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Our King of Kings? How would you like to have a winger playing right now, let’s say his name is Bukayo Saka or even Noni Madueke and he becomes Arsenal’s top scorer and 4 of his colleagues burst into our top ten ever goalscorers because of all the assists he gave them? You’d love it, yes? Well, back when we were England’s greatest team in the 1930’s we had such a player and his name was Cliff Bastin. And I think there is a strong argument that he was our greatest ever player. Most fans have Thierry as the greatest Of course, Thierry Henry is regarded as our greatest. He scored 228 across all competitions. Ian Wright was next on 189 and Bastin trailing that on 178. And you look at the record and it says that Henry was with Arsenal for 8 seasons if you don’t count his late loan cameo in 2012, and 377 appearances. Ian Wright was only 7 seasons with us and 288 appearances. Bastin was with us from 1929 to 1947. He had 396 appearances. The record is clear, then. Bastin is our 3rd best scorer. This is just Gus trying to stir up controversy – or is it? He wasn’t even a striker There are all sorts of metrics that argue for Cliff Bastin and do not worry I will get to them. I am guessing that Bastin to most of us is a great name from the past but we know little about him. There is a lot to know. Jimmy Brain 139 goals First of all, he was a winger, sometimes an inside forward, and a right half, not a striker. The winger's job in those days was clear, get the ball across to the big man in the centre, Jimmy Brain, Ted Drake, Joe Hulme and David Jack who are all in the top ten of Arsenal’s top scorers. So he was there when 4 of Arsenal’s greats were also there. Henry only had Van Persie (8th) on the pitch with him rarely and Wright had none of the top ten with him. I think you have got to give the man credit to score so many from the wing with also having to supply four of our greats. Injuries and a strange little Austrian Ah, but he was with us from 1929 to 1947, 18 seasons, plenty of time to score goals? Uh, uh, wrong answer. Some Austrian messed up the world at that time. 1938 was his last real season and he was only 27. That final season was blighted by a leg injury which effectively finished his career. He only played 7 times after the war and of course, probably only got his game on his reputation and the death of so many stars during the war. So, it is fair to say that he would have got much more goals if he had been able to play after 27. Henry got 75 goals for us after 27 and Ian Wright got all his 189 over the age of 27. Are we starting to see that Mr Bastin was a bit useful? David Jack 124 goals He only needed 11 more to catch Wrighty and 40 more to catch Henry. 250 surely was not unreasonable and he would have been well out in front. And did I mention he wasn’t a striker? The Boy Wonder Another feat of his was being, at 19, a league winner, an FA cup winner and a full England cap and he is still the youngest to do that, although some of our academy guys might just pass him out. Of course, poor Ian had no chance of such an achievement not even being a professional until much later and drifting in a bad environment until finally getting his chance at Palace in his twenties. Henry didn’t come to Arsenal until his twenties either although he got a league title at Monaco and a full French cap in 1997 at 19. Wrighty could argue he was the greatest All three were penalty takers but unfortunately I couldn’t find out how many the Boy Bastin scored from the spot, however, penalties were a bit more rare in those days (no diving) and Wright on 26 and Henry on 24 suggest we could give him similar as all three had a fairly similar amount of years to garner spotkicks. So none had any great advantage from the white circle. He must have been the assist king We can probably suggest that his assists could well have been higher than the other two as that was his job and the boys around him are among Arsenal’s top scorers. In fairness both Henry and Wright had lots of assists but surely logic dictates that Bastin was higher? 4 players got into our top ten as opposed to none that could be attributed to Wright or Henry. Joe Hulme 125 goals One other point is top flight goals. Bastin had 150 and that was the record until Henry overtook him in 2006. So Bastin is still second on that metric. He was mightily impressive, you have to admit. Yes, Ian Wright could argue that he got his figures from far less games at 288 games and 189 goals giving 65.63%. Henry had 228 goals from 377 games giving 60.5%. Bastin had the least goals from the most games at 178 from 396 giving 44.94%. That leaves Mr Wright Wright Wright the clear winner. And I am sure he would have his champions out there among you as your favourite player. He will always have a great spot in my heart. Different eras but his greatness shone out In truth, the bare figures don’t give a true comparison as it was different eras, different opponents, different roles and different training but still I think we can take one thing for pretty much certain, that injury at a heartbreaking 27 stopped Cliff Bastin being our top scorer to this day and maybe forever. I remember interviewing Alan Smith last year and he spoke about how devastating it was to have to walk away at only 32 and you could see the hurt in his face as he recounted the darkest time of his football career. I would have loved to interview Cliff Bastin and to talk about how different his life would have been without the injury, and Mr Hitler if the injury had cleared up plus the combination of circumstances which conspired to make him just another of Arsenal’s great players and not the greatest. Ted Drake 139 goals So, all hail Cliff Bastin, a true candidate for our greatest ever goalscorer and assister. Up to 1991 you could have gone into his pub in Exeter and reminisced about the old days. And hey, let’s get that statue up at the Emirates to praise a man who only circumstances deprived us of being our king of kings. And yes, we would all love such a player today.

