Players 'carrying' Arsenal

Song should be on that list

He didnt lead us to the same level as those mentioned in the op. But he was immense for us 3 seasons, even after Cesc et al left...

 

We’ve needed a player like Gilberto for over a decade.

 

That’s why I don’t rate Flamini, cost us both Gilberto (admittedly aging, but still very useful) and Diarra (who was better than Flam imo) in the space of six months...then Flamini ****ed off for free anyway!

 

Henry and RVP. If anyone carried us it was them.

Cesc was phenomenal but he had a few silky guys around him that contributed to that beautiful football.

 

Disagree, Flamini didn’t cost us anything. Gilberto was on his last legs, should’ve left earlier even.

Diarra was a nutcase and didn’t do nothing with his career really despite his talent. If Wenger doesn’t pick you, that’s a red flag.

 

Cesc and RvP at times carried us. Other than these two, for a small moments, don’t think I have seen any player in an Arsenal team “carry” us. Always been a collective.

Henry always had good players around him pulling their weight and producing.

 

Gilberto had only just lost his place in the team that season, still think he could have done a job though not as a starter anymore.

Was Diarra a nutter? Didn’t know that, always thought he was s good player.

Always thought Arsène didn’t pick Diarra because the midfield was outstanding that year and he didn’t want to break up the chemistry, though still believe Flamini was carried by the sheer collective abilities of Hleb-Fabregas-Rosicky stepping up after Henry went to Barcelona.

 

Don’t think Diarra has stayed at a club for more than 2 years ffs. Something is off, or he’s badly advised.

 

None have come close since RVP, but at times, there have been players we couldn’t do without. Sanchez, Walcott, Kos and Bellerin to name a few.

All of those players had big flaws though. It says more about the state of our club than anything else.

 

It‘s hilarious to see Cesc and RvP in these lists.

Carried us to what exactly?

They don‘t deserve to be celebrated like this.

 

A certain flying dutchman comes to mind

 

He played at a decent level for Real tbf, Jose was a big fan of his for the three or four years he was there.

Arsène said one of his biggest regrets was selling Diarra. When he went to Portsmouth he was bossing it.

 

They carried trash like Denilson and Song to Champions League every year, something we don't seem capable of any more.

Makes you think.

 

Got us to UCL on his own with a barely midtable squad which we can't do even after spending like crazy

 

Flamini had a defined role in the midfield and he executed it well. I wouldn't say he was "carried" because his only job was to win the ball and give it to the more talented midfielders, and he did that well.

 

One of the few saving graces of Emery atm is that he's not overplaying the young and returning from injury players. Tierney is being handled very well imo, even during a period of fan unrest at poor results and performances.

 

I meant that Diarra could have performed that role, and he had an extra three and a half years on his contract...would have been better in that role imo, Flamini got forward a bit too much for me.

 

They made us competitive almost by themselves at this time.
Were they supposed to win any major trophies with such a limited/thin squad they've played with? Selling the best players around them without properly replacing them?

 

Ah yes, in that case I agree.

 

van Persie carried us into the CL (not an actual trophy) for one season in his 8 years at Arsenal. He was either injured or not doing much for the rest of his 7 years at Arsenal. Fabregas is even worse considering that he doesn‘t have the injury excuse, he just couldn‘t do it despite having fantastic players around him.