Boring Boring Arsenal
The tag line that followed George Graham throughout his spell as Arsenal manager. From 1986 to 1995, the Scottish disciplinarian won 6 major tournaments, that if you ask the non-qualified football fan, were won through dull football, winning games 1-0, presumably through a goal from a corner flicked on by Steve Bould at the near post, and bundled in by Tony Adams. Adams was of course Graham’s voice (and raised arm) on the pitch.
History books however state 2 league titles, 2 league cups, 1 FA Cup and 1 European Cup Winners’ Cup. They don’t spell out all the 1-0’s during that time. I imagine George Graham sleeps well at night (unless he recalls his time at the Lane from 1998-2001, enough to keep any grown man awake at night in a cold sweat)
George Graham’s Signings and a Different Reality
The introduction has its purpose. Renowned for a boring style of football, a fact about Graham’s tenure at Highbury may surprise you. In total he signed 27 players, permanently or on loan from clubs, alongside the well trodden path of promotion to the first team of a number of youth players. His very first signing at the club, in 1986, Perry Groves, was an exciting, attack minded left winger. Fast forward to his last signing at the club before an acrimonious departure in 1995 was also an exciting, attack minded left winger, Glenn Helder. Boring? To be debated.
The 11th Signing: Anders Limpar Arrives
It then brings me to my purpose of this article. The 11th signing of the George Graham era at Arsenal and it may well be my favourite of them all, which includes the infectious Ian Wright, who rewrote the goal scoring record books under Graham’s tutelage, and then latterly under Arsene Wenger.
This player was also an exciting, attack minded left winger. Who knew boring George Graham had such a fancy!
From Serie A to Highbury
In the 1989/1990 season, in the Italian Championship Serie A, a certain Diego Maradona guided his Napoli team to the title, successfully wrestling the league from Lothar Matthaus who had in the previous season guided his Internazionale to the title. The 2 talismen would meet again in the World Cup final in the land of their employment that coming summer. The number of foreigner players permitted to play for Italian sides at the time was limited, and not all were as fashionable as World Cup winning captain.
One such unfashionable foreigner occupying the left wing for newly promoted Cremonese, was a Swedish player who had only been at the club one season having moved from Young Boys in Switzerland, again having only played there for the one year. The player was Anders Limpar.
Despite Limpar’s recognised efforts for Cremonese it ended poorly as the side were relegated back to Serie B. However George Graham had seen enough.
In July 1990 Arsenal bought Limpar for a round sum of £1 million. In the same summer, Arsenal strengthened their defensive options with goalkeeper David Seaman joining the ranks, as well as reinforcement in the shape of Andy Linighan. The latter would have his Hollywood moment later on in Graham’s trophy journey, and the former would go on to be the clubs greatest ever number 1.
That leaves Limpar. Arsenal were hoping to mount a serious title challenge in the 1990/91 season having requinlished the trophy to Liverpool the season prior which of course proceeded the famous ‘89 season culminating in the 2-0 victory at Anfield.
Could the addition of Limpar push the tide in Arsenal’s favour once again.
A First Impression at Wembley
First impressions last. It’s human nature. Stepping onto the Wembley pitch in a preseason tournament sounds like a pretty good place to make that impression.
Arsenal took part in the Makita tournament at the home of English football, and took on league rivals Aston Villa.
Limpar took the opportunity to announce himself. Receiving the ball mid way through the first half, on the left hand side wing, his soon to be familiar mini foot shuffle and dribble, almost ballerina like, took him into the penalty box. He then preceded to strike a humdinger of a left foot drive, from an absurd angle, with the outside of his left foot with such pace that not only did it take the defenders of Aston Villa and the goalkeeper by surprise it also left them without any chance of stopping it.
1-0 to the Arsenal! Sounds familiar - well perhaps there was a change in the air. Arsenal wrapped up the friendly with a second half goal to win the game 2-0.
The 1990 to 1991 Title Season Impact
Onto the main event and Limpar was proving to be a fans favourite.
In the first game of the league season he provided an assist for the teams first goal of the season. A 3-0 win against Wimbledon for the historians.
4 games later he scored his first league goal for Arsenal against Chelsea in a game at a Highbury where he also won a penalty and claimed two more assists.
He went on to score against Nottingham Forest, scored twice against Coventry City and Leeds United - all away from home, as well a match winner at Old Trafford against Manchester United which saw the 3 points come back to Highbury, although this was later deducted to 2 points after an on pitch brawl. Who was front and centre of it, yep, you guessed. Deny me any fan who doesn’t love to see a bit of needle on the pitch and love a player prepared to fight for the shirt and the team.
Limpar had arrived in full force. Explosive almost. In an undefeated 13 games to the start of the league season he’d scored 8 goals. Throw in FA Cup contributions as well, including another gem at Elland Road, there was no stopping the Swede.
Arsenal ‘superstars’ like Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires all took time to embed and settle before cementing themselves as heroes. Limpar had done this in less than 3 months.
Incredibly he would have to wait until the last game of the season to get another goal. However he, and the team hadn’t taken the foot of the gas. By the time the 11th May 1991 came around, Arsenal had only lost one league game all season and even before hosting Coventry City, the team had been crowned League Champions.
How to finish off the season? In style, just how you started it. Limpar claimed a hat-trick taking his total league goals to 11, sitting only behind Alan Smith and Paul Merson as the clubs leading scorers.