Man Utd were the devils Yes, it has happened before. We were well behind Manchester United in 2000/01 and they had kept us second 3 years in a row. 2001/02 was nothing to look forward too. The previous year we had let go Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petitt to Barcelona and they seemed a huge loss. We had also let go Davor Suker who, for the benefit of those who are unaware, was regarded as a great buy as he came from Real Madrid and was an established goalscorer but could not replace the guys in front of him in Bergkamp, Henry and Kanu, however he was definitely above Gyokeres and Sesko in current stature, and possibly Isak who are our seeming targets this season. Until players come to the Premier League we can never say they will work out. Even if they come from Real Madrid. Even Suker couldn't make it at Arsenal So, what happened in 2000/01? Sort of similar to this year. We were 10 points behind Utd at the end and possibly a bit more than that behind Liverpool this year. We had 70 points as opposed to 74 if we beat Southampton on Sunday. We were beaten 8 times and drew 10 as opposed to 4 losses and 14 draws (depending on Southampton). We got to the quarter final of the Champions league being beaten by Valencia on away goals. We did much better this season winning out in a much tougher group stage in joint second along with Barcelona and Inter, who also made it to the semi-finals alongside us. We destroyed various teams along the way including beating Real Madrid home and away. In contrast in 2000/01 we played two group stages without any standout wins. So we were better in the league and the Champions League this year. Owen the heartbreaker And in the two domestic cups we had mixed fortunes, in 2000/01 we got to the FA Cup final where we played Liverpool and Michael Owen broke our hearts with a very late goal with Arsenal being the better team. Some sort of parallel with this year as Liverpool won the league without being outstanding a lot of the time. They were very dogged, winning games late and putting away the lower teams. Beaten by Liverpool to a trophy is a characteristic both times. Michael Owen the heartbreaker In the League Cup we went out in the 3rd round to Ipswich whereas we did much better this term, getting to the semis before being beaten by Newcastle. Overall so we did better in the FA Cup and worse in the League Cup in 2000/01. We were worse in 2000/01 than now I think it is fair to say that we were worse overall in 2000/01 than this season. The only trophy in which we did better was the FA Cup. Will Gyokeres be the answer? And then what happened in 2001/2002? We won the double! Can we do it again? Well, let’s look at what was better in that season. Here, we have to look at the past season where we brought in Robert Pires, Lauren, Edu and Sylvain Wiltord as important buys. Pires and Wiltord did well without setting the world alight and Edu and Lauren were bit players particularly Edu. All of those, but to a lesser extent, Edu, became critical players in 2001/02. This season, Raya signed and continued his good work from last year. Calafiori did not set the world alight but can he blossom next season? Mikel Merino also had apatchy first season but will he shoot for the stars? Lewis-Skelly has been phenomenal and Ethan Nwaneri superb when he has played. Havertz still feels like a new player to me, so can this be his breakout year? That will be critical, I feel. If the team gels like they did in 2001/02 then we can hit the heights. We used to have the greatest striker in the world now do we even have any? "I saw something today I never saw last season – we played as a team. It's the most important thing in football." — Thierry Henry's reaction following our first game against Middlesbrough in which we won 4-0. Our most serious defect And despite our good defensive record this season we were susceptible to quick breakaways in which our team did not cover properly. We do need to work on stopping this problem and that has to be a whole team effort. That cost us against PSG and Newcastle and in various games against weaker teams this season. We must play better as a team and the fact that we had lots of changes in personnel mitigated against that. A more settled side with the newer players gelling better and I feel we can be unstoppable. Sol Campbell - anyone remember who he used to play for? So who did we buy in in 2001/02? One was the biggest surprise ever, Sol Campbell, who came from nowhere, or sorry, some small team, I can’t remember the name, and shocked us all. England’s best defender had come just as the George Graham magic defence had finally disappeared. Plus Kolo Toure who was to provide a great partnership with Campbell alongside Ashley Cole and Lauren. Who needs George Graham? By the way, that defence gives the lie to the myth that Arsene Wenger couldn’t put together a defence. Those four would be among the best defences we ever had. Buying a top striker didn’t work We also brought in Giovanni von Bronkhorst from Rangers, a gifted midfielder who looked like a solid buy, and Richard Wright