What makes an Arsenal player a club legend?

[Rex Stone]

He was alright, fairly solid but unspectacular.

Koscielny was our starting CB for 9 years and helped us to a European final and scored a crucial goal in an FA cup final. Doesn’t make him a club legend neither.

Yeah those things aren’t the same are they?

Koscielny made a Europa League final and got sonned by old man Giroud.

Kolo had R9, Raul, Ibrahimovic and Trezeguet in his pocket on the way to the CL final.

He’s a key part of Arsenal’s greatest ever team and unlike Koscielny was usually a big game player.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

Kolo was good. Always felt he was the weaker one in the partnership with Sol though.

If Sol doesn't go in I don't think you can put Kolo in.

 

[Rex Stone]

Kolo was good. Always felt he was the weaker one in the partnership with Sol though.

If Sol doesn't go in I don't think you can put Kolo in.

So I thought about that and there’s three things in Kolo’s favour…

1) Sol only had three good seasons here. Injuries and other issues nosedived his career with us post 2003/04.

2) The 2006 CL run. Yes Sol scored in the final however he barely played in the tournament that year. Who was the ever present when we kept six clean sheets against Real, Juve then Villarreal? Kolo!

3) Post Sol Arsenal. Two years after Sol left our goals conceded was 31 which is an absolutely miserly number. When Kolo was a starter for us we conceded under a goal a game the entire 7 seasons. When he left it ballooned to 41 goals and up and up.

Sol has the more famous story, ditching Sp**s and an English superstar etc but Kolo to me was an absolute rock.

Scary to me how he’s actually under appreciated now in hindsight.

 

[El Duderino]

Interesting to think of rival clubs who have legends in the last decade:

Man Utd: De Gea

Tottenham: Kane and Son (maybe guys like Vertonghen, Alderweireld and Eriksen but the trophies aren’t there imo)

Chelsea: Hazard, Azpilicueta, Kante

Liverpool: Salah, Alisson, Mane, VVD, Firmino (they’d say Hendo but not on footballing ability imo)

Man City: KDB, Fernandinho, Sterling

Absolutely mental we’ve not a legend who’s joined the club since 2002 ffs.

Aguero should be there, honestly. Kompany as well.

Has it been a decade since Droga? ...feeling kinda old right now.

 

[Rex Stone]

Aguero should be there, honestly. Kompany as well.

Has it been a decade since Droga? ...feeling kinda old right now.

Yeah obvs Aguero, Kompany and Yaya but they all signed before the last decade

Thought I’d make you all feel old as f*ck

 

[El Duderino]

Yeah obvs Aguero, Kompany and Yaya but they all signed before the last decade

Thought I’d make you all feel old as f*ck

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

So I thought about that and there’s three things in Kolo’s favour…

1) Sol only had three good seasons here. Injuries and other issues nosedived his career with us post 2003/04.

2) The 2006 CL run. Yes Sol scored in the final however he barely played in the tournament that year. Who was the ever present when we kept six clean sheets against Real, Juve then Villarreal? Kolo!

3) Post Sol Arsenal. Two years after Sol left our goals conceded was 31 which is an absolutely miserly number. When Kolo was a starter for us we conceded under a goal a game the entire 7 seasons. When he left it ballooned to 41 goals and up and up.

Sol has the more famous story, ditching Sp**s and an English superstar etc but Kolo to me was an absolute rock.

Scary to me how he’s actually under appreciated now in hindsight.

Fair enough, you make a strong case for Kolo outside of being an Invincible.

To me the likes of Freddie, Kolo, Sol, Lauren, Jens don't go in as individual legends but I do put the Invincibles side in as a whole side ( obviously), so they're kind of half in for me.

Realistically I couldn't argue if someone put any of the Invincibles in individually. You could make a strong case that going the season unbeaten should automatically qualify them as legends irrespective of any other accomplishments.

 

[El Duderino]

Fair enough, you make a strong case for Kolo outside of being an Invincible.

To me the likes of Freddie, Kolo, Sol, Lauren, Jens don't go in as individual legends but I do put the Invincibles side in as a whole side ( obviously), so they're kind of half in for me.

Realistically I couldn't argue if someone put any of the Invincibles in individually. You could make a strong case that going the season unbeaten should automatically qualify them as legends irrespective of any other accomplishments.

oooh, don't know about Sol. Think he stands on his own.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

oooh, don't know about Sol. Think he stands on his own.

He'd be closest out of those lot for me.

Lauren is lowkey not too far off either.

 

[El Duderino]

He'd be closest out of those lot for me.

Lauren is lowkey not too far off either.

