Tony Adams and Patrick Vieira lift The FA Cup after beating Chelsea in the 2002 Final.
Adams salutes Gunners
By Joe Bernstein. Thursday, 01 April 2004.
Legendary Arsenal captain Tony Adams believes Arsene Wenger’s current side is as good as any Gunners team he led, and is backing them to avenge the dramatic defeat against Manchester United in the 1999 Semi-Final.
The FA Cup
Semi-Final
Arsenal v Manchester United
03 April 2004
Villa Park, 12.00pm |
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Considering Tony Adams doesn’t give out compliments cheaply, it is some tribute to the current Arsenal side that he regards them as good as any team he skippered.
Adams won four League championships, three FA Cups, two Doubles, two League Cups and the European Cup-Winners Cup in 18 memorable years with the club.
But he believes even those trophy-winning teams could be eclipsed by this season’s side, and not just because of Thierry Henry, the player many consider to be the best in the world right now.
"This Arsenal team is as good as any I played in," says Adams, who returned to football earlier this season as manager of Second Division Wycombe Wanderers.
"Sol Campbell is a great player and has been a vital part of The Gunners defence, and I’m not surprised by the form of players like Edu or Kolo Toure because Arsene Wenger has built a team of great players. He rarely makes a mistake in the transfer market."
The last FA Cup Semi-Final between the teams was settled by a Ryan Giggs wondergoal, and Adams thinks another left-sided player could make the difference today.
"I take Arsenal to win and I see Robert Pires as the danger man for United," says Adams, who headed a semi-final winner against Spurs at Wembley 11 years ago.
"The 1999 semi-final against United left us with a feeling of disappointment and total frustration. The penalty save by Peter Schmeichel against Dennis Bergkamp with the score at 1-1 was absolutely criticial.
"Giggs scored one of the all-time great goals for United in extra-time, running and dribbling his way around the Arsenal defence before firing past David Seaman, leaving Adams to ponder "we could have kept Martin Keown back."
Adams was just 20 when Arsenal won the first trophy of the George Graham era by beating Liverpool in the 1987 League Cup Final and he was still only 22 when he captained Arsenal to their famous championship triumph at Anfield two years later.
More trophies followed, first under Graham, then Wenger. So too did 57 England caps and Wenger helped develop Adams’ play so that he became more than just an old-fashioned stopper.
"The club has progressed in a major way since I started, mainly through buying foreign players of the highest quality," says Adams.
"Arsene Wenger allowed me to play, the handcuffs were taken off as a defender. I have taken many elements of Wenger’s management into my own style. Most of the managers I worked with have certain qualities that can be taken up and used."
Given his FA Cup pedigree, it seemed perfect to end his illustrious career at the 2002 final against Chelsea. Adams was his imperious best at The Millennium Stadium that afternoon as Arsenal won 2-0 to complete the Double.
"It was a great time and place to end the career," he admits.
If today’s result goes as he hopes and expects, Adams will hope to get some time off in late May to see his beloved Gunners in an unprecedented fourth FA Cup Final in a row.
You can read more from Tony Adams as well as other players past and present in the official FA Cup Semi-Final programme. To buy your copy, go to either of the below sites...
Programme Pormotions
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Programme Master