as cover for David Seaman. But the clincher was Franny Jeffers from Everton, a striker who burst on the scene at 16, and was expected to be the missing piece in the striking department, someone who would mop up all the chances we created. It wasn’t to be. Neither player hit the heights expected, particularly Jeffers, whose career went downhill. Injuries led to loss of form and he was never the golden boy again. Franny Jeffers - no fox in the box for us Could Arteta do the same again? Buy 2 defenders, a midfielder and a striker and it is the defenders who go on to become Arsenal greats? It seems unlikely. In defence now we have top players all vying for limited spots whereas the George Graham defence had to be replaced. Winterburn was already gone and Adams and Dixon had restricted appearances with only Martin Keown getting quite a few games. Jeffers was coming into Bergkamp, Henry, Kanu and Wiltord, with Pires and Ljungberg also capable of playing a forward role. We would expect a top forward, if one comes, to get in the side and start hoovering up chances. A double would be like double ice-cream. Havertz could yet surprise us, though. At 25, he is still young. We may get Gyokeres as reported this week and he may not be the answer. Time will tell. Isak would seem to be the most likely to make it at Arsenal as he has proven himself at Newcastle but I suspect we will not get him. Havertz to nab the striker spot not whoever we buy? In short, with the players coming back, the academy guys getting better, Max Dowman being a sensation, and the new players gelling to play as a fluid side, we could and should be in for our best season ever. Will we have Declan Rice echoing Thierry Henry? A nice double of Champions League and Premier League would do me.

History is on our side? We have only played them 5 times in competitive matches. And we have never lost. We have 2 wins and 3 draws. Does that bode well for the semi-final of the Champions League? Maybe. It can help to foster a negative mindset at PSG which could work in our favour. But the reality is that past results have no real power on the pitch. History doesn’t win matches, players do. Another two goals like these, please? Beating Real Madrid at the Bernebau has to be good for Arsenal’s confidence as few teams beat them there and they have a record of comebacks at home. As some may remember, I was at the Emirates for our last match against PSG earlier in the season, where we won 2-0. We had that score after 35 minutes and it truly was a nothing match as we were so comfortable. Donnarumma in the PSG goal allowed Havertz a free header from a Trossard cross after 20 minutes and then Bukayo Saka lobbed a hopeful free kick which Donnarumma somehow let in over his head and the game was over. I think we should have had more but PSG were very disappointing. It was like playing a bottom of the table team, they offered so little. A different Paris Saint Germain? I am certain that will not be the case now. They have got over their uncertain start and are now firing on all cylinders. We will need to be at our best for sure. Honestly, though, I am not sure I would swap any of our players for theirs so I put us ahead on that metric. Luis Enrique has had a strong season in the French league and they are now out of sight of their challengers. They are unbeaten, have 77 points from 29 matches with 82 scored and 27 conceded. Arsenal have 61 scored, also 27 conceded and 63 points from 33 matches so on the league metric PSG are ahead. The French league is not as competitive as the Premier league but I suppose I can concede that metric to them. I wouldn't swap our David for Donnarumma Our European record is greater as we have a Fairs Cup and a Cup Winners Cup to their Cup Winners Cup. We have also played far more games and won far more combined with a strong record of qualifying for the knock out stages. So despite their CL win percentage being a bit better I am going for Arsenal on that metric. PSG Pld W L D F A GD Win% European Cup / Champions League 167 89 30 48 327 191 +136 53.29 Arsenal Champions League / European Cup 223 115 47 61 381 233 +148 51.57 In the domestic leagues and cups our records are similar but a lot rests on how difficult each league is and nobody rates the French as anywhere near the level of the Premier league/old first division. They have 13 French titles and 15 French cups to our 13 titles and 14 cups. That metric has to be Arsenal’s. They will buy the top players, we won’t Where they do have an edge in recent times is in top players signing for them and huge transfer fees. Mbappe, Neymar and the incredible Messi have all graced their side over the past years. Arsenal have never bought the recognized greatest player in the world although Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp surely became contenders for that accolade while at Arsenal. Big time players, then, are another metric for them. They bought the greatest player in the world Luis Enrique vs Arteta? This one is very easy. You cannot compare their records. I am not going to bother listing Enrique’s trophies as