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.
Frank McLintock for me. Not only a brilliant defender but amongst our most inspirational and greatest ever captains - if not the greatest - with a will to win that I've yet to see surpassed by any Arsenal player since.
I know I'm probably in the minority here in thinking this but, although Sol was very good for us, and despite being part of the Invincibles and a Double winner, I didn't feel he as great as some gooners seem to believe. Certainly wouldn't get in my all-time Arsenal side ahead of McLintock or even Bouldy and Keown, come to that.
Tough choice between Sol and McLintock.Both better footballers than Bouldy and Keown.And i go for Frank.Sol was a brilliant defender but i have never seen an Arsenal CB read a game better than Frank and although not a giant he was excellent in the air.
oaodan wrote:Impossible choice but went for OLeary,couldnt leave him voteless.I know he turned into a gobshite when he left but he was a class defender,no fuss and cant think of any howlers despite his long career.Also he stuck with us through thin and thin(80s)when it must have been tempting to leave.
same here.
best centre half in our history next to adams for me . he could have left the club many times for more money elsewhere but stuck with us .
i've defended o'leary on here before when some trogs have had ago at him for one thing or another and respect his part in the clubs history,but imo he does'nt deserve a mention on this occasion.saw him play too many on side and struggle against the limpar type too often.by the way i cant honestly remember mclintock mullered in the air in an age that had a disproportionate amount of triffic eaders,gilzean , clarke stjohn,hunt etc. i hav'nt got the stats so i cant tell you his hieght but it didnt seem a concern at the time.Mc for me.for those who never saw the man play just think of a mongrel of adams and keown
brady won it beautifully look at that oh look at that
I can't really judge McClintock i never saw him play and seen very little of the old footage of him...
As for the others, all of them were excellent defenders and i would rate them all in the top dozen british CB's of the last 30 years....
If i had to pick one of them ahead of the others Sol would just edge it, not based on his time with us but his career as a whole. At his peak, that being his first couple of years with us and the 3 or 4 years before that, he would have been a welcome addition to any national or club side, i'm not sure the rest of them were quite in that league...
Whilst I remember Mc Clintock, he finished his career with Arsenal when I was only 9, so I wasn't old enough to really say I watched him play. So any opinion formed is down to footage and legend.
On those grounds I am going to vote for Keown, he gave me an Old trafford memory that probably even surpassed winning the league there.
Keown theres only 1 keown.
Sol for me. As much as I love Frank and he was a fantastic Captain, Sol was just phenomenal for those years when he joined till his mini breakdown (still scored in the CL final though!)
He was also a HUGE reason why we won the league in 2002 when we never had a settled defence.
Most of these guys were before my time. Only seen Keown and Campbell first hand (maybe Bould a couple of times) and some footage of O'Leary. Got to vote for Campbell though. One of the best CB's I've ever seen.
Similar to most of the opinions so far, I'm too young to know how great McLintock or O'Leary were. But from what my Dad has told me both were fantastic defenders in their day.
From what I know I have to vote for Sol. He got in the 2002 World Cup Dream team and he left the **** to win trophies. Hero.
I voted campbell for obvious reasons but keowns reaction after van horseface missed that penalty was priceless so defiantly deserves a place on the bench
