Forgotten Freddie

[Its Up 4 Grabs Now]

Watch the Dennis magic moments clips, that will really make you pine for those days.

Is that the 10-minute one that includes clips of him at Ajax and and even youth level I think? If so, that is indeed football porn.

[northbank123]

Henry was absolutely devastating because he had a lethal mix of pace, quality, finishing, movement and determination.

But nobody in world football could, or can, make top defenders look like Squillaci in the same way that Dennis did. Ayala's bemused reaction after the goal vs Argentina in WC98 summed up Dennis.

[OneBardGooner]

One last thought before I head off to my wanking chariot.

Over the past week or so we have been wonderfully reminded, like we had all erased it from out minds, just how good teams under Wenger were previously (7 years or so previously) and the names of the greats were rolled out again.

The usual names were there, and rightfully so, Bergkamp, Viera, Henry, Pires, Campbell and even Fuckface Phone Pervert but it struck me that one truly great player was missing.

Is it just the media or have most of us forgotten just how good Ljungberg was in his pomp? For a couple of seasons the guy was electric and before injuries caught up with him his worst of seasons were very good.

This guy scored a shed load of goals, made the game look so easy with the timing of his runs and there was a spell when if he didn't score you was surprised!

Plus on top of all of this he was a bit different too. Football punk if you will.

Why does Freddie not get mentioned in the same breath as the other Invincibles?

I was trying to cheer myself up the other week - after our humiliation at Bradford, and I was watching the 49 Unbeaten DVD...and thought the same Freddie also scored some very important goals, I'll always remember his winning goal against the chavscum in the 2002 FA cup final....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcE2RCKXK7I

[g88ner]

I was trying to cheer myself up the other week - after our humiliation at Bradford, and I was watching the 49 Unbeaten DVD...and thought the same Freddie also scored some very important goals, I'll always remember his winning goal against the chavscum in the 2002 FA cup final....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcE2RCKXK7I

I'd almost forgotten that great day in Cardiff.

Tbh, I'd forgotten the quality of Ljungberg's goal, but I remembered Parlour's Bergkamp-esque curler I had a half way line, upper tier seat, for that game (£70), and gave my spare away to someone in the Arsenal South Wales Supporters club as my dad couldn't make it to the game.

I also had a bit of trouble getting to the game. I lived in Bristol at the time, so had booked my train ticket in advance. When I got to Bristol Temple Meads train station, I was told I had no chance of catching a train to Cardiff as football fans in London (both chavs and Arsenal) had filled ALL the trains even though many didn't have tickets - I ended up getting a taxi from Bristol to Cardiff with 2 Chelsea fans for £300

Still, made it there... great day... we won!

[A dallying Gus Caesar]

I love/loved Freddie.

Despite being in a very good team, he pulled us out of the shit so many times. More than say a Bergkamp ever did.

As much as I loved those Wenger teams of '02' and '04' to many of the 'skilled players' did have a propensity to go missing at times. Never Freddie though, the man was a warrior.

[VoiceOfReason]

Ljungberg is a bonafide Arsenal legend and provided us all with some amazing memories. As others have said, his peak was definitely 2001-02, but he was still excellent in the following two seasons - if you watch the 2003/04 DVD back, he was involved in many of the goals.

His final two seasons with us - although affected by injury - were really, really bad. To the point that many fans were pleased when he finally left. Anybody remember that one-on-one at the Valley on Boxing Day 2005 which he completely blundered? That, to me, summed up his final days.

He wasn't quite as good as Pires (who won awards for a reason), but as an Arsenal player (only), I'd rank him higher than Overmars and Petit based on a) longevity with the club and b) the trophies he helped us win.

[TeeCee]

I couldnt agree more.Petit and Vieira what a partnership.Never been a midfield two like those two

Very true, and then we had Denilson and Song as someone else mentioned.............and there's never been a midfield like those two either!!!

[wibble]

Well coincidently i decided to waste a few hrs creating a classic arsenal fc on pro evo last week and Old Rosie will be pleased to hear freddie made it into my starting XI.

[markyp]

sometimes you have to look from the outside,to supporters of other teams(im thinking of my friends here) Freddie was a player they all would have loved,this is friends supporting United,Liverpool etc not ya wigans and readings .in my eyes without him we wouldnt have achieved such success,some of his goals were so important,to me a great player who deserves to be held in the same breath as Bergkamp,henry when we talk of great Arsenal sides,bit of an unsung hero imo

[g88ner]

sometimes you have to look from the outside,to supporters of other teams(im thinking of my friends here) Freddie was a player they all would have loved,this is friends supporting United,Liverpool etc not ya wigans and readings .in my eyes without him we wouldnt have achieved such success,some of his goals were so important,to me a great player who deserves to be held in the same breath as Bergkamp,henry when we talk of great Arsenal sides,bit of an unsung hero imo

Unsung hero, yes. Hugely important, yes. Same breath as Bergkamp and Henry....? I don't think so.

[markyp]

sometimes you have to look from the outside,to supporters of other teams(im thinking of my friends here) Freddie was a player they all would have loved,this is friends supporting United,Liverpool etc not ya wigans and readings .in my eyes without him we wouldnt have achieved such success,some of his goals were so important,to me a great player who deserves to be held in the same breath as Bergkamp,henry when we talk of great Arsenal sides,bit of an unsung hero imo

Unsung hero, yes. Hugely important, yes. Same breath as Bergkamp and Henry....? I don't think so.

when we talk of great Arsenal sides was my point,stand alone no but talking as a team YES

[1989]

Freddie was a fantastic player. He virtually won us the double in 02.

[Chippy]

Perhaps this might tempt some of the ladies back to the forum. That's my excuse anyway

[OneBardGooner]

I couldnt agree more.Petit and Vieira what a partnership.Never been a midfield two like those two

Very true, and then we had Denilson and Song as someone else mentioned.............and there's never been a midfield like those two either!!!

That is Horrifyingly Funny, Sad and True

[hugh jardon]

I remember going up to Bolton away in late April 2002 where Freddie and Wiltord goals gave us a 2-0 win that pretty much won the league. What a great night that was!

What a squad we had back then, every player was hard as nails as well as a fantastic footballer.

Can't believe nobody has mentioned his song yet! A tremendous player and a rare owner of his own unique song.