One-Nil to the Arsenal:  Part 8 - Redemption

19:57Alan Smith:It was Keown, that was his... John Jensen, yeah. In his home country. So that seemed to be the story before the game. And that was the story. It was definitely that. And so, but in some ways, that bled into who we were. We were the unfashionable team from London. Palmer were full of World Cup superstars. I mean, Zola, Spriller and Brolin. I mean, that alone was just incredible, watching those three play football. And that is a memory I have, looking down when Thomas Brolin hit the post. I was looking down, thinking that's a goal. He didn't go in, and you think, this is our day. You know, this is our day.

20:40Alan Smith:But to watch Thomas Brolin in the first phase of that game was just incredible. You know, what a player he was. And so you just feel it's your day. And you can't explain it. You can't, it doesn't add up. We didn't have the best team. We weren't in the best shape. but they could not tell me we weren't going to win that game or anybody around me. It was just a really incredible moment.

21:05George Graham:It didn't stop the players either. Graham had instilled a belief within the team. They were told and they believed it. So it didn't matter who was in front of them. They had a chance. Amy Lawrence.

21:20Alan Smith:Yeah, I mean... I'm just going to start by reading something that was in the Guardian at the time. And it said, it's hard to believe Arsenal will be playing on the same planet, let alone in the same competition as Parma. You know, that tells you a lot about expectations. yeah palmer were a classical italian team of that vintage where they were steeped in the traditions of you know technical um smart defensively sound instincts but they also had flashes of absolute brilliance so the front line of Zola, Aspria and Brolin, who were three world-class forwards. It was a bit frightening. And I think Arsenal went into that feeling every inch the underdog, exacerbated by the fact that they're without a key player in midfield, in John Jensen, who's injured.

22:35Alan Smith:And, you know, the main man up front, Iliad Wright, who was suspended. so you knew that this was going to have to be something that was about a collective this was about everybody looking deep into their soul and providing every ounce of what i had inside them for the team um george created a plan it it required a few moments of fortune because there were a couple of moments where palmer maybe must think how the hell did we not score a few years ago I watched some of it back and actually was shocked at how much worse it was again than it was in my memory and really like how miraculous it was yeah it was it was a miraculous set of circumstances and performance to match and you know when you look at that especially the midfield of Davis had come back in from the cold he'd been sort of quite isolated for a while and Morrow and Selly were very young.

23:41Alan Smith:I think they had less than 50 appearances for Arsenal between them. So really not the kind of experience that you'd be hoping to have in a game of that stature. So it was a huge ask for them. They were told to do a specific job and that's what they did.

24:00George Graham:Even with the fans showing up in force, even with the belief Graham instilled in them and that they had in themselves, there was so much to overcome. Parma had purchased Gianfranco Zola from Napoli that season, the second leading scorer in Serie A. Zola joined Tomas Brolin and Faustina Espria to create an attack that simply dominated most teams. But that dominance gave them an arrogance that Arsenal players could see.

24:31George Graham:Alan Smith.

24:32Alan Smith:Well, I mean, obviously, first of all, excitement that we're in a European final Arsenal up to that point hadn't had many at all so we were almost treading new ground but Palmer were the holders and we obviously did video sessions having a look at them George liked to do that and quite often as a player you'd kind of zone out after 20 minutes or so and I'm sure the players do now as well attention span of footballers is notoriously short. But yeah, we look at their strengths and maybe weaknesses as well. But we all knew that they'd got Zola and Asbrillio, Thomas Brolin, who was in peak form of his career.

25:18Alan Smith:And you always felt playing Italian teams was not going to be easy because they had this reputation for being very strong defensively, don't give much away. So we thought it's going to be tight It's going to be tight. And of course, when he gets to the day and you travel over and we knew Wrighty was suspended, we knew John Jenson wasn't going to play. He was a regular in midfield. He'd done his crew shots. And then Martin Keown fails late fitness test. David Hillier did as well. So it was a makeshift midfield, to say the least, really, with Stevie Morrow and Ian Selle joining Paul Davis. But it was a very hard-working midfield.

