What's with the adulation of George Graham?

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What's with the adulation of George Graham?

Postby Sims » Tue Apr 08, 2014 5:55 pm

He was before my time, but I've seen a lot of people saying Graham was better than Wenger, or I wish we could go back to the Graham days.

I'm only 19; 20 in the summer, so obviously he was before my time. But what's with all the praise? This is the same guy who took a bung then f***ked off to Spurs, how can anyone possibly like him?

Both my parents were Arsenal home & away during these times and even they don't mention Graham at all, so why do I see a lot of praise on here for him?
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Re: What's with the adulation of George Graham?

Postby HeSaidHisNameWasPorter » Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:19 pm

I'm surprised that your Mum 'n Dad didn't tell you about George Graham's Arsenal .
He was a solid no nonsense player for us . He started out up front under Bertie Mee I recall , but I think he played pretty much anywhere bar goalkeeper over six or seven years . This was in the days of Norman Hunter and the brutal Leeds Utd. team , Chopper Harris and Tommy Smith . We had a hard case enforcer in Peter Storey , and George Graham . McLintock could dish it out too .
So , Graham became manager of Arsenal , brought in Dixon / Bould from Stoke , Winterburn from Wimbledon , Smith from Leicester . He made Adams captain , brought through an excellent David Rocastle , got a steal in buying a certain Ian Wright from Palace , and topped it off with Anders Limpar .
We had a side with a virtually impregnable defence , and if we scored first , it was the winner 'cos we locked it watertight at the back after going 1 - 0 . It was usually game over . Going to Anfield and winning the league was unimaginable then . It really was a stunning upset , the stuff of legend . Unlike today we had a team of very physical players , and we were strong . Not pretty , but we won games by attrition . Graham instilled a battle hardened granite mentality in his players .
He took a 400,000 bung from a transfer deal , I can't remember who the player was . Many managers were at it then , Clough did it often , Atkinson too . Malcolm Allison was allegedly a prolific bung accepter / expector .
Graham got found out , apologised and paid it back , but Arsenal had to sack him .
Arsenal fans were mortified when he accepted the Spuds post . Despite his going there though , he's an Arsenal man . Look at him next time he's on telly and see him light up , or intensify when he's asked about The Arsenal .
Great player and highly successful manager of Arsenal Football Club .
..... Sorry if I banged on a bit . My era , see .
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Re: What's with the adulation of George Graham?

Postby Sims » Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:26 pm

Cheers for the insight. I think it's cause they know I'd moan about the type of football played. I've never had much respect for teams who simply score straight away then defend. Tiki Taka for example is a defensive tactic, and I f***ing hate it and it's boring to watch.

I guess you just appreciate what you watched growing up with, I think I probably would've hated to watch Graham's Arsenal if he was instilled tomorrow.

That begs the question, do you think with the way football currently is; that a Graham Arsenal team would get spanked?
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Re: What's with the adulation of George Graham?

Postby Leody » Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:30 pm

No, they wouldn't get spanked. Shit teams in the Premier League are able to get results playing a defensive style...

And besides, Chelsea play a score and shut down style now to good effect.

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Re: What's with the adulation of George Graham?

Postby Arsenal~Fanatic » Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:35 pm

Score and shut down is much better than thow the kitchen sink at it and get hit for a six kind of wenger approach
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Re: What's with the adulation of George Graham?

Postby GSK_AFC » Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:40 pm

We'll get the same adulation of Wenger from some fans when we get a new manager if we're not consistently winning trophies.
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Re: What's with the adulation of George Graham?

Postby Leody » Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:43 pm

Arsenal~Fanatic wrote:Score and shut down is much better than thow the kitchen sink at it and get hit for a six kind of wenger approach


I always enjoy watching a 1-0 win more than a 3-3 draw...
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Re: What's with the adulation of George Graham?

Postby Sims » Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:45 pm

I was wondering how long until Wenger was mentioned. This has nothing to do with him. Stop talking about him in every f***ing topic ffs.
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Re: What's with the adulation of George Graham?

Postby bengulnaci1 » Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:52 pm

Not sure about 'better'. Different, most definitely.

