As for George Graham there can be no doubt that he was a truly wonderful manager for Arsenal and a lot of Wenger’s early success was partly down to the defensive solidity that Graham had instilled in his team. However the cloud under which he left tainted the fans’ memory of him and like Ian Wright he was not the most successful of his kind, Wenger is. Although Wenger might not have a statue at present we can know with close to certainty that we he eventually steps down a fourth statue will be raised in his honour. Many people were surprised about his omission but you don’t make people saints before they’ve passed away and in the same way you don’t honour a manager’s achievements when there are still more to come. He is our longest serving and most successful manager and the transformation he has instigated in both English football and at Arsenal football club have been nothing short of breathtaking. He will have his statue, but not yet.
To have omitted Herbert Chapman would have been disrespectful to the history and roots of the football club itself. Chapman won Arsenal their first ever trophies in the double winning season of 1930/31 and successfully persuaded the authorities to change Gillespie Road tube station to Arsenal tube station. In all senses of the expression Chapman put Arsenal on the map. He laid the foundations for success at this club and if it wasn’t for his sudden death in 1934 he could and would have achieved a lot more.
If we could have a hundred statues to remember a hundred players I’m sure we could find players to be their subject but the fact is then we wouldn’t be celebrating these few individuals who have really made the biggest difference. Obviously that is a hard accolade to quantify but in that way you have to consider which individuals have statistically done the most. Adams is the most successful captain we’ve ever had and Henry is our all time top goal scorer. Chapman was the first ever truly successful manager of our club and you can be sure that our most successful manager ever will get his statue when he retires.
Ultimately, the statues could have included Liam Brady, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira, Cliff Bastin, Alan Smith, David Rocastle and many others but the point of the statues is to celebrate the best of the best and not the best of the rest. That is what has been done.
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Written by Hamish Mackay
Personally I would have liked to see Frank McClintock. As he was the first Arsenal captain to lift the Double, also the Fairs cup was the first trophy after 15 years without a trophy.
Rocky, Bergkamp, brady, I say just make a forest of statues with the best players of each generation 🙂
Why no mention of McLintock? Captain of the first Arsenal team to do the double. I feel with Chapman already having a bust another statue was not needed and Frank would have been my choice. Adams defo right and can’t argue with Henry he alongside Vieira really emptomise that particular stage of Arsenal. Adams is the transitional player from the successful Graham era to winning the double twice under Wenger, with McLintock you would the have all the most successful periods represented in statues if you take Chapman’s bust into account
I think Wenger and Bergkamp will be added in due course once their current/future association with Arsenal has ended. George Graham I don’t think will ever be added to the group because of his financial misbehaviour (i.e. bungs).
Ian Wright is an open question?