26:03Alan Smith:But, yeah, I remember training on the pitch the night before and we had the pitch first. You're giving about half an hour, you know, the night before. And as we came off after our little session, the Palmer players were waiting to go on and glance across at you. And, yeah, we just thought, oh, they don't think much of us, you know. A bit of a sneer. Who's this lot? and they were always immaculate, you know, the Italian sides in the tracksuits and that. But we also saw, I remember the podium, you know, which when you lift the trophy, you end up standing on and it had Parma winners on it and we went, what the hell's going on here?

26:49Alan Smith:They think Parma have won already, but we didn't realise that Arsenal was written on the other side of it. So they'd turn it around according to who'd won. So that got our go-to bit. But, yeah, I remember, first of all, when we got to Copenhagen, we stopped in this hotel and we thought, wow, this isn't very nice, is it? It's a European final, not much of a hotel at all. We had the hump about that. But it was outside the city and I think, you know, George wanted that because, you know, the fans and everything, trying to keep you awake at night and it was fine in the end. It was quiet and we got some rest.

27:30Alan Smith:but we thought, oh God, the club hasn't even bothered to pay out for a decent hotel. You know, typical footballer's reaction as well, you know. But yeah, it was an amazing night. I remember going out for the warm-up and we all thought, oh my God, we've gone out and it felt like a home game because not three quarters of the ground, but you'd say four-fifths felt like it was Arsenal fans, there weren't many Parma fans there, and they were all singing the flags, the banners were all up. And we came back in after the warm-up and went, wow, this is amazing, you know, it does feel like a home game. And the Park and Stadium, it was kind of configured a bit like Highbury, so it really felt like home.

28:19Alan Smith:So just after the warm-up, which is quite unusual, it gave you a lift, you know, that it felt like a home game.

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29:28George Graham:No secret treasure map required.

29:30Alan Smith:Did she have to find a dragon?

29:31George Graham:Nope, she bought it 100 % online. From her bed, actually.

29:34Alan Smith:Was it scary?

29:36George Graham:Honey, it was as unscary as car buying could be.

29:38Alan Smith:Did the car have a sunroof?

29:40George Graham:It did, actually.

29:41Alan Smith:Okay, good story.

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29:46Alan Smith:Carvana!

29:47George Graham:Delivery fees may apply. The scene was set. The plan was made. Despite being shorthanded, fans and players alike believed. Whether George Graham truly did or not, we may never know. But it was clear to everyone around him that he wanted to win. And when the whistle blew, he had done everything, both long-term revamp of the roster and short-term attention to tactical detail, to accomplish his ultimate European goal. All that was left was execution.

30:23George Graham:A crowd of 33 ,765 packed into Parkin Stadium for the final. It was a relatively new venue at the time, having opened in 1992, and it was the first time it hosted a major European competition final. It was also the first time any European competition's final had been held in Denmark. What the massive crowd saw was a tactical match, a masterpiece by some accounts. That Parma attack was on display early, with outrighty to generate the counterattacking threat, and with Jensen and Hillier injured, Arsenal's starting midfielders was Ian Selle, Steve Morrow, and Davis. The attacking outlet wasn't unfamiliar, it just wasn't the first choice.

31:08George Graham:Alan Smith was given a lone role up front, with Paul Merson and Kevin Campbell lined up as wide midfielders.

31:18George Graham:Alan Smith.

31:21Alan Smith:I think for me it was kind of okay I can roll back the years here to the times when I was up front and scoring goals you know we haven't got Ian Wright to depend on there's more onus on me to maybe nick a goal to lead the line and I remember going into it maybe because of that I don't know I just felt fairly confident and my general play was good. You know, you always want to get your first few touches right when the ball's played up to you and my first touch was nice and I was holding it up and so that gives you a bit of confidence.

