Guest Post – Custodians Of The Net – Part Two by TTG
Jul 23rd, 2018 by 'holic
The last guest post by our very own TTG saw him consider the worst of the goalkeepers he has witnessed at the Arsenal and happily today he looks back at those at the other end of that particular spectrum. I think he has produced a list it is difficult for me to argue with, but on Twitter his ‘surprise selection’ was rated as one of the worst five by one of my followers. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I have no doubt this list will similarly stimulate an interesting debate. Thank you TTG for your contributions in this scorcher of a summer.
In my last piece I looked at the worst goalkeepers I have seen in the last sixty years of watching the Arsenal. It’s time to pick my top five. Who were the best? Let’s discuss in the drinks the ones who were.
Fifth best? This was really tough and I’ve gone with an Invincible.
5. Jens Lehmann
Almost by definition Jens had to be a good goalkeeper and I believe he had great star quality. He almost singlehandedly won us the 2005 Cup Final with a superlative performance and also assured us of a Champions League Final place with his penalty save from Riquelme. He shouldn’t have chinned Robbie Keane in the last minute at the Lane and having reached the Champions League final we would have done much better if he’d stayed on the pitch in Paris beyond twelve minutes. His return to the club only lasted one season, he must have frightened some of the delicate flowers in that dressing room. He was a perfectionist and did a great job for us.
4. Pat Jennings
I had met Pat Jennings once at a lunch a few months before and was waiting outside the Grove before the 4-4 North London derby when up came Pat and said a warm hello. I think he is just a true gentleman rather than a memory man and it would have been better if the Arsenal steward standing next to me had recognised him! One of the best goalkeepers I’ve ever seen . Slightly past his best when he played for us but a great keeper even then and one who helped us to four cup finals in three years. Probably the only man who is completely respected and loved throughout North London. (Ed. Sol Campbell too, surely!)
3. Bob Wilson
Bob is the only person on this list who I actually know and I have deep respect and affection for him. He represents the values of Arsenal better than anyone I have ever met. He claims Pat, who he coached, was a much better natural goalkeeper than him and that his own head-down style would see him red-carded most weeks now but he was brilliant in the year that we did the double and for that reason he gets my vote to be number three.
2. Jimmy Rimmer
This might surprise a lot of people but Jimmy played behind one of the worst defences I’ve seen at Arsenal and possibly saved us from relegation two years running in the seventies. He came from Manchester United where he couldn’t unseat Alex Stepney and got 45 minutes maximum in one friendly match for England at a time when we had some very good goalkeepers. I rated him very highly and he made very few mistakes behind the likes of Mancini and co. He was brave, agile and consistent and had he played in a different era would possibly be more of a goalkeeping icon.
1. David Seaman
I wonder if this surprised anybody ? Seaman’s first season in 1990-91 saw him perform better than almost any keeper I’ve seen in my life. He was consistency himself although the few errors he made are often brought up but he was a real get out of jail free card. Our title success in his first season was due in no small part to him and he arguably got better as he matured.
He was of course fortunate that he played behind a great and well-drilled defence but he added so much to their effectiveness because of their confidence in him. Yes he had well-publicised bloopers like the Nayim goal (which I would forgive given its serendipitous nature ) and the Ronaldinho goal in the World Cup but he did a wonderful job for England for many years, particularly in Euro 96. His save from Peschisolido at Old Trafford in 2003 almost defied belief, and although his ‘pornstar’ image towards the end of his career coincided with a waning of his powers he contributed wonderfully to Arsenal. Personally, I am disappointed he never became our goalkeeping coach and I understand I am not alone.
So ’Big Dave’, that most imaginatively nicknamed of players (and a great carp fisherman to boot) is my nomination as our best keeper of the past sixty years. I haven’t mentioned the great Jack Kelsey who I only saw briefly at the end of his career or John Lukic who shuttled effectively between Arsenal and Leeds in his career and served both clubs well. But silly lists must be made and adhered to and this is mine. Looking at them we have been blessed…and slightly cursed …by what 1950’s programme notes used to call’ the custodians’.
Let us hope Bernd Leno is soon jostling for a place with our very best. Until then please feel free to give me your views on the quality or otherwise of our keepers over the years.
39 Responses to “Guest Post – Custodians Of The Net – Part Two by TTG”
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footballistically speaking – Jennings. Monster keeper.
moralistically – Seaman.
psychologically – Lehmann.
[…] Link: Guest Post – Custodians Of The Net – Part Two by TTG […]
Good selections, TTG, but must have been difficult to leave out Lukic,
particularly as part of the 1989 Anfield team.
Thanks TTG – more interesting stuff.
I guess Jimmy Rimmer is the obvious surprise, although I know where you’re coming from.
Maybe he belongs in a little category of players who have been very good for the Arsenal but never gained the recognition we felt they deserved in the national side.
