Which squad is better?

[Kiwi Gooner]

Here's how our 1996 and 2010 squads line up.
Which is the stronger?

1996 (Arsene's first season)
1. David Seaman (England international goalkeeper)
2. Lee Dixon (England int right back)
3. Nigel Winterburn (England int left back)
4. Patrick Vieira (French U21 international midfielder)
5. Steve Bould (England int central defender)
6. Tony Adams (England captain, centre half, club captain)
7. David Platt (England international midfielder)
8. Ian Wright (England int forward, last term's top scorer)
9. Paul Merson (England int midfielder, reformed bad-boy)
10. Dennis Bergkamp (Dutch international forward)
11. Glenn Helder (Dutch int left winger)
12. Andy Linighan (Eng B int central defender, brother of David)
13. Vince Bartram (Reserve goalkeeper)
14. Martin Keown (England int central defender)
15. Ray Parlour (Eng U21 int midfielder with silly haircut)
16. John Hartson (Welsh international striker)
17. David Hillier (Eng U21 international midfielder)
18. Steve Morrow (Northern Ireland int defender/midfield)
19. Remi Garde (French former international midfielder)
20. Chris Kiwomya (Striker, cover for Wright)
21. Eddie McGoldrick (Irish int midfielder, also known as Shoot)
22. Ian Selley (Eng U21 international midfield)
23. Paul Dickov (Scotland U21 international forward)
24. John Lukic (Reserve goalkeeper, 2nd stint at Highbury)
25. Scott Marshall (Reserve centre half)
26. Lee Harper (Reserve goalkeeper)
27. Paul Shaw (Reserve striker)
28. Stephen Hughes (Reserve midfielder)
29. Adrian Clarke (Reserve striker/winger)
30. Gavin McGowan (Reserve fullback)
31. Matthew Rose (Reserve defender)

2010
KEEPERS
Manuel Almunia
Lukasz Fabianski
Vito Mannone
James Shea

DEFENDERS
Bakari Sagna
Thomas Vermaelen
William Gallas
Mikael Silvestre
Johan Djourou
Gael Clichy
Emmanuel Eboue
Armand Traore
Sol Campbell
Kyle Bartley
Thomas Cruise
Craig Eastmond
Cedric Evina
Kerrea Gilbert
Luke Ayling

MIDFIELDERS
Abou Diaby
Cesc Fabregas
Tomas Rosicky
Samir Nasri
Robin Van Persie
Denilson
Aaron Ramsey
Alexandre Song
Andrey Arshavin
Kieran Gibbs
Fran Merida
Nacer Barazite
Francis Coquelin
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
Emmanuel Frimpong
Conor Henderson
Sanchez Watt

FORWARDS
Eduardo
Carlos Vela
Theo Walcott
Luke Freeman
Rhys Murphy
Gilles Sunu
Nicklas Bendtner

[PI7ES]

2010, however the league has improved alot since 1996 so although our squad is better its is still not good enough to win anything.

[1989]

--------------- Seaman ------------------
Dixon --- Bould --- Adams --- Winterburn
Parlour --- Platt --- Vieira --- Merson
----------- Wright ---- Bergkamp

Better than anything we can field now.

[bigreddave]

That squad brings back a few memories, bring back Eddie Mcgoldrick!

[Kiwi Gooner]

--------------- Seaman ------------------
Dixon --- Bould --- Adams --- Winterburn
Parlour --- Platt --- Vieira --- Merson
----------- Wright ---- Bergkamp

Better than anything we can field now.

This team would murder our present first team.

[WinterburnsRightFoot]

The current lot wouldn't score against that 1996 defence if they played all day.

[RossieGooner]

2010, however the league has improved alot since 1996 so although our squad is better its is still not good enough to win anything.

Think this is a very good point. Game has changed miles from where it was in 1996.

[projoe]

id prefer the 96 squad, at least then we had a quality back 5

[safcftm]

i think your 96 team would shade it, although as people have mentioned, the game has changed a lot (as have the fitness levels)

[augie]

Not alone would the 1996 squad be better but they would be stronger and not missing so many games with a tweak here or fatigue there How can anybody think that the current squad is better when most acknowledge that we have cesc, vermaelen, rvp and sol and a pile of shite representing us now

[VforVictory]

I think the 1996 first choice team shades it as individuals, but is a lot stronger in terms of organisation.

I think the 2010 squad player list is stronger as individuals in terms of skill, but less than 1996 in terms of organisation ability.

I do not think direct comparison can be made for fitness etc because the game has changed a lot since then and so have training methods.

[safcftm]

I think the 1996 first choice team shades it as individuals, but is a lot stronger in terms of organisation.

I think the 2010 squad player list is stronger as individuals in terms of skill, but less than 1996 in terms of organisation ability.

I do not think direct comparison can be made for fitness etc because the game has changed a lot since then and so have training methods.

this is a very fair point. For me, all you can do is look at the players in terms of how good they were at the time. Looking at the 1996 side:
--------------- Seaman ------------------
Dixon --- Bould --- Adams --- Winterburn
Parlour --- Platt --- Vieira --- Merson
----------- Wright ---- Bergkamp

there is class right the way through. One of the very best keepers of his day, a centre back partnership that were both absolute quality (both as individuals and as a partnership)- the back 5 in general were probably the best of their time

In midfield, merson was maybe just coming to the end of his best, but could still change a game single handedly, vieira was just coming into his spell as one of the top defensive midfielders in the world, and then wright and bergkamp were both immense up front

When you look at the current arsenal side, there is really only cesc and rvp that, imo, would compare in those terms (vermaelen and sol are both very good like, but i wouldnt personally put them up there with the best players in their positions- although sol was when at his peak)

[RNTGOONER]

96 squad better suited for the prem

2010 better suited for la liga

[Bring Back Pires]

I'm surprised this is even a close contest, as the 1996 squad is far and away superior in my view.

It's the same group of players - along with later additions Petit and Overmars - that recorded a double for us just a couple of seasons later.

Seaman, the back four, Vieira, Wright and Bergkamp (eight players in total) are all Arsenal legends, and if all were in their prime and fully fit today, would replace their modern equivalents without a second's thought.

Most of all, the 1996 players were proven winners. Seaman and his defence had already racked up multiple winner's medals between them, and you could tell from an early stage that Vieira would be an immense midfielder. The same cannot be said of Song, Denilson and/or Diaby.

The 1996 'fringe' players weren't bad either. Linighan and Morrow both scored cup winning goals and go down in history, Hartson proved to be surprisingly consistent goalscorer both with us and elsewhere, John Lukic had been the first choice during the '89 championship winning season, and even Stephen Hughes could raise to the occasion at times (scoring both goals in the 2-0 victory against Chelsea, for instance).

The 2010 reserves are a joke and a liability. They've been well documented on these threads recently, so I won't go into great detail. But Fabianski, Silvestre, Merida, Vela and the rest I've barely heard of are good for nothing.

[LDB]

I reckon our 2010 first 11 could beat the 1996 lot.......






As long as its played on the bright shiny emirates pitch and its not too cold and they hadn't had to play a game 3 days earlier and the 1996 lot arent allowed to tackle.