32:07George Graham:Fortunately, the famous back five of Seaman, Dixon, Adams, Bold and Winterburn took its standard spot on the team sheet. The game model then was to play a disciplined 4-5-1 staying compact and opportunistic.

32:24George Graham:Arsenal podcaster, Tim Stillman. What I do, being incredibly anxious,

32:31Alan Smith:obviously Arsenal are kind of banking up. They're 4-3-3, very much goes into a 4-5-1. Ian Selle is amazing in midfield at 19 years old. Really only came to appreciate his performance when I watched the game back without the anxiety. but one thing I do remember as well is you could just see as the game went on, Palmer were losing hope. They were like, oh God, we're not going to break these guys down. And you can see that in these games sometimes where the team you expect to win, the team that's attacking, you kind of get a sixth sense, but whether they have belief or not. And I think you can see Palmer start to lose belief.

33:11Alan Smith:and actually some of the injuries and the suspension to Ian Wright, I think it just copper plates the way Arsenal have to play in this game. I think they'd have done it anyway, but it's like we're massive underdogs now. We have to bunker in. We have to play this way. And I think there was a total commitment to it. And in the end, the result's kind of a fair one, really. Like I said, Palmer could easily have scored in the opening minutes, But particularly if you go second half, Palmer don't create a great deal. They have that goal disallowed. But yeah, for me, the feeling of anxiety and then relief when it happens is just incredible.

33:55Alan Smith:And this again is in a context where Man United are kind of beginning to feel their way in the Champions League and trying to navigate their way through it. And those are really the only games we see on TV. so no one really talks about Arsenal and the Cup Winners' Cup. So it's a very Arsenal triumph. We do it in a way that is not pleasing to the neutral when nobody's really been talking about us, when nobody... This is who Arsenal were in 1994. I know in Fever Pitch, Nick Hornby makes the comparison to the Sex Pistols and Arsenal. He felt like Arsenal were like the Sex Pistols. It's like, you know, if you weren't like a part of the tribe, you probably hated them.

34:42Alan Smith:And this, yeah, yeah, yeah, this felt, yeah, exactly. This felt a bit Johnny Rotten, if I can use that as a verb. And I just remember going into school and just all the Arsenal fans just being incredibly unbearably smug, which is exactly how you should react to something like this as a fan.

35:11George Graham:Parma was on the front foot almost immediately. Vespria made a driving run through the defense in the opening seconds and appeared clear on a goal until Steve Bould made a last-second tackle to turn him away.

35:31Alan Smith:Here's Brolin, who's so hard to track, turning it through for Astrea. Wonderful tackle by Bold. And the danger averted by Dixon.

35:44George Graham:Brolin had a header that went just over the reach of a committed David Seaman, and then the crossbar.

35:53George Graham:Trepa.

35:57Alan Smith:Benaribo, who's a right back with a really buccaneering style. Pull in! Well, when he glanced it off, he cleared for Arsenal.

36:12Alan Smith:Any sort of touch with Seaman committed, but it was too hard.

36:18George Graham:Arsenal had its own chance. A Paul Merson corner was headed wide by Kevin Campbell.

36:38George Graham:Then Brolin on a counter just seconds after that corner hit the upright post in the 14th minute.

36:47Alan Smith:Smith, everything up to Alan Smith is sticking. It's a good sign. Davis, Campbell, Parma were appealing for offside, he's in there as well. Suddenly Arsenal putting men forward from midfield, Davis. But the worry when they do that is the clout in the Parma counter-attack, started by Esprija. Here's Zola, on for Brolin, homing in here, the inside of the post, and Fortune favours the Gunners. A sweeping counterattack. And Thomas Brolin, a whisker away from putting Palmer into the lead for Nebio Scala.

