

This team had a combination of grit and flair. We had battlers in the team like Sagna and Flamini, who stood up for their teammates, esp the latter. It seemed like we had a great energy and the team seemed united after 3 hard years post Highbury. And who can forget the midfield quartret of Rosicky, Hleb, Cesc and Flamini, who were the best since the Invincibles. And they all got on well outside of the pitch as well.

This side, more than any Arsenal side under Wenger deserved to win something. It was the best side we had post-transition, post Vieria. This was the team that would have justified the whole transition period, replacing Vieria with an 18 year old kid, leaving Highbury, selling Pires, Ljunberg and Sol without offering them extentions and generally dismantling the Invincibles side far too quickly. Of course it had some flaws, ie Eboue and as a winger and I am positive had we signed Ribery in the summer of 2007 we would have won the league regardless of the Eduardo injury.

And of course it experiened heartache and that game at Birmingham. But for me the biggest heartbreak was losing to Liverpool away in the CL, going from heaven, when Theo set up Ade, to hell when they scored 40 secs after. Never have my emotions gone from high to low like that in football. It was like winning the lotterry and then losing the ticket.

But we were really close that year and when you have witnessed what we have seen over the last 7 months then makes you apperciate this side even more despite not having anything to show for.

I dont think Wenger and the club have gotten over losing the title that year. Had we won the title that year we would have dominated English football, it was that close. Thats why in my heart of hearts when we blew it against Birmingham that year I felt we could never win another trophy under Wenger again. As a result of what happened weve had to stop start with our cycles of transition ever since. It was the best opportunity we ever had to get back to the winning ways of a few years back but unfortunately what happened at the end of the 2007/2008 has summed us up in recent years. Mentally it was the biggest blow ever to Wenger not winning the league that year.

So ironically the season that could have been will in my opinion prove to be the beginning of the end for Wenger.