Random football stuff

Elec would have loved it. Hale End madness

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You forgot the one that got away. Andy Cole, ball dropped right there. I remember reading he got excrement posted through his letter box in Newcastle. I remember Campbell’s hat trick early in his career but I think we made the mistake of going for the powerhouse over the more talented footballer

I forgot about Paul Davis. I think you have a few more years of wisdom than myself. How would you rate our best midfielders of the period mate? Strengths and weaknesses.

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In his first PL season Bergy managed 11 goals and 9 assists. Merson never matched that in the PL era but I’d like to know his numbers in the 90-91 season when he seemed at the peak of his powers.

Like Bergkamp I was considering Vieira, we only signed him in '96 and in terms of quality he’s definitely top 4 of this period. It just seems he sort of wasn’t really 86-96. But technically he’d be on the list. Even Alan Hanson was wanking over Vieira on MOTD

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Thomas was immense. Great when he covered right back when he broke into the side.
Marauding midfielder who could tackle pass and never stopped running.
Rocastle was skill, touch and silk too Davis steel but solid passing.
Honestly though one who fell just short because of injuries was Stewart Robson. Bryan Robson in style with natural leadership qualities. Gutted it never worked out for him.

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I’m guessing you’re in the camp that saw losing Rocastle/Thomas and signing as a downgrade? I think we signed a Swede and Dane after they both had great Euro results not long after that but it didn’t really work out

John Jensen was the Dane. That QPR goal :heart_eyes:

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Rocky as we now no way faded and Thomas was never quite the same after Anfield.
Never made it for England either. Often think 89 was just a moment he couldn’t ever top.
Jensen was tragic but Schwartz I thought we let go too early. Struggled a bit but had some good games. Sampdoria away was excellent performance by him.

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The greatest Arsenal performance in Europe I’ve ever witnessed in my lifetime.

As a performance, you could argue it wasn’t as ‘complete’ as some of the Wenger games away from home in the CL, but what we did against Sampdoria was, well, wow!

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Dave, TV coverage of UK football was non-existent here in that time period. I must have gone twenty some years without seeing a top flight game, let alone Arsenal. Couple that with an extended period of personal depression during which I ‘tuned out’ of life in general and I can’t give you any names from what was surely a great chapter in our club’s history. My loss, I’m afraid.

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I’m very sorry to hear that.

I’m glad you’ve come out of it the other side. You have some wonderful stories and I love hearing them :blush:

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Where you from Giner? I suffer from depression too, don’t let it beat you mate. There’s different things that help, whether exercise, chatting to someone that’s sound, achieving something, or just having any fun distraction/hobby

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Santi is number one and I couldn’t give a fuck about anybody else

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Tony Adams
Dennis Bergkamp
Ian Wright
Paul Davis
Alan Smith
Seaman (sorry that’s 6 and really Bergkamp is only in for what he did after this time)

The whole defense around that time were amazing though. Love Winterburn, Bould, Dixon and Keown (although the latter fucked off to Villa/Everton for a long time).

Limpar brilliant for a season
Rocky
Mickey Thomas
Kevin Richardson
Paul Merson

All worthy of mentions

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I think you have found a loophole. The back 4 were like a single entity really so pick them and you’ve still got four more slots. :sunglasses:

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@JohnnyH

Your top 5.

1986 to 1996

Seaman
Adams
Dixon
Wright
Thomas
Thomas nudges out Paul Davis for me because of the Anfield winner in '89, however in my opinion, Davis was the better player.

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Brilliant someone giving kevin Richardson a mention. His signing one of the most underrated and influential in the 89 season.
Brian Marwood contribution earlier that season was significant too.

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Didn’t Henry play for a season at the Emirates? Granted he was injured from March or February of 2007 but that’s still emirates era no?

He missed half of that season, mostly the second part I think… The stats say he played 17 league games that season. Had a back injury if I remember correctly. His only proper injury in his Arsenal career.

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He did indeed. Also came back for one last hurrah in 2012, don’t think I’ve ever celebrated a goal in the early rounds of the FA Cup as emotionally as I did when he returned and scored against Leeds. Watched it in that utter fucking dive Zoo Bar in Leicester Square with a mate as my dad made a rare request to take a pal to that match, only in retrospect did I massively regret giving up that ticket.

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