Martin Keown is keeping his fingers crossed that Arsenal sign a player capable of emulating Dennis Bergkamp’s impact in the mid-nineties and is optimistic that the Gunners can challenge for the title with a couple of additions.
Maintaining that the pursuit of Luis Suarez is positive, even if it ends in disappointment, the former centre-back underlined that in his experience a superstar signing can bolster the belief of an entire squad.
Speaking at the 2013 FA and McDonald’s Community Awards Keown reflected:
“I just feel if you are in the camp, you need a new signing, someone who makes you believe you are going in the right direction. It happened for us with Dennis Bergkamp.
“People asked why we were signing him. They didn’t think he was going to be there for long but he ended up being one of the most successful overseas players ever to play in the Premier League. Maybe someone else can come in and do the same thing.”
Turning his attention to the Suarez saga in particular, he continued:
“It was a demonstration to Arsenal fans. The club were saying ‘We have £40m there. We have tried to buy someone else’s best player for a change’. It has shown how serious Arsenal are about spending money.
“In the past, Arsene has nurtured them, then lost them just when they are at their best, as was the case with Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie. Now he needs to go out and buy an obvious talent, someone who is going to hit the ground running, and they don’t come cheap.
“Fair play to Liverpool for hanging on to Suarez but Arsenal still need to buy two or three players. If they do, I think there is a real chance.”
There will be only one Dennis Bergkamp
True, but this present generation of Arsenal player could use a teammate even half as charismatic.
I think you mean enigmatic…
I think he mean’t orgasmnic.
He’s charismatic, he’s enigmatic
Why, he’s greased lightning
(Grease lightning)
As far as I know, the Christians have been waiting for a new Bergkamp for the past 2000-odd years
Why fly when you can walk on water……
Oh i miss players of this quality in the red & white.
My neighbor here in Texas is a cloning scientist. Mostly bulls for Brazil and horses for Arabs. Maybe we could get some Bergkamp, Henry and some Invincibles clones.
Why hasn’t Wenger signed the new Bergkamp already? He retired ages ago
Useless gimp
Is Bergkamp the useless gimp , Or is it Wenger for not signing Bergamp/New Bergkamp ? or is Keown the useless gimp for wanting Arsenal to sign Bergkamp ?
You’re a gimp, for having to ask
Useless gimp
While I agree I am useless gimp .
But I still need to know who’s the useless gimp in your previous comment . It’s very important to me. I must know all insults directed at Arsenal.
Wow. Two comments hidden due to you being a dickhead.
wow, you totally masturbated all over that daft peacock.
We did sign him, then sold him to Man U. We’re now looking for the new new Bergkamp.
Thank you, Midfield Corporal. Thank you for breaking my heart.
Why? Just…….why?
can’t find fault with that reasoning
dumb reasoning, not even a close comparison
Thank you for reminding us. Bastardinho.
I’d like to know whats going on in Wengers head, why we in this crazy situation now. One lost pony in first 3 games will bring big pressure on players and manager. Sometimes I think we need David Dean back.
David Dean? Brother of Mike, right?
David who??
Is that Mike Dean’s brother?
We need that guy too. All decisions will go our ways or we send David Dean to slap Mike Dean repeatedly.
Sorry point:))
Maybe it’ll happen sooner or later, but why isn’t he with us in some capacity now? Just seems like we’ve let him and Viera slip. You couldn’t see that happening at utd with their ex-legends. These two probably both got tired of waiting for an offer.
No, United’s legacy is secured with Phil Neville as coach.
You may well mock, but Phil Neville is very well respected as ex player.
If we had likes of Parlour, Keown, Bergkamp and Vieira around the club over last few years I’d like to think we’d have had a more loyal core of players to push on.
Obviously could be well wrong though
Exactly this. Phil Neville spent the vast majority of his career in Liverpool so it’s not really a great example. I would love to see DB at Arsenal in the future, great overall bloke, surely would be positive influence. Why the fuck is Viera at Man City? Doesn’t get talked about enough.
Pat Rice, Bouldy and Liam Brady?
Good point there. But are they all ‘yes men?’. Definitely a conversation to be had regarding Arsene, and certain strong willed ex-players that could have come in that haven’t. Probably utter shite, but no smoke without fire re: Wenger and Bould last season…
maybe can giroud play in bergkamp position, same classical like pass from dennis with left foot,a bigger body but less in brain compartment, can mental excercise helfen giroud to became bergamp of future??
Deutsch right? And maybe a bit tipsy. Thumbs up from me.
helfen?
You sure have a way with words my friend 🙂
But, no, Giroud doesn’t have anything close to the first touch and technique as Bergkamp, which was really important to his game. Giroud is much more of an out and out classic striker like Alan Smith. Good in the air, good shooting, a presence in the box.