Arsenal had recruited a player with not only flair, skill and arrogance, but also grit and determination. Limpar was technically superb and a drop of the shoulder, a shuffle of his feet, he was to the byline before the opposition right-back could react. His calmness in front of goal, and eye for a pass and the ability to produce the extraordinary at times, meant Arsenal had discovered a real gem. A player who got fans bums off seats. Alongside Santi Cazorla, you’ll struggle to find a player to feature for the club who was as good and natural with each foot as Limpar was. There wasn’t an obvious weaker foot.
An outstanding first season and a Championship medal was always going to be hard to beat, and Limpar never quite got to the same levels again.
But there were still highlights and he was not a one season wonder. Once Ian Wright arrived at Arsenal there was a new hero in town. But every super hero needs a side kick, and Limpar was happy to re-audition. In a league game at Highbury against Everton in the build up to Christmas in the 92/93 season, Limpar took on the role of Santa Claus and delivered 4 presents to Wright. He assisted all of Wright’s 4 goal haul. Opta stats escape me pre-Premier League but not a feat achieved by many, if ever, in the then First division. For context, to date, only 9 players have managed this in the Premier League era, but it’s 4 assists, not necessarily 4 assists to the same player! That’s only been done once out of that 9. Of that group to make 4 assists in one game, amazingly four did so whilst also playing for Arsenal. Limpar is in great company with Bergkamp, Cazorla, Cesc Fabregas and Jose Antonio Reyes.
The Second Season and That Liverpool Goal
Limpar only registered the 4 league goals in this follow up season, as he and the team took time to find their rhythm. As spring approached seemingly with the pressure off for regaining the league title Arsenal relaxed and found significant form.
From February onwards the team remained unbeaten for 17 games, and the front four of Wright, Smith, Merson and Campbell exploded into life. Wright scored 24 league goals that season whilst the other 3 players each scored 12. 60 league goals between them - there just wasn’t room for another big Limpar impact.
3 of Limpar’s 4 goals came during the 17 match purple patch, with 2 strikes in a 7-1 mauling of Sheffield Wednesday. But they say save the best till last?
In late April, the penultimate home game of the season saw the visit of Liverpool. The Merseyside club had also struggled for form during the season but take nothing away from Arsenal’s performance, especially in the first half.
Limpar had already assisted Ian Wright for Arsenal’s second goal, breaking the outside trap with a terrific pass, when on this occasion he received the ball in the Arsenal half, middle of the pitch and as default, was looking to go on the attack. Travelling with the ball into the Liverpool half, he ventured, just right of centre and the ball rolling just beyond the centre circle line. There was no Wright run this time, and with other options limited, Limpar’s instinct kick in, and having spotted Mike Hooper off his line, he proceeded to loft the ball delightfully over the stranded goalkeeper. Many an article and fans in the past grossly exaggerate and elaborate ‘halfway line’ goals (Nayim, Rooney etc., of which neither are….) This was not halfway line territory and there was no claiming it was but it was genius. The vision, the ability to execute and the audacity. A full 40 yards from goal, and the ball not bouncing until nestling in the net. Wow.
The Decline, Departure, and Legacy
The following 2 seasons at Arsenal, the latter being his last, Limpar’s status and impact reduced significantly alongside his appearances and goal contributions. The team became Cup specialists, winning the League Cup and FA Cup double in the 1992/93 season and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994, but Limpar was spending more time on the sidelines then on the pitch. He failed to feature in either of the victorious domestic cup finals and had left the club before the European victory in Copenhagen against Parma.
The writing had been on the wall. For the 1993/94 season, the concept of squad numbers was introduced and it was telling that a new left winger bought by George Graham took the number 11 shirt and not Limpar. Eddie McGoldrick (Graham’s 21st signing) was the inaurgal 11, and Limpar was given 15. The highs of Limpar’s debut season seemed a distant memory.
When his time at Arsenal came to an end in the spring of 1994 there surely was not one Gooner who wasn’t delighted to see Limpar start the 1995 FA Cup final for Everton the following May, and to win it against Manchester United. He played a key role in the setting up of the games only goal. It would be his last notable action in England as injuries saw his playing time at Everton limited and then even more so at Birmingham City. He is still held in high regard at Everton, especially as alongside the Cup win he won a penalty in a must win relegation battle against Wimbledon on the last day of the 1993/94 season.
Having arrived at Arsenal as a somewhat unknown, the dynamic Swede keeps company with fellow national treasure Freddie Ljungberg. Both firmly in the Arsenal Swedish success bracket as opposed to the less impactful efforts from Rami Shaaban and Kim Kallstrom. Having only been at the club one season, it’s very difficult to know where to place Stefan Schwarz on that list. For those keeping count, Schwarz was George Graham’s 24th signing, and by chance he took the number 15 shirt with Limpar having left by the time he arrived.
What remains to be seen is can another super Swede help guide Arsenal to a league title in his first season at the club. If Viktor Gykoeres can have the impact that is hoped he can then it’s remains a serious possibility. It’s early days, but that didn’t stop Limpar.
Limpar already has his league medal, he has his legacy at the club and for what it’s worth, he has a place in my top 5 Arsenal players of all time.
Anders Limpar - Super Swede Arsenal 1990 - 1994
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