From Martin : Bergkamp
Morning Myles,
Not sure anyone has compared Bergkamp to Ozil, as William stated.
They are very different players and it’s not fair to compare them.
But it’s very apt we talking about Dennis as its just after the anniversary of him signing and for me that was the single defining moment when everything changed about how felt about Arsenal, his arrival took the club up a whole new level.
Thought Dennis was the complete player who had an intelligence that few come close to.
I believe what supports that most is not when he was at the peak of his physical skills, where he had pace and strength to play against centrebacks, but later in his career where he played on for maybe 5 years more than most can by his dropping off the front line and becoming the supreme provider. In that team he had Freddie and Henry who would make the runs Ozil would love to see now.
This time period with Dennis is when maybe you can compare them.
Game that sticks most in mind was an away game against Bolton late in season where Freddie made one of those runs off the far wing into the centre to score, there was only one player on park who could have found him and that was Dennis.
Would put him above Thierry Henry based on those last 5 years of his career where he adapted his game as physicality declined. Intelligence.
In my time of watching football it’s then Liam Brady and Robert Pires who come next on list for pure skill, though of course have other players high on list for other abilities