PRE-SEASON BRAVADO BEGINS

Last updated : 27 July 2004 By editor

Giggs is quoted in the Mirror as saying:

"What Arsenal achieved last season in going the whole season unbeaten was fantastic, which I've said before. But we've won the title back-to-back and also won three on the trot, which is something no other team can say they've done.

"We want to stop Arsenal doing what they haven't done before. They may be champions but they haven't successfully defended the title. The praise they got about the greatest team? I think great teams are decided over many years, not just one season.

“We didn’t get close to them last season, but that wasn’t ability. It was other things, like consistency. They were pretty much injury-free the whole season. That helped with their consistency.

"And Arsenal will be looking to do better in the Champions League, which is something we've done consistently down the years."

Meanwhile Chelsea striker Mutu continues the battle of words building up between United and the Rentboys:

"I think United should worry about us. We beat them last season and all our strikers look very strong."