Former Arsenal Players Thread: Page 113 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Former Arsenal Players Thread

MistaT

^ every goal scored by Van Persie in the Premier League.

Have to admit I was taken back rewatching all of these. Damn near every goal has a high level of quality in either great footwork (to open up a shooting angle) or in the shot (curl). RVP really was the definition of a technical striker.

Would be curious what goals impressed others but even "simple" looking goals had me impressed. Take this goal for example, made the angle and then used it for a simple placed shot in.

Mirth

Dom His midfield contemporaries at the time, from the top of my head, were Pirlo, Iniesta, Xavi, Alonso and Kaka as the best of the best and then, IMO, Lampard a level below them and then Fabregas, Sneijder and Gerrard behind Fat Frank. Modric levelled up and up after these lot had declined so I haven't included him.

IMO those are a list of players who went on to have better careers and hit higher peaks but if we’re specifically looking at the period between 2006 and 2008 no one felt that Alonso, Xavi or Iniesta were clearly ahead of Fabregas.

Dom

Mirth

I do agree with that. In those three years I thought it was inevitable he'd the best midfielder in the world or at least a close second to Pirlo. Fabregas's all round game seemed to have plateaued in 2008 but Alonso, Iniesta and Lampard just got better, faster and stronger in their mid and late 20s.

Dom

RocktheCasbah

Wenger's central midfield scouting and recruitment after 2005 was catastrophic. He went from Vieira, Petit, Edu and Gilberto (all of similar stature) to Flamini, Denilson and Song. Players not only less technically able but less athletic and shorter. The one midfield gem he did find - Diarra - was let go. It's hard to understand why Wenger bumped athleticism as an important attribute. "Didn't build a team around the best player/s" was a mistake Wenger made season after season post-2008.

RocktheCasbah

Dom agree with all of that. Truly maddening stuff from Le Prof'...

Mirth

Dom The one midfield gem he did find - Diarra - was let go. I

Because he talented but little else. We didn't let him go, he forced a move after six months because he was mortified that he would have to win his place from Flamini who was in fine form in the winter of 2007.

Clrnc

Diarra was excellent though. Could have been amazing here. When he was at Real he was the best midfielder there.

I still maintain that putting Cesc in advanced positions and false 9 by Barca killed his career. He was always better as a DLP. When Mourinho played him back as DLP he was hands down the best CM that season when he came back. Far better than even Ozil first season for us

Burnwinter

Speaking of Diarra

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/sep/29/will-the-lassana-diarra-case-bring-down-transfer-market-as-we-know-it

RocktheCasbah

Ahhhh, I was just about to post that! 😃

Clrnc

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/sep/28/jens-lehmann-fined-for-damaging-neighbours-garage-with-chainsaw?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Such a Jens thing to do

Segway

Mad Jens is still mad 😆

Burnwinter

Wow. Jens is an honest to God fucking chainsaw-wielding maniac. That'll make a few retired strikers feel better I reckon.

Meatwad

i respect it, sometimes you gotta pop out and show folks. just pay for the damages and move on.

Bernard Woolley

Just saw the score on Bournemouth vs Southampton and I really sympathise with Ramsdale, pinging between relegation-threatened clubs with a glorious 2 years as the #1 at a top 2 club in the PL. Crazy journey.

Don Pacifico

Not seen much of Ramsdale at Southampton but can't help but feel a bit gutted for him that he's not getting into the England squad under Carsley.

Qwiss

Can't believe I never knew Tyrese John Jules uncle is Cat from Red Dwarf.

Don Pacifico

Qwiss haha, great fact isn't it!

HomeSteak

https://www.reddit.com/r/Gunners/s/MVIoRgbxoC

The fact that Wenger went for the shit Cech and dropped him man...never felt right

Don Pacifico

HomeSteak lot of love for Szczesny but choosing Cech over him was absolutely the right decision at the time.

Clrnc

Don Pacifico dropping him was right. Choosing Cech was never right. Guy was so awful

RocktheCasbah

Clrnc complete agreement. His unnecessary signing was exacerbated by the fact it was the only first team signing we made that summer. Terrible decision making by the club, whoever was responsible for it.

Don Pacifico

Clrnc think there's a fair bit of revisionism going on here. Cech looked like an upgrade when he signed. It only lasted about a season but it wasn't the horrendous signing that some suggest.

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