Past, present, future …

Morning everyone.

I see there’s a Dennis Bergkamp interview with Ian Wright on the Overlap, the one Wrighty does with some of the Sky Sports ex-player pundits. This one is just the two Arsenal boys though, and while I don’t know this for sure, I’m choosing to believe that Dennis was having none of the regular format.

Wrighty: Dennis, will you do the Overlap podcast?

Bergkamp: Sure, anything for you, my friend.

Wrighty: Great! Gary Neville will be there …

Bergkamp: Then no.

Wrighty: Ok, no Gary Neville.

Bergkamp: You’re on.

Wrighty: But Jamie Carragher will be there.

Bergkamp: I’ve changed my mind. No can do.

Wrighty: Jamie Carragher won’t be there?

Bergkamp: Can’t wait to chat!

Wrighty: Small thing, Roy Keane usually sits next to me.

Bergkamp: Something’s come up …

Wrighty: But not this time he won’t!

Bergkamp: Fantastic.

*There’s a small pause*

Bergkamp: What are you doing, Ian?

Wrighty: Just sending Paul Scholes a text.

Bergkamp: LOL

I’m sure it was just about scheduling/availability and nothing more than that, but in these dark times we need as much lightness as possible, so I’m allowing myself to believe that my completely made-up scenario is real. You can watch the interview here if you fancy.

It’s also just nice to have something to consume that isn’t related to now. Not quite an escape, but I’d much rather spend some time with a couple of players who did so much for this football club, and represented us with such distinction, than micro-analyse the Premier League table, the permutations, and all the rest when that’s all been done – for better or worse – following the weekend’s action.

The passage of time plays a big part, obviously, but I do think it’s interesting to consider what success means for the legacy of a player at a club. Not just Arsenal, by the way, it’s more a general point, but while Ian Wright and Dennis Bergkamp are rightly remembered as legends, it’s not as if their journeys in red and white were without trials and tribulations. Both had ups and downs, which is perfectly normal when you spend so long at a club, but because of what they did and what they helped achieve in terms of silverware, we focus on the good times.

They have the trophies and the medals, something the current crop don’t have right now. Which is why I think it’s so important for this season to deliver success. By any objective measure we have some amazing players in this squad, some of whom stack up against the very best we’ve ever seen at this club, but unless they become associated with the trophies and the parades that come with winning the big prizes, they’re never going to be considered ‘greats’ like those who went the distance with their teams.

I wonder does that add a little extra pressure for them, or is winning on its own the thing that drives them? I suspect it’s much more the latter than the former, but when you’re at a club like Arsenal and you see those dates around the stadium, the images of the Invincibles, the heroes of title wins from seasons past, there must be some desire to join that illustrious group. It’d be very much the icing on the cake, with the cake itself being the Premier League, but a cake is better with icing than without. Otherwise it’s just a plain bun, or something.

Don’t get me wrong, if the bun is the Premier League, I’m eating that bun all day long. But give us the icing. I want icing, and tiny little figures of William Saliba and Gabriel atop it made out of marzipan like it’s a wedding cake. I kid, but if you’re an Arsenal player right now, the idea of winning the league must be all-consuming in and of itself, but to know you’d go earn your place in history with names like Bergkamp, Wright, Adams, Vieira, Henry and Cygan must be part of it too.

Right, I’m gonna leave it there for this morning. There is a full schedule of Premier League games this week, pick of the bunch tonight Sp*rs v Newcastle, the stoppable force against the moveable object. It might well provide some decent entertainment later on. And for more on the PL action from the weekend just gone, we’ve got an episode of The 30 over on Patreon for you right now.

Have a solid Tuesday folks, mind yourselves, and the Arsecast Extra from yesterday is below if you haven’t had a chance to listen yet.

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