This is not about the invincible Iron man nor the Invincible Armour – a 1977 action/martial arts movie. So, what is this about?

Football!

If you are not a football lover, you should be wondering… football? Hahahaha

Okay! here is a short story about “the Invincibles.”

The English Premier League, which is the most prestigious domestic football league in England, is the centre of attraction for many football fans around the world. Considered as the most followed and best-known league in the world, the Premier League according to Statista had an aggregated 11.33m attendance at games in the 2019/20 season. The league runs from August every year to June the following year (this period depicts a football season) and is usually played by twenty football clubs in England, all competing to finish top of the league come June after they have each played thirty-eight games.

In the 2003/2004 season, the unthinkable happened. A team known as Arsenal Football club went the entire campaign winning the league, without losing a football match. They played thirty-eight games, drew twelve, won twenty-six and lost none.

Football lovers and Arsenal fans around the world followed that season closely. Honestly, it started like every other season. The enthusiasm and support for your team to play competitive football and maybe finish top of the table at the end of the season. But going an entire season without losing a game, no one thought about that. Almost certain even the Arsenal players did not.

The idea of going an entire season without losing a game only became a thought for many football lovers when Arsenal’s unbeaten run stretched further and further. We saw the unthinkable unfold before our eyes.

This memorable record is laudable but not the emphasis of this article. So, what about the invincible story makes it the talk for today?

Quite a number of people had thought the experience they had as fans watching the beautiful game was the same for the players and manager of Arsenal football club. Documented clips from the snippet of Arsene Wenger: Invincible– a film portrait of former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, with a particular focus on the famous ‘Invincibles’ season, revealed a shocking story. The ex-arsenal manager revealed that going an entire campaign without losing a game did not just happen. It was a set target.

Yes, you heard that. Just before the season started, Arsene Wenger told his players he wanted them to go the entire season unbeaten. Game after game, he reminded them of the target and encouraged them to keep going. So, when they went ten games unbeaten, the players and staff of Arsenal football club did not see a coincidence or a run of luck happening, rather, they saw the club gradually walking towards achieving a set target.

The month of June marks the end of the first half of the year. What targets did you set? Are you just running without clarity on where your destination is?

Target setting can sometimes become a cliché. For some organisations, it may happen so often that it turns into a ritual. Regardless, the power behind goal/target setting can not be overemphasised. The story of the Invincibles is clearly a classic case of keeping your eyes on the ball. Only if there is a ball (goal/target) will there be a drive to stay focused and drive towards personal and collective goals.

Have you set that target yet? It is never too late to do so. You should