Arsenal All Stars XI

[michaec]

Looking at the Arsenal programme from last night's game, there is a section called "All Stars XI" where past Gunners pick their best Arsenal team of all time. They've interviewed loads of former player from the much maligned Gus Ceasar to the first double-winning captain Frank McLintock. I'll try to put a "proper" team together based on those with the most votes from the fifty interviewees so far (number of votes in brackets):

-------------------------Pat Jennings(27)
Lee Dixon(19) - Tony Adams(42) - Frank McLintock(24) - Kenny Sansom(27)
George Armstrong(28) - Patrick Vieira(43) - Liam Brady(40) - Robert Pires(22)
----------------Thierry Henry(40) - Ian Wight(21)

Not a bad side to put out! And surprisingly, these eleven were the eleven players with the most votes. I was going to give you the eleven with the most votes too, but there you are. The next five "subs" are Dennis Bergkamp(13 votes), Bob McNab(12), David O'Leary(12), Pat Rice(11) and David Seaman(10).

The other current players on the list are: Martin Keown(5 votes), Freddie Ljungberg(4), Sol Campbell(3), Ashley Cole(2) and Lauren(1).

[phillys]

David O' Leary was a gunner?! :o

[BayouGooner]

You're kidding right--I think dude has the most apps for the club by far.

[AjaxGunner]

I think Tony Adams had a couple more, but O'Leary had over something like 600 for the Arse, 5 or so for Leeds. Another long-serving Gunner who moved to other clubs - Paul Merson, now at Walsall fighting relegation in Div 2. I'm somewhat surprised he didn't get any votes, but I guess Liam Brady (who I never saw) is the favorite for his spot.
Thanks michaec. I was going to start a thread on "Favorite ex-Gunner," but this is better. (I'm sure our man Anelka would top the list, anyway :) )
Was Rice really that good? What about Stevie Bould and Nigel Winterburn?

[Lanesra]

I think Tony Adams had a couple more, but O'Leary had over something like 600 for the Arse, 5 or so for Leeds. Another long-serving Gunner who moved to other clubs - Paul Merson, now at Walsall fighting relegation in Div 2. I'm somewhat surprised he didn't get any votes, but I guess Liam Brady (who I never saw) is the favorite for his spot.
Thanks michaec. I was going to start a thread on "Favorite ex-Gunner," but this is better. (I'm sure our man Anelka would top the list, anyway :) )
Was Rice really that good? What about Stevie Bould and Nigel Winterburn?

Nope O'leary holds the record, but for injurys and prison Adams would have certainly taken it.

[michaec]

David O'Leary holds the all-time Arsenal appearance record on 672. Tony Adams is second on 668.

http://www.arsenal.com/superbase/statsappcontroller.jsp?command=forwardOnly&nextPage=highslowsresults&all_time_records=1

As for your other queries, Pat Rice wasn't what I would call a spectacular player, but a solid, dependable right-back. Must have been at Arsenal for 15 years or so and I guess he would be over the 500 appearance mark.

Other recent Arsenal players I didn't mention above: Steve Bould(5 votes), Emmanuel Petit(4), Nigel Winterburn(3), Marc Overmars(2).

[AjaxGunner]

I stand corrected. I wonder if Pat Rice would ever be considered as a possible successor to AW. Probably not.

[442]

Hey, I love Ian Wright and you can't argue with Thierry Henry, but I think we need to find a spot in the first XI for the greatest visionary in Arsenal history - Dennis Bergkamp.

[martymarts]

Totally agree with you Rick! Wrighty was great, but, not the best team player. DB10 still is a cut above! I'm a bit suprised by all the votes for Bob McNab? I don't remember him being that exceptional?

Pat Rice was an out and out grafter! I think the best player we ever sold was Ray Kennedy! Had we kept him, after the 71 double I'm certain he'd have made the all star team in midfield. Liverpool got all his best years instead! Where did Sammy Nelson play, was he a left back? Always liked Sammy; classy player! I think we bought Kenny Sansom from Crystal Palace, my waining memory seems to picture him in Claret and sky blue before Highbury? I thought, "why did we spend all that money on a duffer like him?" The quality of my judgement hasn't changed much over the years, because I still haven't seen a better left back; not in Red and White, or the white shirt of England. I put Kenny just ahead of Roberto Carlos, you could argue that Carlos' free kicks give him the edge, but, Kenny was very quick going forward and brilliant defensively as well!

We never got the best of Pat Jennings, the scum did, but even so, he's unquestionably the best we've had between the sticks, but Seaman was none too shabby; and he's the one with a trophy cabinet stuffed with hardware!

[goonerob]

Sammy 'drop your shorts' Nelson was a left back and his place was taken by Kenny Sansom. Who was from Crystal palace, he came to Arsenal in a swop deal for Clive Allen.
What about a no stars XI you could have Barnett in goal,Stepanovs and Caeser as centre backs, a magnificent midfield of Hillier,Jenson,Morrow and mcgoldrick, up front Hawley and Chapman. I am stuck on fullbacks though.

[jwaldman11]

I agree on Bergkamp also, but I don't know if you can take the club's all-time leading scorer off, so it's a big of a quandry.

Just curious if Michael Thomas got any votes. I know it would really only be for one particular moment, but it was the single greatest moment in club history.

[michaec]

I think Bergkamp is the best footballer I've seen play for Arsenal, so I too am disappointed that he only made the bench in this poll. But it's not a bad way to be to have strikers like these to pick from.

Mickey Thomas got no votes, but his midfield colleagues from that team David Rocastle(8) and Paul Davis(1) are on the list.

I think it sould have been much easier to just transcribe the whole list now! ;)