Ich glaube wir haben ein Deutscher in our midst lads, quick run to the pool and get your towels down!
Did you just mention Olivier Giroud in the same breath as Dennis Bergkamp? Lay off the moonshine Amaury. 🙂
When I think of Arsenal, at this moment I want to cry.
I have never cried in my life.
You need to chill out, son. Maybe just read a book or something for a few days.
Take a walk around the block at dusk. Write a Haiku or something.
Haikus are hard to write!
No, not really son
Five, seven, five syllables
Piece of fucking cake
Will you adopt me White Russian? You seem like you the kind of advice I’ve been missing all my life 😛
Happily. I live in Vladivostok, though.
Dunno if that’s an issue
All the better, can you get some ex KGB mates to make him ‘disappear’?
You sound like a barrel of laughs.
Or have a wank, it works for me.
what if you’ve had already done that , I can’t wait 2 hours
I think the boy’s gonna be crying and wanking. Simultaneously sobbing and tugging.
I was going to but……… yo mama volunteered to help me out.
BOOM!
Your mother on the other hand is so damn ugly that when you were born, she was the one who got slapped.
Never? Wow. Even happy people cry. Like when TH14 scored against Leeds in the cup. Didn’t everyone cry when that happened?
You must be from Mordor.
I doubt will sign anyone.. Ok maybe another french lad but that all. Here goes another year fighting for top 4 . I shud had known wenger wasnt gnna sign a marquee player when he was celebrating for finishin top 4 smh
bloody french lads … henry, viera, pires, koschielny, etc … we dont want their kind around here, no sir!
Love him as an Arsenal legend as I do, it says a lot when Martin Keown, 99.9% of the time a staunch defender/toe-er of the Wenger/Arsenal party line starts to criticise/tell the club to pull their finger out…
Jack Wilshere can be our Bergkamp what we need is a new Titi Henry
Why do I have a feeling that if liverpool refuse to let suarez leave, he will end up biting rogers and his team mates in d locker room, an where it would really hurt.
Would that make him a rapist cannibal, rather than a racist one?
Or a racist Brendan buttock biter?
well this summer couldn’t have been more worse, I mean I get it takes Time to to sign some quality players but not 3 (long, excruciating,and hot if you live in India) months..I mean I could have pursuaded atleast 2 players to sign for us just by begging at their doors for 3 months..out of mercy they could have surely signed…but..no no..mighty arsenal..ohhh mighty arsenal…with a buttlload of liquid cash available at their disposal, with a legendary manager have signed what seems to be a roadside stall shirt put outside a big mall with loads of quality stores in it…they… Read more »
we need a new theirry henry, new sol campbell, new vieira, new parlour maybe a new wiltord and throw in a new david platt and eddie mcgoldrick
Maybe the biggest need is a new Arsene Wenger to discover all these super players.
We could also do with a new henry, pires etc…
Well said King Keown. Succinct and entirely correct – although absolutely bleedin obvious!
We need a new Keown
Oh for fucks sake…lets state the fucking obvious…that’ll sort out all our purchasing problems. “we need a new Bergkamp”.
No…we need a manager and board who can arrange a fucking transfer without the whole fucking club going into meltdown by spending the cash that we all pump into them every year. Other clubs do it.
Why cant ours?
Thumbs up from me but i’m awaiting the inevitable landslide of thumbs down coming your(OUR) way.
Oh no you cant be neg’ on here.
Anyway i’m off to insert my head up arse again.
Laters
You must have a neck like Chamakh’s to do that.
Hate to say it but the only player who could possibly be available now to fill a deeper Bergkamp role, whilst not as technically gifted as he was (but who is?) would be Rooney.
I reckon Christian Eriksen or Alan Dzagoev could be that type of player. Neither quite as gifted as Bergkamp but both will become very effective. With Eriksen being at Ajax with Bergkamp at the moment it would be nice if he could have a word in his ear and point him in our direction. He also looks a bit like Beavis too.
Trevor Benjamin, put your house on it.
What about Francis Jeffers, is he still available?
He’s now at Accrington Stanley.
I guess he didn’t drink his milk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pieK7b4KLL4
Oo are dey?
FOR FUCKS SAKE ARSENAL!!!
First Henry then Bergkamp and now the website is reminding us that today was the day 17 years ago when we signed Vieira.
This is the first summer the website is doing this to my knowledge. In lack of new signings, they are going into the archives to present old ones. Today was also the day two years ago when Fabregas officially left…. 🙁
Barn door – 2 paces – miss!
Gergio Wijnaldum, who Arsenal have just been linked to, could perhaps do a Bergkamp-type job. He’s awesome on Football Manager, and therefore would indubitably be incredible for Arsenal in real life.
I don’t believe in polytheism.
I wouldn’t mind a new Keown as well.