Maybe there is a follow up piece for someone – or your good self – there?
First on my list would be Peter Simpson ……..
Thanks TTG.
Quite agree on Rimmer, I thought he was great for us.
But David Seaman was exceptional, it got so I was
surprised when he let one in.
And just to add Geordie Armstrong to Trev’s list.
TTG, Interesting choice of Jimmy Rimmer in second place. Hard to disagree with his inclusion; perhaps only with his ranking, although I read he topped a Birmingham Mail list of Villa’s greatest goalkeepers.
I once saw Pat Jennings score a goal in a charity match at the now-long gone Maccabi Stadium up in Clive’s neck of the woods. A kick from hand, one bounce, over the head of the opposing keeper (an England amateur international if I recall correctly) and into the net. He was indeed a gentleman: endless time for autograph-hunting youngsters after the game.
Bodrum Gooneress in the previous drinks: Glad you enjoyed the podcast. Always good to listen to a civil and thoughtful discussion. After the photograph of Ozil and Erdogan first appeared I posted to bar that I thought it ill-judged, but never imagined it would lead to where it has.
The Sun, of all newspapers, now defending Ozil against Hoeness.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/6844317/mesut-ozils-tackling-stats-that-make-a-mockery-of-uli-hoeness-claims-about-the-arsenal-star/
We live in strange times.
Nigel Winterburn for Trev’s list, too.
And Paul Davis, amazing that he never won an England cap.
“…civil and thoughtful discussion…”
what’s this – a synchronised swimming site?
it’s football laddie
testosterone, punk, vile men, dirt, blood and broken bones
testosterone, punk, vile men, dirt, blood and broken bones
And that’s just cba.
Lukic would be in my top five, Rimmer probably wouldn’t although it would be between him and Jens as to who would drop out. I blame Lehmann more than Almunia for losing the CL final. Much, much more than him.
Ten men for so long is such a game, thanks to a customary rush of blood. Invincible yes, but…
*in, not is.
And Peter Marinello. We thought we were getting a George Best, but he turned out to be a Pete Best instead.
I’ll add John Radford to my own list too.
Two caps only for England between 1969 and 1971, in which Championship (when it was the Championship) winning season he scored 21 goals amd in tandem with Ray Kennedy, they netted 47 times between them. Seems like a trick missed for England, whoever they played instead, of which I have absolutely no recollection.
I don’t really know enough of the charity versus political ins and outs of the Mesut Ozil – Erdogan photograph but, whatever they were, Uli Hoeness is making a proper silly german sausage of himself.
His comments are not only trying to ridicule Ozil as a player before, during and since the 2014 World Cup, but by implication are casting doubt on Joachim Löw’s selections for said tournament which, he may have forgotten, they won.
Come on Uli – you’re behaving like a spoilt brat-wurst.
Cheaper than buying the Sun – reading this nonsense ! ?
Trev, I initially thought you were suggesting John Radford as one of our best ever keepers. Seriously though, am I right in thinking he took over in goal in at least one of our matches, possibly that cup semi-final against Stoke when Bob Wilson got crocked.
Devon Stu
You are spot on . Bob did his cartilage but tried to play on and in trying to shield him Simpson put through his own net to equalise for Stoke. Raddy was in goal for about twenty minutes and did really well saving a good low shot at the end from someone like Greenhoff. I had gone to the game with three mates in a Mini which went kaput at Toddington. We got a lift up and back from there from a Greek oil magnate whose own car blew up at Watford Gap! I know cos I split up with my girlfriend as a result!
But we won the replay and Big Raddy got the goal. And she became Mrs TTG !
Dorset Mick@12: At least he got immortalised in EI Addio’s column in Private Eye.
Trev@14: Or a head banger.
TTG@16: Who needs Love Island when you’ve got the M1?
Ned ??
It looks increasingly that there is a real likelihood that Gazidis will join AC Milan. I find that disappointing. I thought he loved the club by his own professions in the past.
It also looks as though Usmanov is looking for a buyer for his shares. If Kroenke gets total control it would not be good for the club…especially if Josh Kroenke succeeds Gazidis.
Brave to go to the football in a skirt back in those days, TTG. And getting a lift as well is really pushing the old danger-o-meter into the red zone, although I guess if you had the legs for it, who am I to judge the wisdom of such adventures…
A good mate of mine who is a lifelong Villa fan,has just sent me a text to say TH14 is going to be their new manager.
Villa being bought by billionaire from somewhere,and Henry is the star recruit.
Putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with 6, i am assuming this was a done deal for him to leave Sky so abruptly.
If it does come to pass,it is nailed on we will draw Villa in the 3rd round of the FA Cup.
Cynic@19: braver yet if all four were in the same mini.
TTG@18: If Gazidis is leaving, the cynic in me would say, smart timing. If the new management at Arsenal works out, he can claim the credit for putting it all in train; if it doesn’t, he can blame them for screwing it all up after he left.