37:34George Graham:The strike from distance by Brolin nearly put the Italian side on top early in the contest. So still the game stood tied at 0-0 until the 20th minute, when the last major redemption story of that season was written. There's no question that Alan Smith was one of the most adversely impacted of Graham's squad evolution, targeted towards European glory. Smith was the man to lead the line at Arsenal through Graham's initial glory days. He was the gaffer's first big sign and coming from Leicester City in 1987. He subsequently became Arsenal's top scorer for four consecutive seasons, including two golden boots that not so coincidentally coincided with the team's two title-winning campaigns in 1989 and 1991.

38:23George Graham:Of course, despite the volume of goals, the most famous singular moment was the first strike in Arsenal's 2-0 victory at Anfield on May 26th, 1989, that brought them the title that season. And yet, with one stroke of a pen, he became more or less overshadowed by Ian Wright. What teammates will tell you is that Smith's role changed, but his importance to the team remained the same, and also that his ability to adjust, to transform really, was a testament to his quality. His technical and tactical acumen allowed Smith to become a facilitator over the next few years, often adding link-up play needed to spring on the counter or recycle possession for service into the box.

39:08George Graham:With right out for the final against Parma, Smith was thrust into his old role of leading the line. He was the one intended to partner with Kevin Campbell or produce his own moment of magic, which is exactly what happened. Arsenal podcaster Tim Stillman.

39:26Alan Smith:But by a lot of luck, Arsenal do hang on. And actually, and then they scored the goal. And it's Alan Smith with a left foot volley outside of the area. I mean, again, I said he was good at everything, but actually a left foot volley from 20 odd yards out is not the sort of goal you associated Alan Smith with. And it was a lovely moment for him as well, because I think in terms of how people viewed him, he'd gone into the background a bit with Ian Wright. So for him to have that moment again where he's the main man, I think was really fitting and really the last moment of his Arsenal career. I think he gets an injury the next season and has to retire.

40:07Alan Smith:I always consider that like this is really the last moment of his Arsenal career.

40:14George Graham:In that 20th minute, Arsenal found its breakthrough, thanks in part to a miscue by Parma and brilliance by Smith. It began with a Lee Dixon throw-in collected by Smith, a familiar sight. His return to Dixon elicited an ambitious pass to streaking Paul Merson. Sensing the danger, Lorenzo Minotis attempted an audacious stretching clearance that was misdirected. Smith had been working off the ball into space after his layoff to Dixon, saw the miss hit, and collected the clearance down off his chest, then struck it, what can only be described as perfectly with his left foot from 20 yards away, to beat goalkeeper Luca Bucci.

40:55George Graham:The ball ricocheting off a post into the back of the net. 1-0 Arsenal. Dixon. Dixon again.

41:08Alan Smith:That's Minotti with the acrobatics. It falls for Smith. Oh! A superb goal for Alan Smith.

41:20Alan Smith:Just what Arsenal wanted. And Smith, who's laboured for so long, really, in the past couple of years in the shadows of Ian Wright when it comes to goal scoring. No Wright tonight. Smith ceases the opportunity. And that's football for you. Brolin hits the inside of the post. It stays out. Smith does. It goes in and Arsenal are in front. Alan Smith. And then, yeah, I took the chance, which, yeah, kind of came out of nothing really and I didn't realise it had hit the back of the net until the keeper, Luke Cabucci, had kind of landed on the floor and I'd seen it had hit the inside of the post and he had finished on the other side of the goal.

42:15Alan Smith:Yeah, brilliant feeling for me because as I said, it had been an unhappy time. I wasn't happy in my work at all and so that was a bit of a port in a storm. And to do it on the big stage, any professional will want to be able to produce his best when it matters on the big stage. And so I was pleased, satisfied that I was able to do that. And I'd done it at Anfield in 89 and some other games. So it's a professional satisfaction that you can do it when your team needs you most. So to look back on that, yeah, it's nice to be able to say that. Quite naturally, people all mention the Cop Winners' Cob because it was the most recent and also 89, for those old enough to remember.