he has so many whereas Arteta has really got only one, his FA Cup in his first season. Enrique qualifies as one of the great managers of modern times and Arteta has a long way to go to catch up. Another metric for them but records don’t win matches as I said earlier. We made the greatest player in the world That puts us 3-3 on metrics so far. On the pitch is where it will be won and I truly believe our players, as a unit, are better. Inexperienced players could be our key Both Myles Lewis Skelly and Jakob Kiwior played virtually the entire second half in the first match and that may be important. I am not sure we will have Havertz back but it may be possible. Kiwior could be key. He is showing that he has great ability and Skelly is a little monster. Injuries has thrown up a factor that I have long believed in and that is that with games, players get better. If Kiwior plays to the same level for the rest of the season and gets us our greatest trophy even Arteta may have a huge headache next season regarding central defence. Jakob Kiwior has proven he is a real player I think Skelly is undroppable but perhaps he will replace Partey next season? Fullback is probably not his position. A guy that can score goals like he does is not a fullback. I feel he is like our boy Declan though in how he plays, strong, aggressive, drives forward and can score. Can the two of them fit in midfield? Odegaard is a different type of player so he would not challenge for his position. Again another headache for Mikel. Good players have to play regularly. The same applies to Nwaneri. He has to play next season. He is too good not to. But where? I don’t know. Arteta has to work that one out. Forget the metrics, we can win The point being that Kiwior, Skelly and Nwaneri are here now. They will play their part in fighting PSG and any advancement in the Champions League. If we win it, they will make their case for next season. Of the three, Kiwior is the most vulnerable. The other two are in, for sure. I don’t think there are better players out there to be bought. The wily old fox or the young cub? So what do we have? The key is Arteta against the wily old fox Enrique. Last time out he was up against the wiliest old fox in football, Ancelotti, and came through with flying colours. They have never beaten us and that must continue. Two draws and a penalty shootout? Oh, very tough on all our hearts. What we need are the performances against Real Madrid and Sporting Lisbon. It is this head to head that matters, not the history. Perform to our best and we are through. I am convinced of that. C’mon the Arse!

Meet, greet and stay smiling I guess the surprising thing about Alan Smith is the way he seems to care about the people he meets. Is it a practiced thing, born of all the meet and greets that a celebrity has to do? Perhaps, but I suspect not. He is the real deal. He makes you feel at home with yourself and seems unruffled by the tasks of meeting strangers who have come his way because of that celebrity. Lily and Krasi Kolev meeting the legend He very kindly agreed to meet me in the gleaming Millenium Hotel for an interview for this blog and we chose a quiet spot overlooking the garden. His fabulous wife Penny kept a discreet distance and we were good to go. He is tall, slim and could easily make a living as a male model showing off the latest fashions for the little more mature gentlemen. I suspect he has not put on weight since his playing days and maybe I should have asked him his secret. Has George gone crazy? I did ask him about his famous goal against Liverpool which gave us the chance and he started by telling me that George Graham surprised us all by going for five at the back. “We were all looking at him in the dressing room as if he had gone mad, but he replied we need to keep it tight, once they don’t score we have a chance.” George got it right but of course when Alan did nick one in, the Liverpool players crowded around the officials and he said “We all thought they were going to disallow it, but the referee pointed to the spot, and that is when the belief started. We knew we had a chance,” The Arsenal commemorative booklet which many people slaved over to produce And of course, Alan was on hand at the end to steer the ball towards Mickey Thomas although he could only see a yellow shirt coming through, but it was the redoubtable Mr Thomas who got the ball, got a nice rebound and slid the ball past Grobbelaar in goal. Somehow we had won. Alan was full of praise for the Liverpool supporters who stayed behind and clapped them. “It was a nice touch and we had a great time with our own supporters afterwards. The atmosphere was incredible and the noise levels, but maybe the Liverpool players were a bit flat, and they didn’t have many chances although the game was played at a hundred miles an hour.” Only another 100,000 retellings to go One could see that that game was the highlight of his career. His eyes light up involuntarily as he recounts the dramatic events despite, no doubt, this being the same story he has to retell every time he meets up with fans. It