Think people narrow down Lauren as being a "warrior" too much, was defo much more than that.

 

[Rex Stone]

Fair enough, you make a strong case for Kolo outside of being an Invincible.

To me the likes of Freddie, Kolo, Sol, Lauren, Jens don't go in as individual legends but I do put the Invincibles side in as a whole side ( obviously), so they're kind of half in for me.

Realistically I couldn't argue if someone put any of the Invincibles in individually. You could make a strong case that going the season unbeaten should automatically qualify them as legends irrespective of any other accomplishments.

Speaking about some of these under-appreciated guys interested to see what people think on Sagna.

Here for 7 years iirc and was incredibly consistent for that time. What counts against him is how little we won with him.

Just the one FA Cup.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

Speaking about some of these under-appreciated guys interested to see what people think on Sagna.

Here for 7 years iirc and was incredibly consistent for that time. What counts against him is how little we won with him.

Just the one FA Cup.

Best defensive RB in the PL for most of his time here.

I'd put him in the same bracket as Lauren, two really underrated players.

 

[Rex Stone]

Best defensive RB in the PL for most of his time here.

I'd put him in the same bracket as Lauren, two really underrated players.

One of those guys who would’ve fit on any title winning team.

Problem is we had some utter dross playing in the back line and in goal in those days apart from him.

 

[El Duderino]

Speaking about some of these under-appreciated guys interested to see what people think on Sagna.

Here for 7 years iirc and was incredibly consistent for that time. What counts against him is how little we won with him.

Just the one FA Cup.

Think he left with his head held up, tbh. That classic Arsène picture with him says it all.

Got his last pay day and didn't kick too much of a fuss about it. Think if he had gotten a testemonial, he'd be within a shout.

 

[Rex Stone]

Think he left with his head held up, tbh. That classic Arsène picture with him says it all.

Got his last pay day and didn't kick too much of a fuss about it. Think if he had gotten a testemonial, he'd be withing a shout.

Love that picture of them both. Such a great memory.

Had an unlucky time of it trophy wise. Left us for City when they were pretty average then got binned by Pep.

Pretty dire French sides under Domenech at NT level during his prime as well.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

One of those guys who would’ve fit on any title winning team.

Problem is we had some utter dross playing in the back line and in goal in those days apart from him.

I think also that you're generally at a bit of a disadvantage in these types of conversations if you're a FB.

It's kind of a 'boring' position that doesn't give you too many personal highlights or get focused on too much in conversations.

I think you've got to be great and also be fortunate enough to be in a top, top side too to stand a chance of getting in at FB.

 

[Rex Stone]

I think also that you're generally at a bit of a disadvantage in these types of conversations if you're a FB.

It's kind of a 'boring' position that doesn't give you too many personal highlights or get focused on too much in conversations.

I think you've got to be great and also be fortunate enough to be in a top, top side too to stand a chance of getting in at FB.

Yeah fully agree.

It’s such an “unimportant” position compared to say striker or midfielder that it goes under the radar.

The fact that he was a defensive rock rather than a Trent type also meant he was always slept on

If I put Kolo in on sustained good performances and someone who respected the club I guess the criteria fits for Bac

More love for full backs and unflashy defenders needed imo.

 

[sergio_giorgini]

Yeah those things aren’t the same are they?

Koscielny made a Europa League final and got sonned by old man Giroud.

Kolo had R9, Raul, Ibrahimovic and Trezeguet in his pocket on the way to the CL final.

He’s a key part of Arsenal’s greatest ever team and unlike Koscielny was usually a big game player.

You mean that CL defense that featured Senderos and Flamini at LB, who performed equally as good?

That 04 team would have gone unbeaten with any half decent CB in Kolo’s place. Fact is had he come along a year after that invincibles season, he wouldn’t be anywhere near the conversation.

 

[Rex Stone]

You mean that CL defense that featured Senderos and Flamini at LB, who performed equally as good?

That 04 team would have gone unbeaten with any half decent CB in Kolo’s place. Fact is had he come along a year after that invincibles season, he wouldn’t be anywhere near the conversation.

I think the fact he was playing with Senderos and Flamini in that back line but kept six consecutive clean sheets is an argument in his favour

 

[sergio_giorgini]

I think the fact he was playing with Senderos and Flamini in that back line but kept six consecutive clean sheets is an argument in his favour

Yeah let’s give Kolo all the credit. He was doing the work of two men in the central defense and also covering the fullback positions and babysitting Eboue and Flamini. Don’t be silly. The key to that defensive success was the system and Martin Keown’s coaching influence on the training ground.