43:07Alan Smith:But, you know, those diehard fans, they'll pick out certain games as well. You know, some game in darkest December, whatever. Oh, yeah, I remember you, Nick, won at the end, whatever. That was important. But, yeah, I suppose it's only natural that they remember those big occasions when you, runner, came to the fore.

43:29George Graham:The redemption story wasn't complete, but it was mostly written at that point. Smith's play throughout the game stood above the rest. Commentators noted how anything passed to his feet stuck, marking the mastery of his hold-up play, a key to controlling the tempo wherever possible. Combined with the exploits of a young Ian Selle, seldom used Steve Morrow, and the famous back four in particular, Bold, the team felt confident it could hold on to the one-goal lead.

44:08Alan Smith:Technically, Parma have a real pedigree. So can they battle? They need to here against one of the most resilient club sides you'll find anywhere in the world. Aspira. Zola. Lovely play from Parma. And, well, David Seaman, we know is injured, but you'd never guess it from the agility. He had to show that.

44:38Alan Smith:A move again of sheer class from Farmer and a sensational save.

44:47George Graham:Long-time Arsenal physio, Gary Lewin.

44:52Alan Smith:Well, David's a funny one because I actually went to Newmarket to get a rib protector from the jockeys. And we got one specifically made. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We got a specifically made for him to protect those ribs. And there was at times when he was having some pain-killing injections to get through games. Yeah, at different points of the season, you picked up different injuries. But that also then comes back to the spirit within the squad. You'd lost someone like David Seaman, but everyone would give that extra 1 % to make up for the loss of such a great player. and I think all teams over the years, you look at all the successful teams over the years, have that element of pulling together when times get tough.

45:38George Graham:They were able to control Zola and Espria. They defended their lead to the last second and in doing so became the fourth London club to win the Cup Winners' Cup trophy.

45:55Alan Smith:Again Arsenal funnel back. The defensive line has been so solid. There's an offside given. The ball's in the net. It's not going to count.

46:13Alan Smith:It was a very close call indeed. But Sensini, I think, was the player who was offside.

46:23George Graham:Arsenal have won it! A tactical triumph here for George Graham.

46:35Alan Smith:Well, please, just a great night for everybody concerned with Arsenal. In front of wonderful supporters who certainly played their part, Tony Adams leads off Arsenal to collect the European Cup Winners' Cup. Well played, Arsenal.

47:17George Graham:Winning a European trophy on its own merits is definitely the story here. As we've broken down throughout the series, European competitions were different at the time. The transition of importance to the Champions League overlapping with the Cup Winners' Cup and then the subsequent expansion of the field has likely tarnished the shine of that win in our memories. The fact remains that fewer teams had a chance to compete in Europe then. That meant it was only the best of the best, even in what was considered the second-tier competition. In some years, like 93-94, the field was arguably even better than the top European competition.

47:57George Graham:That alone makes the win worthy of a spotlight, even three decades later.

48:06George Graham:Legendary Arsenal left back, Nigel Winterburn.

48:10Alan Smith:I mean, for me, it's big because it's Cup Winners' Cup and, you know, you just have to look quarterfinal on. And people now would probably, well, PSG are huge now. But back then, Torino, PSG and Parma were big teams. So it was a big achievement from the team that I played in. But, well, I mean, to me, obviously, 89 is still, for me, the greatest because the drama, my first league trifle. But I would say that this sits pretty high. I always obviously talk about with Wenger the 98 because it's a domestic double league and FA Cup. But I think this one's got to sit way up there because of the teams that we played from quarterfinal onwards, if I'm completely honest with you.

49:07Alan Smith:And we go into this game at such huge underdogs simply because of the injuries that we, you know, yeah. So, yeah, you know, listen, it doesn't matter if you've got a famous back four or not. If you put their team together and list it and put ours together, I don't think too many people are thinking that we're going to win. So it just shows you what team spirit, organization, obviously scoring at the right time can actually do for you.