will remain possibly the most dramatic finish ever to a league season so he will probably have to churn it out regularly for the rest of his life. The huge throng of Arsenal fans at the football tournament I put it to him that if Liverpool had to win that by 2-0 they probably would have, but knowing they were 1-0 up inhibited them. He looked thoughtful for a minute and he responded “Yes, you could be right, knowing they could afford to lose 1-0 may have brought some complacency.” Henry, Wenger plus Smudger I asked him how he would have felt about playing alongside Henry and I posited that being a targetman who could get the ball, he would have suited Henry very well. “Henry could have played alongside anyone but, yes, I would have loved to have the chance. Himself and Dennis Bergkamp were a great combination. But Gary Lineker was like that, I could read his little flicks and movements, and he could get his goals.” Alan Smith: "Yes, I would have loved to work with these two" I also asked him about Wenger and he was definitely enthusiastic. “I kept in touch with the old team and Lee Dixon said that it was incredible, in Wenger’s first full season they had just done preseason and it was far less intensive than before, they felt they weren’t going to be fit but as soon the season started they felt as sharp as mustard, it was just the way he did it.” He went on to say that he would have loved that opportunity. I feel it was a pity as Alan retired at 32 in 1995 and he could have been there for the double, even if as a bit part player as Bergkamp and Anelka appeared alongside Ian Wright. The media beckoned and Alan bloomed We moved on to life after football and I felt this was a smoother lifestyle for him than playing football. He liked words, analysis and being fair which is a prerequisite for a co-commentator. He gave the impression that his upward progression from writing in a local Islington paper to writing for the Telegraph, being brought into Sky as an armchair pundit for Arsenal games to being co-commentator all happened without the big drama of being a footballer. He worked hard and always tried to bring something extra to his work, a layer of information and insight that only an ex-player can convey. He quoted Richie Benaud, the famous cricket commentator – “If you have got nothing useful or positive to say, then say nothing, let the pictures tell the story.” I asked him if he will continue in broadcasting until they put him out to grass and he laughed “Oh yes, I would love to continue for as long as they want me. Everything is changing in the broadcasting world, they now bring in more diverse people, and women are playing a far greater role than before, but I would hope there will be a place for me. I never thought I could be a media person and now I want to stay doing it forever.” Women officials and Colemanballs I put it to him that bringing women in, particularly as officials, could have a very positive effect as players screaming abuse at women would not be a good look and we badly need new officials for the modern game as it cannot exist without them. He agreed and opined that referees can get staggering abuse at lower levels. He wondered how anyone could be attracted into that and that women could potentially help to bridge the recruitment gap. Women are so much a part of football now I then asked him about pundit mistakes and I have to admit I couldn’t find any in a search online. Perhaps he is too shrewd to make such slipups but he told me about a time in Denmark with Martin Tyler at an under 21’s tournament when England scored. 1-0 to England and they were watching the replays when the game restarted. They kept talking about England being one nil up for the next few minutes until the news was passed on to them that the goal was disallowed. They had never noticed. Still, in comparison to the cockups I have made in my life this was minor. He is a rare person who appreciates the gifts life has thrown him He has had a great life in many ways and I feel he is one of the few of us who know that and accept it. He had to work hard, yes, to succeed as a professional footballer. It is down to many factors of which football skill is only one. Learning all the time, never giving up, working for the team, being disciplined, and being able to cope with lots of disappointments and defeats are grist to the mill of a professional footballer. Yet he did it all and won it all. Penny and Alan Smith plus a certain Mr Worth having a great time I feel that his second career really suited a man of learning, of words, of deep reflection, and was easier than the hard slog of dealing with the many personalities, angers, disagreements, jealousies and pressures of life in a top team’s dressing room. The subsequent career was something that he adapted to very well, he succeeded in a different way than the first one, and that suited an academic boy who loved languages. I am very happy he found fulfillment this way, that he wants it to continue for as long as possible and maybe he can come back again to talk about the Arsenal. We would love him back.