It’s true though isn’t it? We never forget David Rocastle. Perhaps right now looking back at the man we all knew as Rocky, has never been more poignant. Rocky, along with so many others in The Arsenal team back then were probably never looked upon as being the greatest footballers the world has ever seen but they were, in the main anyway, pure Arsenal. I’m sure if they bled, the colour of their blood was red and white. The Arsenal mattered to them, just like it mattered to us. As we all know, when Rocky was told he was being sold, he cried. That’s what The Arsenal meant to him.
In 1989 when history was made, Rocky was one of those proper Arsenal men who travelled to Anfield needing a miracle. ‘Fever Pitch’ was born that night although perhaps a better film title would have been ‘Against All Odds.’ Yes, that was a totally different movie.
No-one expected us to succeed that night and I mean no-one. Outside the Arsenal that is but I suspect even the most optimistic of fans thought our chances were slim to none. Liverpool didn’t lose at Anfield back then and certainly not by two clear goals.
Barnes, Rush, Aldridge and Hansen were just part of a Liverpool team expected to win another league trophy. Our young Englishman though had other ideas. They had spirit, self belief drummed into the them by George Graham, and together they did the unthinkable.
As said just a few days ago, our younger upcoming players might not be every Arsenal fans ideal footballer, certainly not when £50m might buy us a ready made star, but you can’t buy heart. Not pure 100% Arsenal heart.
Even back in 1989 the team included a few players who weren’t born into The Arsenal but they soon bought into the Arsenal spirit, just as other players like Bergkamp, Henry, Vieira, Pires etc etc did over the years which followed but in my opinion, Arsenal still needed the real home grown ones in there too. 2003/04 might have been one of our greatest seasons as far as going unbeaten goes but 1998 was surely better?
As said, the subject of Academy players has never been as poignant since 1989 because here we are in 2019 and we’ve a glut of young Arsenal players coming through. Surely we need to keep hold of as many as we can. If they’re good enough of course. They don’t need to be world class, just bloody good and hard working.
That’s what won us the title at Anfield in my opinion and the late great David Rocastle will always be the perfect example. Michael Thomas will always be the hero of the night and rightly so, but the heart and soul within the team is what earned The Arsenal the glory the club so richly deserved.
Rocky might be gone, but he’ll never ever be forgotten….
Unai Emery:
‘Every (English) team needs English players.
‘Danny has his injury now. He was going with the national team and we were happy for him and the national team.
‘(Promising English players) are now in (Arsenal’s) under-18s, under-19s, under-20s and under-21s teams.
‘We have a lot of players with the possibility to grow up with us and be part of our future, and also with the national team.’
Just seen this. Music to my ears. 😀
Morning Rico and all. Yes, we will never forget Rocky.
As for the younger players coming through, it will depend on the money-men and whoever we have as manager at the time to see how that turns out I would think.
Morning Adam.
I guess all the time Stan Kroenke owns the club, youth will have to play a big part in our present and future. I’d imagine though that any who aren’t prepared to fight hard for their place or have a lousy attitude, will be sold.
We’re in a good place though I think when it comes to our academy. A production line has been long overdue. I just hope we finally see a few push on rather than fade away at another club. It’s up to them though I guess.
Morning all.
With a great batch of juniors coming along, where will Stan sit?
Will he be rapt that we have potential sellable commodities, or happy we may not have to buy too many players?
Who knows but let’s hope some of these kids have the spirit and love for the club Rocky had.
I doubt Kroenke will have a say in who gets sold Scott, that kind of stuff sits with Raul and co I’d have thought.
Let’s hope so, Rico.
I’m pretty happy we have a Monday game as I have Tuesday off so can stay up late like a big guy and watch 🙂
Morning good people….that was poignant Rico. Brought tears to my eye. Especially the part about him crying when he was told he was being sold. Now that’s a proper arsenal man. Wish our current players have half his commitment and desire to wear that shirt RIP rocky….gone but never forgotten. Sad day for the arsenal.
Howdy scotty oz and my best mate Adam. How have you fellows been??? Scott I sew saka and amaechi making it but the bulk of those kids ll be sold. The jury is still out on Eddie nketiah. I like him a lot and feel like if Arsene were still in charge him and a few other local lads ll be featuring more for us this season. Don’t think Emery rates the young English players.
*sew… is think guys sorry for the typo. Still on bed.
Ha ha Scott, what time will it be?
Well said Rico, today always a poignant day where we remember Rocky and what he meant to us all. Big love to Rocky and as you say never ever forgotten.