We could probably do with a Bergkamp, and Henry, a Pires, a Freddie, a Campbell, maybe even a Viera while were at it.
we actually have a good team. I daresay we have a better team than united (apart from a certain Judas) but the problem has always been the depth of our squad. and the annoying part is that its like only 3 to four players and we would be competing. Well, as for me i have given up hope for signing anyone significant and rather turned my attention to hoping we don’t lose any major player throughout at least the first half of the season.
Sigh
Why do you tease me so.
We wont get what we need so why bother. The new Bergkamp would cost money and Wenger wont spend. 40 mil for Suarez is a fucking joke. We new that Pool would never ever accept that and we relied on the Word of a fucking agent on a buy out clause. And to rub salt in the wounds of Pool we offer 1 pund over that alleged clause. Thats fucking classless. We are acting like cunts. We have become Cuntelona tapping up a player and going to the media. The Spuds are buying quality. Do any one on here Think… Read more »
Think many are missing the point, surely keown is only saying that the signing of a world renown player (like the bergkamp deal at the time) could start the ball rolling again for more successful days. There was only one Dennis, and in today’s world if bale is worth 100 million how much would he be worth?!
I watched the video of Bergkamp scoring against Spurs the other day. The one where Ian Wright just makes Clive Wilson look fucking helpless, puts a cross in, and Dennis just does the sort of thing you know is impossible but you’re going to try to pull off in your 7v7 adult rec league(I am, anyway). But more to the point, when he scores, Andy Gray says “You pay the amount of money you paid for this guy, this is what you paid it for.” I know there aren’t a lot of Bergkamps out there, but if there is someone… Read more »
“And remember, only real Arsenal legends eat at McDonalds,” said a smiling Keown, holding up a quarter pounder four inches from his mouth.
Bless him!
How come I never see viera making comments about arsenal?
its all ridiculous and boring now. I am not holding my breath for the new season it is now looking like the same old same old. Sitting in the terraces biting my nails as we scrape out another win or draw against a team we should be putting to bed by half time. The Suarez thing is simple so AFC can claim to have tried but just couldn’t get the deal all the time looking at the bank account and praising themselves for having so much money in the bank. AW is hoping (with fingers crossed and the like) that… Read more »
I just want the season to start. Talking about transfers that won’t happen is getting old.
Frustrating summer of frustatingness…arsenal’s transfer saga is as frustrating as watching a pervert with palsy draw a vagina on an etcho sketch (thanks larry)…our transfer dealings are delusional at best, Ivan is as deluded as a eunuch at one of those 9 inch or longer parties they have in New York, he has demonstrated that he is no big swinging dick in this game. But they say you can’t polish a turd , arsene has found you can roll them in glitter though and that is what he usually presents come may in the form of a champions league place.… Read more »
Oooh yes! Look at what we could have won! Us trying to sign Mata, Higuain, Rooney, Suarez! Aren’t we SUCH a success! Look at how great we are with these almost-signings! Now don’t forget to renew your most expensive season ticket in the world and consider how almost-great we are while you choke down that £9 burger and watch as we lose three-nil to the mighty Norwich! At least the team showed great mental strength to turn up!
For fuck’s sake.
If Dennis Bergkamp was young and available and at Inter Milan then this is what would happen: Wenger to IM: “I hear that Bergkamp is up for sale. How much do you want?” IM: “We value him at 40 million euros.” Wenger: “OK, I’ll offer you 15 million euros.” IM: “Don’t take the piss! OK, let’s say 30 million.” Wenger: “No. Twenty million is my final offer.” IM: “Go fuck youself.” Wenger: “Think seriously, 20 million is a lot of money.” Jose Mourinho: “I’ll pay the 30 million euros, after all that’s what top-quality players cost these days.” IM: “you’ve… Read more »
That was actually a good piece of haggling. That said, the period Wenger operated in post- Bergkamp and pre-Mourinho was a different era. Market knowledge on foreign players was scarce. Most PL teams wanted English players indeed until recently, most teams were English mainly where TV rights has changed the landscape significantly in the last 5 years. We never went in for big players either not through Wenger’s more successful years. Pires, Henry, Viera, Flamni were relative unknowns or unproven quantities. yet we did win 3 titles one unbeaten. prices have also been driven up because of the entry of… Read more »
I think we are in constant danger as fans in reading too much into news reports and gossips and believing that that is the ONLY solution for us. As an example, Luis Gustavo whom I think would be a great signing for us. But that’s where we get bogged down in feeling depressed because we are not spending the extra bob on the player. he may not be the only solution. As an example (and strictly hypothetical) Sakho is available for transfer and has just come on market. We could also elect to bring in a CBack betwen the age… Read more »
David Dein gets a lot of abuse, maybe deserved. But I dont blame him for the lack of transfers. It seems to be Arsene who wont spend the effing money. Dein said the money is there, I dont think he’s lying. Wenger for whatever reasons just seems loathe to spend it. Very fucking peculiar.
