Should Bergkamp have got an Arsenal statue ahead of Henry?
The celebration of Arsenal’s 125th anniversary recently has led to the erection of three Arsenal legends namely Thierry Henry, Tony Adams and Herbert Chapman. Many questioned Henry’s credentials to have a statue outside the Emirates. This is because Henry left the club in 2007 due to declining form and the desire to wanting to win Europe’s premier club competition, the Uefa Champions League.
Of course, he got what he wanted in the end in 2009 when Barcelona took the Champions League trophy. The question that is in the minds of many of the Arsenal faithful would be ‘If a player did not finish his career at Arsenal and left the club halfway for further glory, does he deserve a statue outside the stadium?’
With 369 appearences, 226 goals and 92 assists for the club, Thierry Henry is Arsenal’s record goal scorer. Signed from Juventus in the summer of 1999, Henry dazzled immediately in his debut season where he strucked 26 goals in his first season. After which, it was like a dream come true for many Arsenal fans where Henry just could not stop scoring. He won the Premier League golden boot on 4 occasions and the European golden boot twice. He is PFA player of the year twice and made the PFA team of the year 6 times, Uefa team of the year 5 times. Surely a player like this is deserving of a bronze statue outside the Arsenal stadium?
However, Henry was very frustrated that no matter how many goals he could score, Arsenal always seem to fall short of the elusive Champions League trophy, When we made the final in 2006, we threw it away 2-1 with a Jens Lehmann sending off and two quick fire goals.
I feel that Tony Adams really deserves the statue with 19 seasons with the club and his commitment was never doubted. Also in my opinion, Dennis Bergkamp should also get a statue over Henry because he finished his glistening career at Arsenal after all.
So is Thierry Henry deserving of such an honour?
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I think both of them deserve the statue, nobody can blame Henry for leaving Arsenal…for the efforts he has put in during his red and white shirt days…and his kiss on the badge is always real…he even follows Arsenal’s matches when he was in Barca…he is the true Gunners IMO…
As for Bergkamp, no one can take away his credit for all the contribution he gave after his transfer from Inter Milan…he even finished his career with us…
Both Henry and Bergkamp deserve the statue recognition as they always produce the moment of magic (Henry’s wonder goal against Man UTD – Bartez, Bergkamp’s ‘ballet’ dance solo move goal after receiving Pires pass against Newcastle…and the list goes on…)
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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In times were we have seen loyalty of our player been has tin as a tread, Tony Adams and the flying dutch mangetting a golden statue placed outside d emirate sholud be a good way of show hw loyalty is rewarded with such a remarkable ackwonledgement
i guess what am try to say is henry immortalisation could have waited a little longer.
Opinions divided. What do you think?
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Next 5 statues : Bergkamp, Pires, Brady, George, Wright
Opinions divided. What do you think?
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This shouldn’t even be an argument. What Henry did for arsenal was simply amazing. If you take Henry out of the equation for anything then we wouldn’t have been as successful has a club in the last decade. Bergkamp deserves a trophy but over henry no I don’t think so.
Opinions divided. What do you think?
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I think Arsenal are waiting to see if Bergkamp will join the coaching staff before deciding. If he does join, then like Wenger I think there will be no statue until he leaves the club. You have to admire the class of our club!
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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If I recall, the trophy draught started when Bergkamp retired. Henry had several chances to add to the cause but couldn’t without the iceman. Plus Bergkamp will be back to coach cause he is a true gunner. Bergkamp deserves the statue.
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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There should have been four statues. Bergkamp being one of them.
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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Not even a question worth asking! Bergkamp should definitely get one ahead of Henry. Henry is a great player, no doubt about that. But what Dennis gave to Arsenal was much more than Henry ever did. Dennis started it all. He helped every partner he ever had, he made them become super stars. He help them to reach a level, that they couldn’t even dream of.
Henry never did that, he sulked when others don’t live up to his expectation. Look what he did to Reyes. Look what Reyes picked up from Bergkamp.
In my view Henry is extremely great as a player but he will never surpass what Bergkamp did for the club!
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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arsene wenger is the one man who deserves a statue, more than anyone else. What le prof has achieved at both highbury and the emirates is the stuff that dreams are made of. To wenger!
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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I felt bad that Bergkamp didn’t get a statue, here was a man with deep rooted love for Arsenal. Yea Henry scored many goals but what about the architect of 90% of those goals and made it so easy for Henry to score most of the goals. At Bergkamp’s form and class at that point he could have walked into any team in the world but he chose to stick with Arsenal even when his enormous dedication and work rate week in week out wasn’t bringing any trophy. But what did Henry do? he jumped the ship when things were not working out for the club in terms of trophy.
Henry even lied to all of us that he wasn’t going anywhere and that he will never play for any other team against Arsenal. Even a day before he signed for Barcelona he was still denying that he was leaving.
He always and still claim love for Arsenal, but to me love is selfless service,trust and devotion through thick and thin which Henry didn’t show to Arsenal because he abandoned us for personal glory and lied to us even as he was the captain of the club. Now he got what he went for he is now back professing love, if we had gone by the way of Leeds will he be here professing undying love for arsenal?
I am not in anyway implying that he shouldn’t have received a statue.He should receive statue for the goals he score on the red and white. But Bergkamp should receive statue for dedication, selfless service,undying love,trust and not betraying us by jumping the ship even when he had the chance.