I think for the first time since the 80’s we have several age groups of players where there is a lot of talent and a lot of Arsenal love coming though. I think Unai has already seen that and seems to be prepping them well.
Thanks Goonie, Emery has said he wants English players in the team. I actually think there’s more chance of seeing them get a chance than they might have under Wenger. Holding, AMN, Iwobi have all been trusted by Emery. Jenks too at some stage. Even more of them in Europa.
Some will be sold I’m sure but I think Emery will keep those who have the right attitude and improve.
Thanks Wath. Good to see you.
I’m with you on the younger players who I also believe will not only improve quicker under Emery, but through the academy too.
I really hope so Rico would love to avoid a jadon sancho kind of duzzy ma’am. I hear glowing things about that Amaechi kid. Apparently he’s the next big thing but my fear is his contract runs out next summer. How did we allow this to keep happening? If he needs game time sign him up on a long term contract then send him on loan to a pl or championship club. The future is English and we need to invest heavily on our boys.
Good morning Rico and all from a sun drenched Norfolk. I too would like to see more “Arsenal” players in the team rather than the bought in mercenaries who have no long term loyalty to our club.
Holding, AMN, Jenks, yes. Iwobi? Isn’t he a Nigerian International?
Guyana Stan!!
I agree most will be sold but it’s nice they look as though they’ll get their chance and that’s all we can ask.
How is your little princess doing???
All is well I hope.
Shit, Wath-you get around 🙂 🙂
Rico, not sure what time it’s on yet lol
Bloody hell, good to see so many familiar faces back but if Rocky can’t get us talking Arsenal, nothing will!!
Now that’s the bloody phones fault:
HIYA STAN, not Guyana ffs hahahah
Amaechi does look good Goonie although I’ve seen very little of him. Rick and Kev can probably tell you more about him and others.
Hi Cicero, Iwobi came through our academy though, he’s a Brit who just chose wisely when it came to international football… lol
So true Scott. It’s been so quiet of late I’ve been thinking long and hard about carrying on. We’re still in Europa, still with a chance of third place and pipping the Toots, we’ve youth coming through and we’re beating clubs we haven’t for a while. What’s not to be positive about really.
It’s quiet everywhere though, not just here. Sad really…
Rico, there is plenty to be positive about.
Things are looking better than most of us probably thought possible so soon after the change of manager.
Top 4 and beating souds home will reinvigorate things, imo.
Must admit Scott, half way through the season I had my doubts but as Kev said back then, when the injuries hit us, it really had an impact on our game. I know the away form hasn’t always been brilliant but there’s been signs of that improving, certainly in the league at Wembley.
As you say too, apart from City, we’ve been great against the teams around us and that’s really not been the case in a long while. A good number of players are better now too. Maybe it just took time to adapt..
Interesting to hear Emery day we might keep Welbeck. If he wants to stay of course.
We’ve all had periods of doubt this season, Rico, but the stats show we are better, and insert the circumstances, that’s a pretty big effort.
The youth teams are looking better and I reckon Merts has been influential there-you know my thoughts on him coaching after seeing him first hand in Sydney-thw entire coaching/managing staff is still bedding in and we even have Adidas back!!
No negatives to be found, really.
When is Welbeck due back, Rico?
Is he back training at all yet?
Absolutely Scott.
Not sure but he’s training and we might see him again this season. Fingers crossed eh..
Even if he just gets back to full training so Emery can see he’s recovered fully, Rico, because if so, I’d keep him.
He’s no world beater, but he’s a damn good footballer and all heart.
I think Emery is rigth.
Has anyone seriously thought about what Brexit will bring to football?
Are you aware of the obligation at the UEFA level to register the number of foreign players that can be registered and the number of players from the country that have to be registered? And how many can play in the eleven?
Because it is one thing to play with community players, who under the Bosman Law are all Europeans. Another is that they are considered foreigners, all those who can not officially represent the Country.
Afternoon all. Welcome to British summer time. Soon be the cricket season!
The ladies are live and only on the BBC web site or red button. I think HT 0-0 . Good game but our strikers are very very wasteful! Now where have I heard that before?
Rocky Remembrance Day, always a sad occasion. Far too young to young to die, but he left us with some outstanding memories esp. v the spuds when he just seem to tear them apart all on his own! Great game, great result and great player.
Newcastle tomorrow? It is a must win game if we are to finish above the manure heap and the spuds, neither of whom are playing particularly good football although that doesn’t seem to affect their results. United were crap yesterday for two thirds of their game against Watford but they still won, albeit undeservedly but they walked off with the 3 points!
