Ed. Note — Ok, I’m happy to publish this because I think it’s an interesting question and people will have different opinion. That being said, these are the opinions of one man, Afrikan-Gooner. He’s entitled to his opinion, you are entitled to disagree, but please, no personal attacks…
Who are the best finishers in the Arsenal team? I mean if we were playing Real Madrid in the champions league final, the game was tied 1-1 and one player was get a one on one with Iker Casillas, who would you want it to be?
Here?s my take. I?ve limited the list to player who feature often. (Reyes of course has not been around long enough)
1. Pires (Don?t really think there?s much argument about this one)
2. Edu (If you ignore his ?Hail Mary? kicks. Seldom misses chances you?d reasonably expect a player to score)
3. Aliaderie (Arguably a better finisher than Henry, based on admittedly more limited evidence)
4. Henry (The greatest, but to whom much is given, much is expected. Can be too-too silky?)
5. Ljunberg (Just getting back to his best, should be closer to the top)
6. Wiltord (Ask the Italians?remember the finals of Euro 2000?)
7. Ashley (Doesn?t do much wrong before goal, would rate him higher, but he IS a defender ? remember?)
8. Kolo (I wonder how well he?d do playing up front?)
9. Lauren (Most memorable strike was his goal in last season?s the FA cup replay with Chlesea)
10. Vieira (Well nobody?s perfect!)
11. Bergkamp (More than compensates for his one glaring weakness. Sometimes quantity should trump quality)
12. Kanu (Tough call between him and Bergkamp)
13. Campbell (Not so much that he?s good as others are bad)
14. Cygan (Don?t really remember seeing him miss, to be honest)
15. Palour (Has he scored since the Chelsea FA cup final??)
16. Keown (Should he even be on the list)
17. Lehmann (Well he can?t be any worse than Gilberto can he?)
18. Gilberto (Sorry I really couldn?t resist this one?but it?s true!!)
18 Responses to “Best finishers in the Arsenal team”
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March 2nd, 2004 at 8:50 am
My list is quite different. If we are taking it on 1on1’s or true chances then it would be…
1) Bergkamp (rarely gets in that position but when he bears down on goal he almost never misses)
2) Pires (completely agree with you)
3) Ljungberg (once in rarely misses)
4) Henry (still has the tendency to hit the keeper but scores a hell of a lot more than he misses)
5) Aliadiere (similar to Henry in that he hits the keeper a lot but in time he’ll get the goals)
6) Edu (should get more but puts away the chances he has)
After that it really doesn’t matter as they are all much of a muchness. Can’t believe you put Vieira (Mr Triangle-Head) that far up though?
And whilst Toure scores a few he misses so many. Still neither are in the team for that reason and how gratifying it is to know that we have more than enough players to put the ball in the back of the net.
March 2nd, 2004 at 9:03 am
Hmm Sir good post but ?
LET get there first. I loved Arsenal but Consistency is the hardest thing to achieve in football. We can do it but as Mr Arsenal “Tony Adams” said hope the players takes one game at a time. Any arrogant chat will kill off our season.
To your question,They are all good but when it comes to who have the balls I go for LAUREN. Not this goal against Chelsea but that penalty against you know who “Spurs”
What else can a londoner asked for. And if you remember that games when Henry was on the touchline, Lauren step forward and scored against spurs of all team.
Anything against Spurs is top of the list
March 2nd, 2004 at 9:58 am
If the game is tied, and its a 1 on 1 with the keeper basically for the match, who would I want that to be?
I’d want it to be my BEST PLAYER.
Thierry Henry. Period.
March 2nd, 2004 at 10:24 am
I know he’s past his best now but DB10 at his peak would definitely be near the top of the list. I still rememember the hat-trick against Leicester a few years back which I think won him 1st, 2nd and 3rd place on the BBC Match of the Day “Goal of the Month” Competition. Sheer class.
March 2nd, 2004 at 11:27 am
I agree with you Sir…
Your list would be the same exact order that I would have put it myself! (Good Choice)
I feel all the players listed before Henry would keep their cool and finish off the ball better than TH. I feel sometimes he stress out on a 1 on 1 and due to the enormous pressure on him he fumbles it sometimes..
All due respect to TH .. The man is magical with the ball.. but in this instance I’d rather see Bobby or Bergy finish it off!!
March 2nd, 2004 at 2:24 pm
frankly trying to order the relative finishing skills of eighteen players is a bit silly, defenders and midfielders just do not have the same finish as strikers- thats not their role. and i think edu has scored so few goals relatively- you can’t put him 2nd, ahead of henry.
i agree with one poster about bergkamp- there are few more clinical than him, even now.
they’re all superstars in my book, up the gunners
March 2nd, 2004 at 4:00 pm
I 100% agree with Pires. I know many people will say Henry, and I completely agree that OVERALL, he is our best player. HOWEVER, Pires, I don’t think I have ever seen him miss a chance that is considered as “should be scored”. Really, those who really did watch Arsenal’s games frequently, think carefully, can you tell me a time when Pires missed a chance where he was suppose to score ? On the other hand, Henry did miss some chances, and sometimes easy chance.
March 2nd, 2004 at 4:06 pm
I dont think that it would be possible to get that list any more wrong. Who do you want in front of goal in a one on one. Henry by miles. To try and correct the list would take too long and so I’m not going to bother. But to put edu second and gilberto last tells me you might need to watch a few more games. One might be a start!
March 2nd, 2004 at 4:08 pm
I dont think that it would be possible to get that list any more wrong. Who do you want in front of goal in a one on one. Henry by miles. To try and correct the list would take too long and so I’m not going to bother. But to put edu second and gilberto last tells me you might need to watch a few more games. One might be a start!
March 2nd, 2004 at 4:32 pm
Edu is apparently a super-hero now?!!
Since when is he a clinical finisher??!! He doesn’t even have as many goals as Gilberto. I don’t think he played extremely well on Saturday v. Charlton, even if the faithful cheered him wildly when he took the corners! and we chanted Thierry Edu!
I don’t really see him as being anywhere near the top of the list. Thats a joke!
March 2nd, 2004 at 7:04 pm
Stats are made for things like this. fact and no fiction.
Henry might be the best player at the moment but Edu and DB10 are far better one to one . Edu’s presence seems to coincide with Arsenal winning some big games and DB10 is a matter of class and experience.
Edu as a part time squad member scored 7 goals and, five have come against Chelsea, Celta Vigo or Inter Milan.
March 2nd, 2004 at 7:30 pm
You old G***
Millwall got done sweet..
March 2nd, 2004 at 8:09 pm
What the HELL does that mean?
March 2nd, 2004 at 8:28 pm
at the moment… Edu is on fire.
However, he has never scored many goals. He is not a “goalscorer”, and I wouldn’t pick him in the top 7 or 8 Arsenal players to go 1 on 1 with a keeper or even as a top goalscorer in any sense.
Its a fun question and an interesting debate. Its what you do when your team is 9 points clear and undefeated in the League. Not much REAL worrying going on~!!!
Long may it last!
March 2nd, 2004 at 9:07 pm
Anyone except the defenders and Lehmann. Goalscoring isn’t there thang, its stopping them!
March 2nd, 2004 at 11:10 pm
what are you on about..
March 3rd, 2004 at 9:25 am
“You old G***
Millwall got done sweet..”
what does that refer to?
March 3rd, 2004 at 10:35 am
It was a good game and the Blades defended well
I still tip the Blades and West Brom to join the big boys next season.