As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
I Hate Hleb wrote:I remember reading an article by Alan Sugar claiming Arsenal had well over-paid for Bergkamp and that Spurs were offered him at a much cheaper price but declined.
I kept it and when we won The Double in 1998 sent it to him at Tottenham with a letter asking if he still felt that way and enclosing a £5 note with the suggestion that perhaps he should try 'over-paying' for a change.
So every dud big money buy made by Spurs subsequent to that can be credited to me, I believe.
There was also Stuart Pearce writing an article in one of the rags about how Liverpool signing Collymore was the better transfer that summer.
Bergkamp might not have had a great record in big matches and cup finals, but as a technical player, he was the best to have ever played in the Premier League. When people compare him to Cantona (and zola, who is nowhere near either player in terms of class) it just makes me laugh. People forget how much of his career was spent at ajax. He was a great goalscorer for them, and a fucking artist. People judge him (rival supporters) by his failure at inter but its bullshit. Bergkamp wasn't an out and out goalscorer at Arsenal, he had Wrighty, Anelka and then Henry as partners and made them look twice as good as they were playing with them.
Personally, I think Vieira linking up with Bergkamp was the best looking thing I've ever seen at Arsenal. They were perfectly suited to each other and ripped right through the centre of the opposition defence when they were on form. Despite the fact he was an unselfish player who had played second fiddle to other strikers in his time, he is the second highest dutch goalscorer of all time (ahead of van basten, cruyff and wilks), second only to RVP. Absolute fucking legend he was, and if I eve hear any chelsea cretin mention that italian midget zola in the same sentence as DB10 I will fucking rip them two new arseholes
Many great memories in particular his assists during freddies purple patch but being the miserable bastard I am just as with TH14 s clge final missed chances when I think of bergkamp my first image is that missed pen and its history making consequences
There are plenty of goals that are easy to eulogise about when talking about the great man, Newcastle and Sunderland, the trademark curlers against Barnsley, delicate chips against Sheffield United and leuverkeusen.
However, Dennis was of course so much more than that, such a talented player that his passes stand out too.
Two that come to mind for me are the assist for Vieira's equaliser at Stamford Bridge in 2002, absolutely the perfect weight and direction. The second is also for a Vieira goal, the winner against Leicester to secure the unbeaten season. The calmness of waiting for the perfect moment to make the pass, and the execution of it that took probably 5 Leicester players out of the game with one pass, and Vieira doesnt have to break stride, and Dennis made it look so incredibly easy.
For me, Dennis was the finest player of his generation. I'd put him up there with the very best of all time. His football brain was second to none and his touch was sublime.
During that golden era at Arsenal he was the real star of the team. Henry took the acclaim owing to the goals he scored but without the genius of Bergkamp, and to a considerable degree Pires, he wouldn't have been half the player he was.
I've personally only ever seen one other that was as good as him and that was Cruyff (Johan not Jordi ). Pele in his prime was before my time and Maradona was great but only as an individual player. He wasn't the team player that Bergkamp was.
There will most likely never be a player that good wearing the great Arsenal shirt again in my lifetime, and I thank my lucky stars that I was able to see the genius at work. If we could knight a foreign national he would be first in line for me.
SPUDMASHER wrote:For me, Dennis was the finest player of his generation. I'd put him up there with the very best of all time. His football brain was second to none and his touch was sublime.
During that golden era at Arsenal he was the real star of the team. Henry took the acclaim owing to the goals he scored but without the genius of Bergkamp, and to a considerable degree Pires, he wouldn't have been half the player he was.
I've personally only ever seen one other that was as good as him and that was Cruyff (Johan not Jordi ). Pele in his prime was before my time and Maradona was great but only as an individual player. He wasn't the team player that Bergkamp was.
There will most likely never be a player that good wearing the great Arsenal shirt again in my lifetime, and I thank my lucky stars that I was able to see the genius at work. If we could knight a foreign national he would be first in line for me.
remigardeshair wrote:There are plenty of goals that are easy to eulogise about when talking about the great man, Newcastle and Sunderland, the trademark curlers against Barnsley, delicate chips against Sheffield United and leuverkeusen.
However, Dennis was of course so much more than that, such a talented player that his passes stand out too.
Two that come to mind for me are the assist for Vieira's equaliser at Stamford Bridge in 2002, absolutely the perfect weight and direction. The second is also for a Vieira goal, the winner against Leicester to secure the unbeaten season. The calmness of waiting for the perfect moment to make the pass, and the execution of it that took probably 5 Leicester players out of the game with one pass, and Vieira doesnt have to break stride, and Dennis made it look so incredibly easy.
SPUDMASHER wrote:For me, Dennis was the finest player of his generation. I'd put him up there with the very best of all time. His football brain was second to none and his touch was sublime.
During that golden era at Arsenal he was the real star of the team. Henry took the acclaim owing to the goals he scored but without the genius of Bergkamp, and to a considerable degree Pires, he wouldn't have been half the player he was.
I've personally only ever seen one other that was as good as him and that was Cruyff (Johan not Jordi ). Pele in his prime was before my time and Maradona was great but only as an individual player. He wasn't the team player that Bergkamp was.
There will most likely never be a player that good wearing the great Arsenal shirt again in my lifetime, and I thank my lucky stars that I was able to see the genius at work. If we could knight a foreign national he would be first in line for me.
Dennis's goal against Argentina QF World Cup last minute - unreal. The whole world watching as this Arsenal player scored one of the all time great World Cup goals. Made me proud that we had him at our club and that "We've Got Dennis Bergkamp"
I remember listening on the phone to club call for bergkamp's 1st game in an arsenal shirt on the pre season tour of sweden
Was dipping in and out because it was expensive but Denis came on and scored a hat trick in 6 mins in an 8-1 win v kristianstads
You could barely find a footnote in the paper about pre season games in those days but I was fit to burst with excitement
A real statement of intent from the club
