Bendtner or ????
by Don McMahon
The Arsenal have a history of improving average strikers and with Ozil now leading the midfield, any of our developing youngsters could fill in, in the striker’s role.
However I think Bendtner could actually become a top striker for AFC as he has everything but the attitude and the team-spirit needed both of which could be changed and developed.
Wenger has apparently had a long, serious chat with him and it is my impression that he’ll start him out on the bench and in Cup games to see if he has altered his narcissism. If he plays well and does the job, we can expect to see him in as a sub for Giroud since he has:
1) familiarity with the Arsenal way,
2) the ability to hold up play and to score in very difficult circumstances,
3) great height(6ft.4) and physical presence and can really score from headers,
4) intelligence and alertness in build-up play,
5) strength and is not injury-prone and is still young,
6) moderately good pace and very long stride,
7) more confidence than God gave most strikers but has been humbled by reality!
Apparently Marica (who was close to an Arsenal move in August, according to the press) is almost in the same category as Bendtner and his international goal-scoring record is in fact better, so I could see this happening IF Wenger felt that he was adding quality to the Arsenal.
The unknown in this mix is Ozil, Jack, Cazorla, Arteta, Ramsey and Rosicky’s link-up with someone other than Giroud. I know Ozil and Cazorla could make HRH the Queen look good as a striker with their passing so our backups in Sanogo, the Ox, Walcott, Ryo,Gnarby,Poldolski, and Bendtner will thrive with the number of opportunities the midfield will create.
Another point is that Ramsey and Kos pose a goalscoring threat as well so IF the Gunners control their opponents and counter-attack like they have been doing…our opponents won’t know where to turn. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Ozil turn into a goal-scorer since he won’t be in the shadow of Ronaldo any more but Bendtner’s record speaks for itself:
a) While he is a very experienced international athlete, he is still only 25.
b) He can play on the wing or in the hole behind the main striker, or as a classic CF.
c) He has 55 caps for Denmark and has scored 22 goals with 15 assists, not a bad record.
d) He has 41 goals in 174 appearances in the EPL , not a bad return.
e) He is starting to grow up and has his back to the wall, after his less than successful TW.
Bendtner is a fairly easy substitute choice for Wenger BUT I am almost certain that he’ll try Nik out in the WBA Cup match to see if he is really motivated to play and to work for his supper. If he is the same old Nik, then we can expect him to languish in the Reserves BUT if he does contribute well, that may be his passport to regular first team Football, either way we are winners. There is also the January TW and Nik will want to show off to potential suitors….interesting options n’est-ce-pas?
Sorry to say the boy was really good away from home and had the morons. On his back. At the emirates. He was judged against Rvp at his best . He definitely can do a job for us.
If Bendtner becomes a top striker for anyone i will eat my own head.
This post is full of if’s that he has already proved he’s not up to or doesn’t want to do.
Why is it that all blogs with arsenal in title complete AAA
Font you should start doing the lottery mate.
Interesting story indeed. I completely agree with you with wha you said about NB52.
I am sure that also learnt his lesson regarding his attitude.
I will totally disagree with AW in adding a free striker when we can add a quality one Jan.
Bendtner can do a good job. He once carried us when RvP was injured.
Better the devil you know.
Matt
I am on the away support are you. Most of the fans like nick at one point in the season he left .
he had the best goals scored minutes played . Ratio It was only his big mouth and the mugs at the ems that ripped the boy apart he is good enough if given the chance to play back up to giroud
I’d rather have ???? In the squad,had opportunites to shine….good call to play
Away from home he will get abuse at the Emirates……….and did he not say that
He would never pull on a shirt for AFC again,stick him in the reserves and push
Ozil in behind the Hungry French man.
My belief is bring in someone that wants to play for us,not someone that’s been
Seeking a move away all summer because he won’t lower his wage demands
If he wants to play and not be billy big bollocks take a cut and save your own
Career…….sorry if I rant on but Arsene gave him chances give a youth team
Product rather than a waste of space and wages.
if anyone can turn his career around it must be Wenger. I think and I hope that Bendtner indeed had a good chat with Wenger and that Wenger has told him what his options are. Go down in history as the biggest flop compared to his mouth…or maybe give himself a new chance and turn the tide. I hope for the latter option of course. Either way Arsenal can win from it. Be it in a player that gets back to the best patches of form he had (he did have a good spell when he kept us alive 3 seasons ago when we had a few injuries and he scored a few important goals) or be it in a player that we can cash in in January.
This might be a good example on what a bad attitude can do to any player even if you are very talented. And I still think he can be a good striker. Not the world class striker he once thought he could be but a decent striker that with some good players behind him could be a 15-20 goal scoring striker.