49:49George Graham:That George Graham transformed his approach to team building and tactics in an effort to define his legacy with the European win is notable as well. He made challenging and unpopular decisions, knowing a certain style of play was needed, not just to avoid the repeat of the Benfica outcome in 91, but also to run the gauntlet of teams they'd see in any European Cup. There are other clear reasons, though. We as Arsenal fans should appreciate the significance of that win. Arsenal had a roster at the time that, despite its deep English roots, reflected a racially diverse community, and a global one.

50:28George Graham:It wasn't as heterogeneous as any Premier League roster now, but it was at the time, ahead of its time. That likely planted the seed that a manager like Arsene Wenger, after Graham's unexpected and unceremonious departure, was the right person for the job. His global mindset fit something the club had seen work, something embraced by fans, during that 94 Cup Winners' Cup run. Clive Palmer.

50:57Alan Smith:When we hired, obviously George time came to an abrupt end. We tried to do something in-house with Stuart Houston, etc., which was just very briefly. And then we go to Bruce Rillard, the brightest manager around in the league. But he was very much local versus global. He was local, you know, very much local. And there was a rumor that there were players offered to him. They didn't know their names. I mean, players like Roberto Carlos, for example. And I think David Dean said to himself, this isn't right. So he'd already had words with the board about Arsene Wenger. So now it's like, okay, the world is changing.

51:37Alan Smith:And we need to recognize this. The game is changing. And we have somebody here that maybe is made of the right stuff. And he walks into the English game and says, okay, we're a bit behind here. We need to step this up a little bit. And so he had a green field from which to work from and knowledge of the markets that he needed to understand to bring players in at good prices. And in the middle of London, which is two hours from Paris, I mean, crikey, I mean, how good is that, right? So in hindsight, understanding the globality of football and how it was about to happen, the changes in technology around the late 90s into the year 2000, I think set Arsenal up for the next phase of its history.

52:27Alan Smith:And I think the launch point for me was the mid-90s to see our potential. And then when we started to play at Wembley for games later in that decade for the European games, I think the club saw its potential even further to think about moving grounds. So Europe played a part in understanding who we were and understanding our reach and size and potential for growth. So yeah, local versus global.

53:03George Graham:May 4th, 1994 in Copenhagen was a sliding doors moment for Arsenal, not just because it brought the club's silverware, but because it arguably changed the direction of the club in a way that triggered its most historic period of all time. The emphasis on and expectation for winning at Arsenal was largely created through the exploits of George Graham and the famous Back Four. The 1994 Cup Winners' Cup victory was engineered by a visionary manager. It was delivered by a stout and famed defense that defined the era, and a group of players that combined talent with discipline layered in belief. Arsenal fans often talk about the club's history as being devoid of European glory.

53:53George Graham:In mass, that may be true, but in reality, the 94 Cup Winners' Cup stands up as a triumph worth remembering and a moment that we can likely thank for opening the doors to global adoration and a modern era that inarguably changed the face of English football. All thanks to 1-0 to the Arsenal.

54:22George Graham:That's all for 1-0 to the Arsenal. I'm your host, Kent Malmros. Thanks for taking a trip down memory lane with us. We'll see you soon.

54:45George Graham:Hello for you! Hello for you! Hello for you!

54:50Alan Smith:Hello for you! Hello for you! Hello for you! Hello for you! Hello for you! Hello for you!

55:03Alan Smith:It's been a great few years and hopefully I can have a load more. We know you've been great. Thank you very much.

55:17Alan Smith:I love this song, you brilliant fans, you brilliant captain eigen, thank you very much. Cheers!

55:39City Oslo! One ne-o!

55:45City Oslo! One新! City Oslo! One ne-o! City Oslo! City Oslo! The tour! City oslo! It's another way.

56:00Alan Smith:See you next season!