Different brand of football and we were finishing mid table, when he was sacked. Anfield was an obvious highlight, so was the Cup double, even though we finished 12th that year (I think). Coming off the back of Don Howe and before him, Terry Neil, it was quite epic, despite canning 'Champagne' Charlie....

Still he bought in Rocky, Merse, Micky Thomas, Smudger and LIMPAR !!!
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Re: What's with the adulation of George Graham?

Postby GSK_AFC » Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:57 pm

Sims wrote:I was wondering how long until Wenger was mentioned. This has nothing to do with him. Stop talking about him in every f***ing topic ffs.

I'm not having a go at him. The point was that you'll always get some level of excessive admiration from a successful manager you grew up with.
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Re: What's with the adulation of George Graham?

Postby HeSaidHisNameWasPorter » Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:57 pm

Sims wrote:Cheers for the insight. I think it's cause they know I'd moan about the type of football played. I've never had much respect for teams who simply score straight away then defend. Tiki Taka for example is a defensive tactic, and I f***ing hate it and it's boring to watch.

I guess you just appreciate what you watched growing up with, I think I probably would've hated to watch Graham's Arsenal if he was instilled tomorrow.

That begs the question, do you think with the way football currently is; that a Graham Arsenal team would get spanked?

Lol . It was like a different world then , in every aspect , not just footie . The game was a good deal slower , pitches were heavy , quagmires during winter . Stamford Bridge was one giant sandpit . And apologies for repetition but there were some seriously evil players back then . Smith at Liverpool and Harris at Chelsea , Hunter and Bremner at dirty Leeds would scythe you down studs up anywhere between the chest and thigh , and not even get a booking . If you were a flair player , like Keegan or Best , or our own Charlie George , you were a marked man right from kick off .
I do wonder that if Graham has kept abreast of all the goings on in world football , and the players he likes , and if he still had connections and influence , whether he'd make a fist of it at a big club again ? Certainly the first thing you would notice , be it Arsenal or wherever , the defence would see radical overhaul in short time . He built a team from the back .
It wasn't all " shut up shop " . We had a magician in Limpar , and goals in Wright and Alan Smith . Michael Thomas and David Rocastle were splendid going forward . Ask your folks .
I think it highly unlikely that Graham's Arsenal would win today's Premier League , but for sure they'd be in the dog fight for a CL berth . With that defence they wouldn't be like a Cardiff or Sunderland today . Graham wouldn't have allowed it
Christ I'm old .
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Re: What's with the adulation of George Graham?

Postby UFGN » Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:04 pm

Firstly.......

UFGN wrote:Arsene Wenger: Games 1,000...... Trophies 7.

George Graham: Games 460..... Trophies 6.


Then theres the double he won as a player with us and his two seasons as top goalscorer. He also signed some of our greatest ever players including David Seaman.
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Re: What's with the adulation of George Graham?

Postby Sims » Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:14 pm

GSK_AFC wrote:
Sims wrote:I was wondering how long until Wenger was mentioned. This has nothing to do with him. Stop talking about him in every f***ing topic ffs.

I'm not having a go at him. The point was that you'll always get some level of excessive admiration from a successful manager you grew up with.


Wasn't necessarily aimed at you, just at the inane comments that bear no meaning. Of course that point is 100% valid.

Yeah but I could never like an 'Arsenal man' who went to Spurs. To me it seems unfathomable that a manager as good as Wenger is for example to f**k off down the road to Shite Hart Lane. Seems treacherous.

You could argue that 99% of our managers so far have signed some of our greatest ever players, even Rioch signed Bergkamp!
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Re: What's with the adulation of George Graham?

Postby Massa » Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:44 pm

GSK_AFC wrote:We'll get the same adulation of Wenger from some fans when we get a new manager if we're not consistently winning trophies.

^

Just people with fond memories is all
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Re: What's with the adulation of George Graham?

Postby Massa » Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:44 pm

GSK_AFC wrote:We'll get the same adulation of Wenger from some fans when we get a new manager if we're not consistently winning trophies.

^

Just people with fond memories is all
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