Let’s hope we win too so they can sink back into fifth place, where they belong!
Cloudy and cool here. A potting shed/greenhouse kind of day.
Birmingham 0 – 1 Arsenal Women. Four points clear at the top of the table. Katie McCabe with the vital goal on 79 minutes. 🎵🎵🎵🎵
Afternoon Gooners
Afternoon Rico, ‘remember who you are, what you are and who you represent’ – great post.
Yes, Emery was very good at developing players at Seville on a limited budget, maybe that’s where his strength is, coaching players and making them reach their potential?
Tactically our players seem more developed, as they switch from different systems in the same match and we’re going to need that versatility in the forthcoming EPL games.
A new contract for Danny, well you know what, we could go out and spend some daft money on some geezer from Ligue Un or La Liga and still end up with a more expensive and less effective alternative to Welbeck, so it makes sense to me to keep him?!
He isn’t going to go to a bigger club if he leaves so do the deal Fahmy…
Hiya Stan. I was only thinking about where you had gone the other day. I mentioned it to Kev.
Glad you are ok.
I came away from watching MOTD last night thinking what a crap team Man Ure are, lucky as well and that isn’t going to last.
I thought that Watford looked a really good side, in fact I thought that Wolves and Everton and Leicester all looked good teams as well. We’re going to have out hands full trying to take 12 pts from that lot, but it’s what we have to do, I just hope that the FACup S/F and Final have an effect on Wolves & Watford whilst Leicester might have an eye on their holidays. Everton is going to be tough, luckily we have a good recent record up there so our players should go to Goodison Park with positive memories and thoughts. Not sure about our records at Molyneux, Vicarage Road and the Crisp Packet Stadium?
That’s right Adam, we did wonder how you was Stan?
How is Brianna, how old is she now?
Agree Scott.
Jm, if there ever is a Brexit..
Afternoon Kev. Thanks.
Do we have to go to Cardiff? They too will be tough if we do. They’re winning 1-0 against Chelsea at the moment.
A dead cert penalty not given to Cardiff either. Terrible from the ref.
Chelsea equalise through a clear offside goal.
Rico, I think Burnley is our other away fixture, could be our last game of the season, that’ll be some game if we need to win it as Burnley don’t like us, especially after the last few contentious games up at Turf Moor…
Thanks Kev. You’re right, last game of the season and a very tough one at that. Hopefully top four places will be sorted by then with us in one of them.
Hilarious finish at Anfield… 😜
At least the Chelsea result keeps Sarri in the job, they’re bound to implode again before the season ends…
80 mins, Bin Dippers 1. Swamp Dwellers 1
You ll always be shit…you ll always be shit. Tottenham Hotspur you ll always be shit 😂😂😂😂😂 come on arsenal don’t let me down now. Win tomorrow and we go third. Evening good people. I ve lost my voice. Hahahahahaha
AK I appreciate you always looking out for me. You Adam Scott and everyone on HH are just wow. Brianna is doing good…she’s 4 now. Can you believe it?? Lol plus I have a new baby on the way. Sometime in October I guess. So how are you and the mrs doing?? Hey Adam what about mrs A? Hope shes still giving you grief 😁😁😁🤔
Evening all and thanks Rico for a great memory post about Rocky and the spirit that he portrayed.
Also happy Mothers Day to all mums past and present and to the mother of HH…………..Rico . 🙂
I wonder if there`s such a thing as Happy Muvver Fcukers Day ? 😆
Am I right in thinking we will go 3rd even if we draw on more goals scored ?
Anyone else sick of hearing about Spuds new stadium ?……………………fcuk me give it a rest, they all seem to forget the old Estate Agent adage………………………..it`s better to have the worst house on the best street than the best house on the worst street.
Spuds have spent a £1B on a fantastic stadium in a shit neighbourhood !………………………………N17 will never be as upmarket as N5…………………….Londons Shithole !
Thanks Lc. Not sure re goals etc. Let’s just get the three points. Yes, sick of hearing about their new stadium and how perfect it is.. hope they’re playing Europa fixtures in it, at best…
We’re all good thanks Stan, another little Stan on the way then? 😀
Ak the world cant handle 2 blonde Adonis’. It ll implode 😋😋😋 am hoping for another girl. Cant afford to have a little stan running around. He ll be a handful😂
Yes,even a draw takes us into third place.Probably not for long -all our rivals have midweek games,
We really need to win to keep up the pressure.
New post up now