Former Gunner Gilberto Silva says he’s hopeful that Arsenal can lift the FA Cup this season and lift the pressure on the club and manager Arsene Wenger.
The Brazilian was a double cup winner in his time with the Gunners, and he knows how much it would mean to lift a trophy after so long.
An interview with BT Sport, the Brazilian was asked if he thought Arsene Wenger would still be manager in 2014, so many years after he left, and he said, “I hoped so, it is not an easy job because there is a lot of pressure with Arsenal not winning the title for a few years but this season they have an opportunity to win The FA Cup.
“I really hope they can do it and this will then of course ease the pressure. This kind of pressure is normal when you have been as successful as him in the recent past for the club.
“Some people say he should leave but I disagree because he brought success to the club and people shouldn’t only analyse the last 5-8 years but also look at what he has achieved throughout his whole time at the club.”
He also touched on the Invincibles, saying, “It was great, an amazing six years of my life. It is always nice when people talk to me about Arsenal. For me Arsenal was like a school in many ways. There was a good atmosphere, good team and a new way to look at football for me.
“It was fantastic, I learnt a lot about football and whenever I have the opportunity to talk to people about Arsenal it is always a good feeling.”
Remember: The Arseblog book about the 2003-04 season is being launched on May 15th at The Tollington. All welcome.
—
For more from Gilberto Silva tune into SportsHUB on Monday 5 May, BT Sport 1 at 6.30pm where he will be speaking to promote the documentary ‘Gilberto Silva’s Road to Rio’, which recounts the Street Child World Cup that took place in Rio last month. BT Sport’s charity, The Supporters Club, backed three charities that sent teams to the tournament. Watch it on 5 May, BT Sport 1 at 10.15pm.
What a wonderfully uncomplicated player he was.
£4.5 million for him was just a magnificent piece of business.
What a fantastic player and a great role model and leader for the younger players.
The way Wenger mishandled the whole Gilberto / Lassana Diarra is one of the few things for which I could not defend Wenger, no matter what.
Gilberto should have been kept and not let go. He would have been a good mentor and continuation of the class from the Invincibles to the Cesc era.
“Former Gunner Gilberto Silva says…”
There is no such thing as “former Gunner”
Ca$hri counts
Legend.
But like many unsung heroes he did the dirty jobs, and the stuff few noticed, and I always worry that amongst that class of 2004, he will never get all the credit he deserves.
Glad to see the Invisible Wall keeps us in his heart (and still turns up for training now and again).
One of the forgotten best!…most welcome.
Big mistake letting him go when we did.
LEGEND
Indeed, the greatest mandolin player to ever grace our club.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfwGyU86WQo
So many screamed to get him out as he was too slow for our style. He was a great player and always kept a level head. Should have been turned into a great sweeper for us.
Arseblog I actually down loaded that application last night.. when I read your blog this morning I immediately deleted that application because I’m a full supporter of the arseblog site..!!
He’s one of the best DM we ever had
What a Gent. Statemans like.
Ahh the great gilberto silva, one amongst many players we have never been able to adequately replace, while i love the flamster, he’s never going to be as positionally disciplined as silva was, if i was a betting man, i’d put a few quid on us not suffering those results that we did, away against the bigger teams this season had we had silva in his prime.
ps : didnt he once score the quickest goal in the UCL for us, against PSV? I could be wrong though, i do remember him smashing one in against villa though.
20 seconds
He was a flawless DM who went thru a few seasons without a red card. It wasn’t for nothing he was nicknamed The Invisible Wall.
Until he got a red card for trying to kick that cunt Robbie Savage. Why that didn’t result in an accolade instead of a sending off is beyond me.
Brazil, we’re thankful to you for producing one of the most universally likeable players on the planet.
I really miss this guy. Awesome midfielder, and I think it speaks volumes of his character that he remained so professional in his final season with us when he was overlooked for captaincy in favour of Gallas and when he was dropped for Flamini despite his consistency. To this day, he doesn’t have a bad thing to say about the club and the boss, great to see.
Yeah, let’s not ask Gilberto anything interesting to do with Arsenal, let’s just ask him whether he thought Wenger would last at Arsenal into 2014. Fuck me, BT Sport is woeful.
Gilberto silver and the return of silverwares……
First Arsenal player to score a league goal at the Emirates vs Villa (shame it wasn’t a winning one, but still saved us from a loss in our opening league game) to secure LEGEND status. Was, until recently I believe, fastest goal scorer in champions league. (As an aside, does anyone know or care to remember who broke this record and when?) My favourite memory of him though came courtesy of a fan in the North Bank of Highbury. Can’t remember who we were playing but it was unusually (cough, cough) quiet and this bloke stood up and sang (to… Read more »
WE LOVE YOU GILBERTO!!!!!
We need to get this man back at the club somehow.
Sold way too early and the way Wenger handled it was one of the worse things he’s ever done as a manager.
Still love Gilberto- always the professional, always the model. Young players could learn a ton from him on behavior and effort. If Arsenal aren’t already looking into it, he needs to be added to the ranks of the club’s ambassadors. And, if he’s not ready to hang up his boots yet, a season in the MLS would be fantastic- simply so I could see him play in person.
Gilberto Silva!
Gilberto Silva!
He is brazilIan,
One in a Million!
In many ways, Arteta is doing what Gilberto did for us.
Yet to some, he is a panic buy much like Per and Koscielny and Podolski.
😉
So according to papers, we should be up for the double this season.
Fourth spot trophy AND FA cup!
Sights readjusted again then.;)
Would rather this then finish 2nd or third with no silverware. But you won’t hear this from the press.
60m is what CL qualification this season represents to Liverpool. They have been out for a number of seasons now.
Some of us fans here are a bit spoilt from 17 consecutive years in CL.
We could do better they say with progressive managers like they have had at say Spurs.;)
Love the man!
The “Invisible Wall” was a magnificent footballer.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. Legend!
One of my favourite invincibles. Really good player who rarely put a foot wrong. Lovely chap too.
Although I do remember him missing a sitter in injury time against the Mugsmashers after a very boring 1-1. My first game at Highbury so it stuck in the memory.