During the preseason, there were two Gunners who showed a tremendous sharpness of form - Reyes and Bergkamp. And it clearly showed entering the new season. Two men with a mission. For Reyes, he’s looking to establish himself in the first team and the Premiership. For Dennis, I can’t help but suspect Bergkamp is determined to make the most out of (probably) the final season of his playing career.
During the post match interview after the Boro match, Henry stated Dennis been playing like a player in his 20s, and Titi wondered if it had anything to do with the captain armband…
Surely it looks as if it have. I have never seen Dennis being so aggressive and determined on the pitch. At the past, Berkgamp has been seen as somewhat a “luxury player” who’s an expert on working magic on the pitch, but at times being accused of not making enough effort on tracking back, or showing enough aggressiveness. However, Tony Adams had a different view in his book “Addict” about Bergkamp. According to Tony, we shall not let Bergkamp’s iceman image decepted us, as deep inside the man cares about winning just as much as everyone else. If Big Tone’s words are to be believed, the captain’s arm-band seems have brought out this winning attitude from Dennis alright. No need to further address this issue, whoever has watched the Boro match could testify that.
Should we hand the arm-band to Bergkamp from now on? Personally, I do not agree. First, it would inevitably hurt Paddy’s pride, and affect the moral. Arsenal is a TEAM. And no matter what decision Arsenal is going to make, the TEAM got to come first before any individual. No doubt the summer transfer saga has hurt Vieira’s reputation among some of the Gooners, yet as AW put it rightly “from now on Paddy would have to start it all over again, and try his best to win over the fans again”. Arsene believes he will. I believe he will too. Loyality asides, Paddy is a model professional who would always pulling the weight when he’s on the pitch. With Dennis showing such a tremendous form and pride with the extra responsiblity of a captain’s role, I would like to think Paddy would draw inspiration from it. At least that’s what I hope.
9 Responses to “Dennis (Bergkamp) magic captain arm-band”
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August 26th, 2004 at 7:23 am
No 2 wayz about dis. From my kidz to most london kidz will love to see Dennis as the captain and that speaks volume. If you are to poll most older Gunners after Vieira saga Dennis won again by far. Dennis is a cool headed man and since his first days at Arsenal I have never heard him complain about anything. A real Arsenal player just get on with the job at hand. As a captain he have to communicate with the craps apart from that get on with the job and move on.
Anyway we have done it 43 and counting with the Europe cup at the end of the season.
August 26th, 2004 at 9:27 am
DB10 should have been the captain when Adams left and nothing to do with even PV saga. From one pub to another is the same story.
But as a family club “Arsenal” we will support anyone with the captains’ armband. That is commom sense.
August 26th, 2004 at 9:48 am
With Dennis’ performance being so sharp and in leadership form, the bit from Henry about the arm band, @FC power football at the top of the table (with the exact same goals scored/conceded percentage as Jose’s boys), Cesc playing so well beyond his years, the chemistry already at a PEAK, Reyes and Pires coming on and scoring almost to script, and the momentum gaining by the week…if you’re Wenger, don’t you have to ask yourself:
“If it ain’t broke…?”
While our defense will certainly feel an immediate positive impact from Sol’s return, and especially if we can bring in a Trabelsi or someone of equal Arsenal Red blood, one has to think that fooling with the formula as it is may be a pointless fuss. I certainly don’t think that the team EVER has to adjust simply to cater to one player, especially not one who had the summer that Patrick had.
I still say, when Patrick returns, we cheer him like any player. But keep it like it is. The players that have been there from the start have proven 100x’s over that they deserve the chance to continue to build form. Bring PV4 on in place of Flamini, as he probably would fall into that supporting role, and let Cesc have the start. And if the armband around DB is pulling his best game, let him keep it.
I really don’t mean to bash him, but this is The Arsenal, not Vieira’s Second Thoughts FC.
August 26th, 2004 at 12:51 pm
When Vieira returns, he should let Bergkamp keep captains’s arm band.
August 26th, 2004 at 4:50 pm
It’s easy to look at a few games and decide “This is the way to be.”
However, whilst Bergie as captain HAS worked out rather well so far, I don’t think it’s fair to Vieira. Personal feelings aside, what did Vieira REALLY do to warrant yanking the armband away? Ponder joining another team? Guess what, so did Arsene Wenger in 2000. So have plenty of other players in their careers, consider going to another club.
There has been nothing performance-wise on the pitch to justify Vieira being stripped of captain’s duties. I hate to say it, but it’s the truth.
But it is hard to deny that being captain HAS done wonders for Bergkamp…
Well, what’s the precedence of a co-captaincy?
— Geoff
August 26th, 2004 at 5:30 pm
I am sorry, but you talk rubbish. Dennis Bergkamp is a player who often tracks back, captains armband or not. I have been to many a game when Dennis has given the ball away and the next thing you know, he is back tussling for it again. Aggressiveness is a key part of Dennis’ game - hence the amount of bookings he got in our first double year under Wenger. Last season he was even spotted back at fullback on a few occassions. Dennis Bergkamp is my favourite Arsenal player of all time. I simply adore the man, but despite the form, the fitness and obvious ability at present, he will not be an ever present and you cannot have a captain who starts games on the bench. He is a superb vice-captain, possibly the most influential one ever for Arsenal and when called upon, a great captain, but he cannot captain Arsenal when there is a chance that later in the season he will not always be featuring (as hard as that is to imagine at present).
August 26th, 2004 at 6:19 pm
you know i think dennis should keep the captains armband and make vieira work hard to get it back becuase dennis really deserves it. vieira deserves it too for his leadership abilities but he sure didnt act like a captain during the summer.
August 26th, 2004 at 7:05 pm
> he cannot captain Arsenal when there is a chance that later in the season he will not always be featuring (as hard as that is to imagine at present).
And that’s something to consider as well, especially as Champions League ramps up. What about those games he won’t appear at because of his fear of flying?
— Geoff
August 27th, 2004 at 4:51 am
Think about it from Patrick’s point of view, captain or not. If you were in a job and you were offered a new challenge for the last big chance of your career, after 8 years of sterling service, you would consider it. Patrick considered it and for one reason or another, he decided against it. We should be happy that he did and his response from the fans at Everton, especially Middlesbrough and also Blackburn illustrated just what the fans think. Just because he is a footballer, doesnt mean that he isnt entitled to think about other job offers. Just like you would in your field of work should you be offered the chance to work elsewhere in a new environment. We all love Arsenal so prob cannot understand why anyone would consider leaving, but to footballers, it is a job and so when another offer comes along, they consider it. It is a fact of live and has nothing to do with him acting like a captain. Your point would be that once he is captain of a team, he is never allowed to leave or consider leaving? I dont think so. We as football fans have goggles on distorting the true facts. Football is a profession as is medicine, dentistry etc. Players have the same choices as professionals in other fields and are entitled to consider the options available. Tony Adams admitted he wanted to join Man U when we were really rubbish before Wenger. He is the most loyal man Arsenal have ever had. Yet even he considered another offer. I think that shows that football is like any other profession.