i think you mean gazidis
Not sure how we can extrapolate that Wenger won’t spend the money when he is bidding 40m on Suarez, a point made with much clarity by both Keown here and Commoli recently on the BBC. You can’t have your cake and eat it. Complaining about Wenger not spending doesn’t make sense since he has spent 96m in recent 2 seasons. Yes we spent close to breakeven on net spending but surely that is a good policy for a self sustaining club? And the fact that he has been frugal in the market means we are less exposed to loss when… Read more »
I don’t know about Dein but he certainly was very helpful to Wenger. That said a lot of people like to sing his praises about how he transformed the club but he was there for quite a spell and it wasn’t till he succinctly brought in Wenger (give him credit for that) that the club truly transformed into an important player on the world stage. You cannot be disingenuous and discount Wenger’s positive impact. The Invincibles at very least was built on a defense which was strictly Wenger’s. What I would agree on is that in more recent seasons, we… Read more »
FA and McDonald’s Community Awards? Fucking Hamburglars the lot of ’em.
I think the more pertinent question is what is the fall back plan? if Suarez slips away, who do we have? Which is why I believe most of us are vexed that we did not try to at least test Napoli on Higuain, albeit likely, the Italian club had appetite to follow price into the 40m in which case Suarez became attractive (minus knowledge about Rodger’s pettiness) IMO if we miss Suarez (if not now), we should very quickly get ourselves two players. Michu to me is a good pick for several reasons : 1) He won’t cost much being… Read more »
Apologies. I of course meant ivan Gazides. Note to self ‘ dont send messages to arseblog while half asleep’
I honestly don’t think he wanted pool to accept that bid. Why bid 35 knowing about the 40+1 and wait 2 weeks. For me he’s made that bid knowing it would be rejected so he could say he tried. He’s scared to spend money
Different times arsene, spurs are making you look a fool. Both soldado and capoue would have significantly strengthened us whilst you pretend to try to sign players. Where’s the cb cm and winger we desperately need?
The 40m+ 1 is a shot across the bow. Basically it is sounded as a warning to restrict the bidders realistically to just us and Real. Forget what Spurs will tell you, they have no CL football. My reading is that it is also likely a bit of contention within management. I think Gazidis and the suits are rightly concern with our image and branding which has taken a hit with our recent lack of success. It threatens to undo all the good work we are putting into these pre-season tours of Asia (although you wouldn’t know with the sort… Read more »
@santori
Do you think you could go into a little more detail?
Would love to but I am speculating just as much as anyone. I’m just trying to make a bit more sense of our actions. The main point being nothing is exclusive when you have a fixed budget. We are not City. Thereby even with 70m on hand, the Suarez deal represents a choke point at the moment as it dictates how much we can spend on other positions. If we decide not to go with Suarez, more money is freed up thereby increasing options. Should we sink our teeth in Suarez, less money is available. So we are in holding… Read more »
Who the fuck thumbed you down???
Interesting read Santori.
Maybe too cerebral for the imbecile and their down mark.
As Crispy says Santori an interesting read, however surely we shouldn’t be in a position where our entire summer transfer policy hinges on the movement or otherwise of one player? I’m still holding out hope that we will see a sudden influx of quality to supplement what quite honestly is a ridiculously threadbare squad…but these hopes are fading.
What the f*ck these m@therf@ckers doing?!?!?
Al sorts of mental convolutions in your post to try and exonerate Wenger from the mess he and his fellow idiots have made of this transfer window. I talk not of his ability as a coach, but they have been 100% ridiculous in this transfer window. If he wanted Higuain he could have got him. If he wanted Gustavo he could have got him. They just need the balls to go that extra mile and pay what are the going rates nowadays for quality footballers. And as for Suarez – I suppose they thought other clubs were like the modern… Read more »
Dear Santori, I apologise for you seem to have missed my sarcasm. Eeeek
Not at all.
Just explaining the obvious to you in more obvious terms. eek.
It’s a fucked up world when you look forward to watching a midweek international friendly more than the first game of the new season…..and I hate watching England.
I’m watching between my fingers praying for no injuries to Wilshere and Walcott .
And …….relax (exhale).
Exxx-aaacccchhttlly
The injured Walcott just scored for England. Come on Diaby and co. Why don’t you just try………..
At this rate Sanogo was a find!!!
So did higuain, booooooooooo
Yes. We need a new Bergkamp, a new Henry, a new Viera, a new Pires, a new Adams… and so it goes on and on.
But for this, in my opinion, we need a new manager first. With Arsene we wont get at this level anymore, I think his time is over and his stubbornness is killing us.
Bergkamp is a once in a generation type of player. There aren’t any on the market right now that are even close to his technical perfection