I have no idea what the Cynic would say.
BT Sport have been showing a series of Arsenal Classics today, I forgot to mention it though and they’re not scheduled to be shown again in the next week.
There’s two hours of this stuff on in the wee small hours of Wednesday however.
I’m just watching Arsenal vs Manchester United from 1973. It’s very very odd seeing the Mancs in the classic Arsenal away kit and even odder to see George Graham in their team, not ours.
Wilson, Rice, McNab, Price, Blockley, Simpson, Armstrong, Ball, Radford, Kennedy, George. Sub – Brian Hornsby
A lad with hair half way down to his tits has just wandered across behind the North Bank goal wearing blue denim dungarees.
Ah, the 70s…
Clive @20: the new Villa majority co-owners are Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edins, both billionaires. The Sawirises are Egypt’s wealthiest family. Fingers in many pies but the fertiliser business is the core of their empire. Nassef is a main board director at Adidas, and his brother part owns the Swiss club, Lucerne. Edins is an American financier (private equity at Black Rock and now Fortress Investment Group, which he co-founded). Also co-owns the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, and is regarded as a good owner by all accounts. TH14 would be just the sort of high-profile coach that would appeal to them, I would imagine.
Radford goes off and on comes Hornsby for an appearance lasting, according to Brian Moore as the final whistle goes, precisely three seconds.
😀
Great stuff this. Liverpool form 1975 next
Highbury looking like a cow field here in 1975. SAND IN THE 18 YARD BOX. Unheard of…
Rimmer in goal.
FFS, TERRY MANCINI is playing in this, it’s supposed to be Arsenal CLASSICS.
For anyone who cares the team was Rimmer, Rice, McNab, Matthews, Mancini, Simpson, Armstrong, Ball, Brady, Kidd, Storey. Sub – Trevor Ross.
Two goals for Alan Ball, taken off on a hat-trick… Don Revie sitting in what would some day be somebody’s kitchen. Ross attempts to cross the ball right footed and kicks it out for a goal kick. With his left foot…
Mancini was a classic something
but it wasn’t centre-back.
Talking of classic CBs
I just read Henry’s No.2 is
rumoured to be Bouldy
Camel fertilizer fueling Villa now? I wonder what the corporate strategy will be for keeping down the stench.
All change at the Grove. No more Bould, Gazidis off and possibly Ramsey too. All of these look either possible or even likely ( I think Ramsey will have to make a firm decision in the next few days, Sanllehi does not mess about).
Bouldy must feel a bit ostracised. I understand the training is very different under Carcedo and Emery. We are going to play a very intense pressing game and be very hard to play against and the players will have to be much fitter. I wish him well with Thierry. I’m not sure we ever saw the true Bouldy in recent years but TH14 will know what he can do.
Cynic
I had – and still have the legs for it but I’m more maxi than mini now.
I love watching the old games but don’t enjoy watching Mancini. He was one of the ones who made Rimmer work so hard!
He should have stuck to the music.
Funny how we’ve finished up talking about Henry and Mancini in almost consecutive posts but no-one has put the two names together – as, of course, they always were on the old North Bank.
As I recall Henry could play and Mancini couldn’t!
A piece on best and worst Centre backs would be a cracker.
On the worst side we have as contenders Stepanovs, Cygan, Gus Caesar, Pat Howard, Colin Hill and Chris Whyte from a brief think back. Some would add Ian Ure but I thought he had some decent games.
But picking the best five would be a major challenge , we’ve had some belters!
In no particular order my top
5 CBs would be Frank McLintock,
Peter Simpson, David O’Leary,
Tony Adams, Steve Bould, Kolo
Toure, Sol Campbell and Laurent
Koscielny.
Oh.
Not sure I entirely believe Ray Parlour’s story of why we signed Stepanovs, but if it is true it wouldn’t be a total shock either.
For those who haven’t heard the tale, the basics are that Steps came on trial, was absolutely terrible but the players were winding Martin Keown up by praising everything Steps did. One of the main cheerleaders was Dennis Bergkamp and according to Parlour, they did such a good job of bigging up one of the worst players anyone had ever seen at Arsenal, the manager was swayed into giving him a four year deal.
I prefer to think we signed him because our transfer policy has been a bit of a shambles for years and he’s been one among many who were never good enough, but ended up being signed.
If Thierry Henry is the new manager at Villa, I wish him every success and congratulation. Same to Patrick Vieira st Nice.
What bt8 said.
It will be very interesting to see what Thierry Henry can do at Aston Villa. Personally, I like him as a pundit and have been surprised at the type of criticism he’s had from friends of mine who completely disagree.
The obvious risk is that he has no managerial experience. He’s had some pretty decent teachers though with a variety of styles.
By the way, TTG, it’s no use trying to criticise centre backs – they always get far too defensive.
Just too late. ?
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