What was it like under George Graham?

[Bradywasking]

Met George on a few occasions,one time in Dublin in 1992 when Arsenal played a friendly against Shelbourne . This came courtesy of being knocked out of the FA Cup by Wrexham giving us a weekend off in late January or early February. The game was played on the Thursday night before the Cup weekend. A few of us went to the hotel the team were staying in, and bumped into George , when we asked him for autographs and photos he immediately said "why are you not in work today ?"

[This Is The Daybreak]

1994-95 was torrid, was my second season as an Arsenal supporter and remember his last days were truly turgid. Went to most home games and sure we didn't win one between October and March or April. We were looking over our shoulders at a relegation battle in April and if it wasn't for Ian Wrights goals we probably would have been. Apart from our European Cup Winners Cup run I was thinking as a kid what I was letting myself in for. Still I will stand and say the dullest Arsenal match I ever went to was that season, when we drew 0-0 at home to Aston Villa on Boxing Day. Don't think there was a shot on target.

Also have a memory of that season of Paul Merson throwing up 5 minutes into a game against Brondby on the sidelines and was bent over double. Was completely out of sorts. George Graham left at the right time but the years of 1986-1992 look truly magic and ones I'd have loved to have experienced as an Arsenal supporter with a great spirit about the side. Lots of young local kids breaking through into the team coupled with experience which was the perfect blend. Games against Man Utd in the cup in 1988, Villa in 1991, Winterburn scoring against Wimbledon on the road to the title in 1989 as well as the obvious ones of Anfield 89, Wembley (87 and 93) look truly magnificent. Would've loved to have been on the terraces for those.

[Nos89]

Under GG we beat Liverpool and Everton the then dominant forces regularly, The players were not afraid of taking on any challenge be it on the pitch , in a bar or in a Pizza Hut. We went from underperforming established international players, to a mixture of British young, vibrant players to mixed in with the right blend of experience and journeymen. The football was good, not revolutionary, but it yielded 6 trophies in 9 years, with 2 cup final losses. Remember we were denied European football for the first 5 years of his reign when the team was arguably better equipped. Yet, despite knocking Liverpool off their perch, the club didn't invest in the squad. We should have dominated the '90's but failed due to the lack of investment in quality players (sound familiar???). Under Graham we didn't concede many, but also didn't score many, except for the the last third of the 91'92 season. After Wrexham knocked us out the cup, we had a dour run of draws, then we hit 7 past Sheffield Wednesday, it was like the chains were off and the players were allowed to go out and enjoy themselves on the pitch. There were some outstanding results, goals and play. Then it was back to defending. I think Graham had acknowledge his time was coming to an end. One thing for sure he wouldn't have hung around if he didn't win anything, I don't think Frank McLintock would have let him.

[MK Gould]

Have very mixed memories of Arsenal under George...I was there for the cup wins against Liverpool 1986, Sheff Wed 1993 (FA Cup replay....didn't get ticket for League Cup Final), Parma 1994 (Copenhagen). And I was there for the party v Man United in 1991 after winning the title at lunchtime without playing.

But I was also there when we lost to Luton 1987 and Nayim 1995 (Paris)...

And the team that won the league in 1990/91 (one defeat...!) were as entertaining as anything during the Wenger reign- and as mean as anything at the back. It seemed as if the golden years had arrived...

But he always seemed to have a problem with the more gifted players (Charlie Nicholas, Anders Limpar...)...and fair to say that he probably felt more comfortable when we were dour and winning 1-0...

He was sacked for taking bungs, but that was so common place at the time that always seemed obvious to me that it was convenient timing and his departure was more about the results.

[Bunting14]

Although we beat United in his first game the next month was pretty desperate until we beat Everton at Goodison with a flukey goal. For some reason everything suddenly clicked and we went on that great run which coincided with our 100 year celebrations. However one major flaw in his teams were the long runs where they didn't look like scoring and that seemed to happen every season except the two championship years. I still say the football we played in the second half of 1991-2 season was the most effective I have witnessed in the last 40 years.

[StuartL]

GG gave us something we never expected..success, it was a magical time to be a gooner, for so long we had languished in the mid table section of the league, too good to go down but too average to win anything but then Gadaffi landed and it all changed. I'm turning 45 this month so have seen it all in footballing terms and the Graham era was without doubt the most enjoyable football years of my gooner life. I remember a cup tie with a then dominant Liverpool at Anfield when we played them off the pitch, a rocky goal securing a draw when we deserved a win, a sign of things to come, the league cup victory over the same team started us on the road to an eventual title, again at Anfield...unbelievable memories still vivid in my mind. I still remember every single result from the 89 title year, every goal, every scorer, this from a man who has to think about his kids birthdays , Smith against villa, rocky against the same team, Thomas late goal against the scum, practise for Anfield!, so many goals so many happy memories. GG was Arsenal during those years, he never forgot who he represented and made sure his players never forgot, I can even forgive him his brief tenure at the swamp, a decision I feel was clouded by his feelings of bitterness towards the then board of Arsenal.
Modern day Arsenal cannot not compete with the GG years, it's different now...I'm different now I suppose, spoilt millionaire kids do not appeal to me as much as grizzled old pros of the late 80's who drank as hard as they played

Very poignant for me too Greengooner, I am 45 this month too and got my first season ticket in 1988, watching Arsenal under George was my time, I went home, away, Europe it felt like all the players at that time - even those like Marwood / Richardson who were only with us a couple of seasons were integral to the side, fought every game, never rolled over, even in adversity.