He promised that no matter what, he will not pull on any other shirt and kick a ball into Arsenal’s goal post and fulfilled the promise unlike one Mr Henry.I will take a friend who stick with me in times of trouble over the one who will enjoy with me and hit the road if the going gets tough. Place even Henry and Fabregas and I will take Fab because atleast he never lied and deceived us that he wont go anywhere. Henry means nothing to me more than one former Arsenal player who scored lots of goals while playing for Arsenal, nothing more.
Opinions divided. What do you think?
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In my opinion as that of the club, Henry, more than any other legend in arsenal deserves a statue. It is not how long, it is how well. Theiry’s commitment to the club is unquestionable, he has shown in in words and encouragement even while on the payroll of other clubs, who else has done that?
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Future statues: wojieh szesney,jack wilshere, Robin van perise..
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What amazes me is that david oleary was not even considered. here is a man that proved his utmost loyalty to the club turning lucrative moves for years and played more matches than anyone else.
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We should even be arguing this, we don’t know what the future plans are in terms of honours. We don’t know what criteria was used when the decision about the statues were made. We all love arsenal and the players who have dawned the Red and White have given us some gloriopus moments. None of us wrote the board and said hey lets erect some statues, they did it out of their own accord and we should just be proud that they have recognised the achievements and service of the arsenal players of the past.
Lets not argue whether titi should have gotten one or if Denis should have gotten one, it makes us look like petty immature fans. Lets appreciate what the board have done and encourage them not to give Van persie a statue but a lucrative contract. That would give me more satisfaction than any statue.
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As far as loyalty is concerned i think Henry is a head i remember him saying ,if offered a job at Arsenal he could take it even if its carrying balls.Besides his performance was fantastic.Though Beck was also good.They both deserve.
It only Wenger who was cheated by not being recognized.
Mugizi Henry
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Bergkamp is a surprise omission. However in my opinion Bergkamp and Henry should stand together as equals in the Arsenal legend status. Both were incredible players for Arsenal.
I’d be surprised if Arsenal don’t commission more statues in future, which I am sure would include Bergkamp.
Anyone who questions whether Bergkamp or Henry is or isn’t worthy of a statue, either hasn’t supported Arsenal for long or doesn’t know true footballers when they see them.
Both were world class.
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DB10 before TH14 anytime. if not for any other reason because Denis finished his career at The Arsenal and ever since he left NO trophy has come.
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I think for sure. This man gave us his best years as a player. He came at a time of transition to the squad and was a big part of the rebuilding. He also finished his career with us and was part of everything we won. For how ever good Henry was he did leave us when he was still on top of his game. We would not have gone on this bad run without a trophy
had he stayed with us. So to me Bergkamp was always one of my all time favorites and loyal to the club. No question he was an Arsenal Legend.
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Bergkamp is without doubt my favourite AFC player, so I am a touch surprised at his omission. He finished his career with us, and is probably the most technically gifted player to play for AFC and arguably the Premier League, so on that basis I think he deserves to be recognised.
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hold on a minute — where will this end
how many statues will be littering the stadium ?
the whole concept of a statue will become devalued if a new crop spring up every year…you might just as well put up a poster
these days players do not achieve the ‘one club man’ status that was commonplace before the EPL – and of the few (Gerrard – Terry etc) that carry that title still, i doubt that like Adams they will see out their days at their respective clubs
so because TH decided to leave should that preclude him from the rightful award of his statue…no
statues should be erected for servants with legendary status…lets just be a little careful when awarding them – as a ‘forest’ would simply devalue the honour
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imo David o leary should have got one. he has played more games for arsenal than any other footballer, he gave everything to the club. Hell he even retired from playing football at the club. He was part of Arsenals success, and stayed there through thick and thin.
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He definitely deserves one, however I find it odd that he has a statue when he’s still an active player.
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guys its as simple as this. they chose highest scorer, first manager to win the league and one of the longest serving captains. i would have liked to see bergkamp their to but they cant put to many statues. the next one i want to see is arsene wenger
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Anyone here remember of a certain, Cliff Bastin?….
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also to people dissing henry if he was as you call loyal to monaco then he would never have ended up at arsenal. we fans want players to leave other clubs to join ours yet we expect 100% loyalty back. dutch players leaving the dutch league has crippled it. henry lied to protect the move so that it would happen with no problems. he has givin so much loyalty to us he even purposfully played poorley against us when at barca. both henry and bergkamp are legends
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Word on the street is that Arsenal are planning to put up more statues in future, I would expect Dennis to be next in line.
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bergkamp was treated quite badly at the end of his career and even now after his career. Bergkamp over Henry any day. As many have mentioned, he finished his career here, we have not won a trophy since he left, and as someone above mentioned he was a real class act and a role model. Never complained, was always helping his team mates. Bergkamp deserved this one more than Henry did.
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both are LEGENDS…..
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For me, 3 statues weren’t enough to mark the key figures in Arsenal’s history. We can name a plethora of players or coaches but only 3 really stand out for me that deserve one.
Wenger, Bergkamp, Wright
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Bergkamp to me is the ultimate player that made everyone else tick around him, he was the one supreme play maker that made everything he touched look easy ,the skill and strength in the player can never be questioned and if anyone deserved to be honoured it should have been Bergkamp, but having said that i don’t believe Bergkamp’s time has finished yet and that he still has unfinished business at Arsenal , i believe he has some unfinished business there and he will return one day as a possible Number two in place of Pat Rice ,he will eventually get the Master’s job and will win the Champions League and then he will have the statue he deserves in his honour as being the only Manager to win the UFCL.. THAT DAY WILL COME …WATCH THIS SPACE .. CAUSE I SAY SO …
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