Bearing in mind the lack of transfers into the club this transfer window, I thought I would look through my memory banks (only since I’ve been a fan (Dec 78)) and pick the 10 most defining transfers at Arsenal. It is very open to debate, readers! I shall be going in a time sequence.
1. 1. John Lukic (July 83 from Leeds; £100,000). Strange, I hear you think. Well, at that time, the legend that is Pat Jennings, had just played his 1000thcompetitive game and time was catching up on him. George Wood wasn’t up to scratch and we needed a successor. Terry Neill decided to look up north and went for the young gangly Lukic. My memories of him at Leeds didn’t leave me with much hope. I believe he was at the receiving end of a 5 – 0 thrashing at Elland Road (even John Hollins got on the scoresheet that day). However, after a shaky start, he came into his own. Superb performances in thr 86/87 season where we went on to win the league cup and in particular the title winning season. He was a main stay and very influential member of that side. Can you imagine another goalkeeper throwing the ball out, at the last moment in the title decider, to Lee Dixon, onto Smith, onto Thomas. It’s up for grabs now! I reckon every other keeper in the world would have just kicked it to the other penalty area. Ironic that we sold him back to Leeds and made a 1000% profit. Not bad business. Reckon Arsene, Ivan and Stan would have been impressed by that!
2. 2.David‘Safehands’ Seaman (June 90 from QPR; £1.3m). I found it odd that we were selling Lukic. I felt he was one of the best keepers in the country. However, I remember GG answering the same questions from journalists at the time and stating that Lukic was indeed one of the best keepers in the country. However, he felt that Seaman was THE BEST. I tell you what, he weren’t wrong. Without doubt the best keeper I’ve ever seen (yes better than the Manc Dane (that may be bias and the fact that I hate PS)). 18 goals conceded in his first season and losing only 1 game backed up GG’s judgement. Memorable saves over 13 seasons – Platt @ Villa, Owers @ Sunderland, Zola in Copenhagen to name a few, but that save from Karen Brady’s husband (paul pesky solid lumps) @ OT in the FA Cup semi final has to be up there as the best save ever. It was Banks v Pele all over again. A goal keeping legend. Only he could get away with that pony tail!!!
3. 3.Ian Wright (Sept 91 from Crystal Palace; £2.5m). We had just scored more goals than any other club the previous season. Smith, Magic Man, Super Kev Campbell and the Super Swede were doing the biz from all angles. Why did we need another striker? 7 years and 185 goals later, I understood why. This is a little controversial, as there are lots of gooners who aren’t a fan of Wrighty and I can see why. He effectively changed the way we played. From being a title winning team where goals were coming from all over the place to being a dangerous 1 off, 1 man team. Hence our cup success between 93 – 95. Some also weren’t impressed with his abuse after the Blackburn game in December 97 from the dressing room window; after a 3 – 1 defeat. But he did score some great goals and some match winning performances. Leeds 4thround FA cup replay, followed by the 5th round v Forest. Auxerre away (when he scored in every game leading to the final against Real Zaragoza). Countless goals v Everton & Southampton including a hat trick in the last game in front of the old North Bank. We weren’t challenging for any team honours that season, but Wright was up against Linekar for Golden Boot. With the last ever goal in the Old First Division (before it became the PL), he beat him. The fact that it came off his shin, didn’t matter. It is also somewhat ironic, that he was injured for the last few months of the 97/98 season and the fact that this helped us to win the league (it was noticeable that goals were again coming from all angles, in his absence). But he got his‘holy grail’ of a league title medal and left us with loads of great memories (especially those last minute goals v Spurs in 92 & 93 and the FA Cup final goals v Sheff Wed (incidentally, to give you an idea of how much confidence the team had in him, in front of goal. Look at Paul Merson in the background (only seen in the action replay) when he’s one on one with Chris Woods. His arms are up in celebration, before he’s even attempted to strike the ball!)).
Part 2 will follow later.Enjoy guys,
Statto
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