There is a reason why Tony Adams earned the mantle Mr Arsenal and it is very evident that coaching several thousand miles away from N5 will never dilute his timeless relationship with the club.
The club’s most successful captain, honoured today with his own statue outside the Emirates, may not be a day-to-day presence in and around the dressing-room, but that doesn’t mean he’s not still working his inspirational magic.
While fans have called on the old guard to be more involved in Arsene Wenger’s coaching set-up Adams has made clear he’s not as far removed from events at London Colney as people might have thought.
Speaking in The Telegraph to former teammate Alan Smith, the club’s legendary number 6 revealed he is in regular contact with current captain Robin van Persie and has passed on a few ideas on how to bolster his position as the team’s leader.
“I’ve been texting RVP,” said Adams. “I think he’s a nice guy and was always captaincy material but, before, he just didn’t have enough support. It was much easier for me in my time. I had six or seven lieutenants around me, people who could also take charge.
“So that was something I said to him – get some players around you to back you up. You can’t do it alone. And to be fair, I think Per [Mertesacker] has been a big help. He’s been a good ally in the dressing room from what I hear. Before, there was conflict but now there seems to be a lot more togetherness.”
Adams isn’t the only statue-honoured legend to praise the free-scoring Dutchman. Training alongside Robin during the week and watching him bang the goals in at the weekend, Thierry Henry also spoke warmly about his former teammate and successor.
“What can I say about Robin?,” said Henry to the Arsenal website. “I saw him come in here and at the very beginning he wasn’t the easiest guy to deal with, like I wasn’t I guess.
“But it’s amazing to see how he has improved. That tells you how intelligent a player he is.
“I’m just in admiration. What he is doing right now, thank God he is playing for us and doing well. It’s nice to see a player improve.
“I’m just saying that what Van Persie is doing now, in terms of not just goals but ratio of goals, apart from [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi it is ridiculous.
Idolised by the fans and with the club’s greatest captain, manager and goal scorer directing praise in his direction, there can be no doubt in the Dutchman’s mind that he is loved by everyone associated with The Arsenal. Surely that’s worth something when it comes to negotiating a new contract. Arseblog News dearly hopes so.
Happy 125th birthday everybody.
First
this ain’t Le Grove mate.
The Grove has to be the biggest joke on the web. A badly written festering pit of vitriol and idiocy. Anyways…
What I wanted to say was … where the hell was Adams at the 125th anniversary? He wasn’t at the last day of Highbury; the club make a statue of him and he doesn’t turn up??? I hear he’s in Azerbaijan – pretty good excuse, but what kind of man can’t be at his STATUE’s unveiling?
A man who’s still working and probably couldn’t get time off due to other arrangements.
The only reason Henry was there is due to the MLS and the fact he’s keeping fit with Arsenal. Considering when it was, if he was still with Barca then he probably couldn’t have made it.
I suppose we should be asking where Herbert Chapman was, he’s just lazy…….
“Before, there was conflict but now there seems to be a lot more togetherness.” WHAT?!? Whoever that was I’m he or they cut it out or left because we don’t need that mess! We can sense a greater togetherness of the players on the pitch and I’m glad to hear that Per is contributing to that in the dressing room and in training.
his name was $amir
Plus Gallas, Adebayor, Bendtner or any of those clowns who thought they were bigger than the club.
Anyway, all we have to do is show some intent in the transfer windows and shower Robin with money!
You can pretty much guess at all the players Wenger has let go over the last 3-4 seasons.
Sign that contract Robin!!!
He will.
Wenger give him your house, if thats what it takes!
Hope rvp stays long enough and fit to earn a statue of his own. “with a lil bit of john terry on the floor in the background”
He’s only just bought a new house in London and his old house is for sale. Quite nice in there, he’s got a football design bean bag.
“Thank God he’s playing for us…” Just when you think it is impossible for Henry to go up in your estimation, he goes and says something that makes your heart swell with pride.
Thierry is, and will always be, an Arsenal legend.
We all know who God supports!
You know that we are each supposed to take an Arsenal scarf to him when we go to heaven.
From the Telegraph Article:
“Now it’s done, Ray Parlour actually reckons the statue moves quicker than me!”
A classic joke from the Romford Pele.
What’s with the comment at the very top of this page by jp?
He was first, and wanted a statue for it.
Pity we can’t get TH on loan even for a couple of months. Would cover Gervinhos absence in AN and put the Emirates on fire.
Would love to see TH14 back (even give him the 14 shirt just to wind Theo up)
On another note, has Wenger actually said why he won’t take him back?
1. MLS still hasn’t started yet, so January is realistic.
2. Theo is registered as #14, so Henry we need like #99 or something.
3. I think Wenger said it’s unlikely last month when Henry joined training to keep fit
Probably because arsene knows he’s had his time, In a age when the word legend is too often banded about its nice that at the arsenal we really do have a number of true legends. Let’s cherish the memory of th14 and let it stay in a different era. Hate to think a few dodgy performances could sour the memory in a fickle few.
True but we can only dream!
I’m sure Wenger would have dismissed bringing both Sol & Jens back but he did! What’s the worse than can happen, no matter how shit he might be now, he’ll still be a hell of a backup.
As long we give RVP what he wants, he’ll sign that contract!
Whatever that might be!!
He is more than Arsenal’s top goal scorer, more than Arsenal’s captain, more than a team that went undefeated; He is Thierry Henry!!
Arsenal fans are smart to recognise that our hero, TH14, is way pass his prime but I would still give an arm and a leg to see him back!! Imagine our players receiving that extra inspiration from seeing TH and the fans roaring into life as he steps on to the field…
He’s inspiring us all pretty well, team included, without stepping on to the field!!
Oh, but I’d give my mate’s first born to see him play one more time for the Gunners. Just to see him add one more goal to his record, turn to RVP and say “227. Beat that.”
How fucking quality is it that the statue is of him giving it large in front of the LWC’s? And his words – “I never thought in my wildest dreams i would have a statue like this in front of the stadium of the team i love and support, once a gooner always a gooner” Fucking legend!
I love Tony. Still have the goal in the title winning match against Everton in 1998 on my retina.
It wasn’t the title winning goal. The title was won before the game started.
Great goal that summed up a great season
I hate it when I type something and once it’s in the ether I realise that i am talking shite
Tone, where were you? Not at Highbury and now not at the Grove? Sort out your differences, whatever they are. It breaks my heart to see you disrespecting us, you are the greatest Captain we’ve ever had(apologies to Frank). Just come home now and again mate.
Who said he disrespects the club? What kind of shit is that to throw at him? Did you not read the article?
I love this club and everything about it except na$ri and adeBa¥o!
Salute to the true gunners!!!
I watched Tony from his first game to the last and what a fantastic player and superbest captain, certainly Mr Arsenal. But am I the only one who thinks that some of his comments since he left have been truly nutty?
Even if you need a golden pen…
“Thank God he’s playing for us…”
For us, not “for Arsenal”. Thierry Henry, what a legend