I well remember the league cup match at Anfield (my first visit) and the way we outplayed them paved the way for the victory later that same season to clinch the league.
Many of the first team came through the ranks, Rocky, Davis, Thomas, Adams, Merson, Quinn, Hayes while battlers like Winterburn, Dixon and Smith soon endeared themselves through application and pure hard work, which resulted in a real team, who would fight for each other - sadly to compare that to todays pampered prima donnas is not a pleasant occurrence.

The 1988 / 89 or 90 /91 team would outmuscle our current bunch and roll then over no problem, Wenker would say they had more possession but would give George's team feint praise by saying "they defended well" as they would never find a way through the middle, with so little time on the ball to dwell and pick passes.

Loved George's time as manager until the final season, when having bought in too many workhorses and no-one to create we struggled big time and were to all intents dependant on Wright to win us matches on his own, which he often did.

[SydneyGooner]

I think Simeone could be the second coming of George Graham in his prime if he were to manage us.

[Trevheff]

For me David Rocastle summed up George Graham teams, well probably more the earlier period, 1986 - 1992.
Rocky had flair, boy could he play. But if you wanted a war against the Arsenal Rocky was right there on the front line putting his foot in where it hurt. And he wasn't alone, that team could mix it if needed.
The George Graham teams of that era could play teams off the pitch, but they couldn't be bullied out of matches either. Very similar to the Wenger teams of 1998 - 2002 I guess.
No George Graham team was a pushover, you had to earn victory over the Arsenal back then, not like today.

[Almunia is a clown]

Always remember saying to mates we would never win the league with Ian Wright weeks after we signed him, Grahams teams became very predictable afterwards & if you stopped Wright you would beat Arsenal. It didn't help with GG's midfield signings after Rocky left either, which were all substandard.

Respect to GG as he still won trophies after the decline started with Benfica & Wrexham it's amazing that we won a European CWC with a midfield of Selly, Morrow & McGoldrick

The board & GG never got on, especially after Anfield '89 when GG demanded his wages were doubled & they capitulated. They never backed him with serious transfer cash after his 2 championship wins, I suppose their excuse was the conversion to all seater & building the new NB stand. The bung affair was the excuse for the board, everyone knew that others elsewhere were on the take also, including some prominent rival managers.

The Middlesex Swamp Dwellers were actually found guilty of illegal payments to players & kicked out of the FA Cup / deducted 12 points, they managed to appeal & get a £1.5 million pound fine instead.

Still any Arsenal manager that wins the league championship is a legend, GG has been castigated for his last seasons, in contrast to Wenger's 10 years of failure.

[DB10GOONER]

I seem to recall Ferguson had taken money from an agent and then handed it back when the word of the shitstorm about that stuff got out. It was basically the Father Ted excuse of "The money was just resting in my account"!

I think Cloughy might have been implicated at one stage too... could be wrong. It was the 90's. There was lot's of drugs about.

No doubt every manager and his cousin was at it back then.

[SteveO 35]

I think Simeone could be the second coming of George Graham in his prime if he were to manage us.

Simeone isn't coming

[Offside]

For me David Rocastle summed up George Graham teams, well probably more the earlier period, 1986 - 1992.
Rocky had flair, boy could he play. But if you wanted a war against the Arsenal Rocky was right there on the front line putting his foot in where it hurt. And he wasn't alone, that team could mix it if needed.
The George Graham teams of that era could play teams off the pitch, but they couldn't be bullied out of matches either. Very similar to the Wenger teams of 1998 - 2002 I guess.
No George Graham team was a pushover, you had to earn victory over the Arsenal back then, not like today.

Exactly. You think of how hard we battled and defended. Rocastle, Thomas and Davis were the first line of defence. They were the soul of the club - proper Academy products who went on to win trophies with the club, something which hasn't happened under "The Great Developer of Youth".

Graham had his faults and flaws (his man-management of players once they crossed him became self-defeating in the latter years and his teams became predictable) but his teams would never have carelessly thrown away games the way Wenger's teams always seem to do.

[MK Gould]

Saw Paul Davis outside Highbury one time when I was taking the kids on the stadium tour. I said hi to him like he was an old mate and he said hi back, but with a look on his face like he was trying to think where he knew me from... Don't know why he couldn't remember as we spent every Saturday together throughout his time at Arsenal !

[shu]

With GG we were a mentally strong team , the opposite to today . One nil up and we would grind it out , think Parma in Copenhagen , magic !