Let’s hope Wenger can produce some magic, Arsenal can only win from it.
good player bad attitude. I belief that he can do the job
Bendtner does have some talent but has a huge opinion of himself and is lazy.
Font: fans dont get on players backs for no reason and top players are very rarely given any stick by the fans.
Bendtner brought any grief he received to his own door.
The only chance we have is it’s World Cup year and no doudt if Denmark qualify he will want to play so maybe he will do something this year for us.
Fingers crossed Bendtner will make it! It would be good for Arsenal. Also, I don’t like to see young people mess things up.
I wish him well. It’s in Arsenal’s interest and therefore my interest that he does well this season.
if carlos vela had even half the chances or appearences that bendtner made..what could have been ? dont rate bendtner very highly..no doubt hes a decent enough striker for his country anyway.
Bendtner was given an underserved £52k per week 4/5 year contract.He had the front to have 52 put on his back.His form dipped massively.We tried to loan him out or sell him but no one was willing to pay his wages as they all considered him too expensive for his ability.He was offered several ways out of our club after announcing the fact that he wanted to leave but refused to accept a lower salary to play regularly.We are now stuck with him for another year.If he can get himself fit(incredible to say about someone who is on £52k a week),he will almost definately play and we must wish him all the best for the sake of our club.However that is as far as my best wishes extend.
Matt….what head are you referring to, the one you think with or the one you urinate with? One way or the other I will keep you to your promise IF the lad does come good… you seem to have got the gist of the post in your comment at 3:49 so we can all agree it is a win-win situation for AFC.
Eddy…..your compensation figure is totally fictitious since nobody knows what the players earn but it is sad to see that an Arsenal player needs to get fit….perhaps they mean match fit, which is quite understandable since he hasn’t played serious Football in over a year, aside from a few internationals. I have confidence that Wenger will turn his career around IF Bendtner sincerely wants to be helped to do it. He has a family now and maybe that will alter his attitude?
It’s clear Bendtner likes money more than football or he could have moved to various clubs to play during the transfer window but choose to stay and get his 52k a week.
Too busy talking about himself with his Paddy Power shorts on his head to have been playing football.
Whoever Arsene Wenger selects to wear the shirt is entitled to our support throughout the match.
He will see what part he wants a player to play during a game and it’s not for us to question his decision.
One can only hope that Bendtner, as he matures, has now accepted that this is his final chance at Arsenal. His present contract runs out at the season’s end. His future will be determined on his attitude and performance this term. There cannot be a greater incentive than that.
Bendtner needs to get his attitude right & also get fit to be of any use. If he does neither it hard to see any club wanting him when his contract runs out – so it is really a career defining time for him.
A fit & focused Bendtner would be an asset to the squad – at present – but I cannot see him being retained once his present contract finishes.
The problem with attitude is the change must come from within and there has been no indication from Bendtner that he is at all interested in making the necessary change(s) to apply himself.
The only reason he’s here is AW wants to allow Sanogo time to develop and with Poldi and Ox out, he is short of numbers up front. If Sanogo shows sufficient progress, I am sure he will start ahead of Bendtner in the Cup ties.
I agree I do not think Bendtner is all that bad that we supporters portray him as. I think he is quite good finisher with his feet as well as good in the air. I think the reason all went sour was when Chamakh came he was playing on the right a lot and maybe that frustrated him, having a decent end of season before that?
But more importantly is he not still injured? It could be a good couple of weeks before he gets “really, really fit” so lets just see.
Have you guys heard any news on the injury front?
I am worried for this arsenal team in away premier league fixtures,I can see them getting kicked from pillar to post and not getting the protection by the brutal referees in the premier league,mark my words this will happen and nothing will be done about it.We have no chance of winning the prem league until we have a more robust style to play with against the less technically gifted sides.by protection I mean correct decision making.
sorry for being off topic.
Bendtner is pretty good, he just needs a continuous run of games to get into his stride. What lets him down is his attitude. He has been an embarrassment to our club. Everybody deserves a second chance so hopefully he has changed.
And Matt, your comment about getting on the fans backs : “Font: fans dont get on players backs for no reason and top players are very rarely given any stick by the fans.”
To be honest, fans shouldn’t be getting on any of the players backs, especially at games – that is not support but what the opposition do.
Must admit it’s been awhile since I have seen Bendtner play, but he is/has always been a good player in my opinion, but I cannot see him getting a new contract at Arsenal.
Maybe some of the noises he’s been making are geared towards a new contract at a different club, he’s making himself seem more attractive as a changed and motivated character.
January will tell us more as he is then free to talk to other clubs without AFC’s permission. One to watch, but as stated I cannot see him getting a new contract with us if he’s not playing in the Premier league.
There are a lot of fair points being made that if Bendtner can take this second chance and change his attitude, then maybe he can become something more than a punchline at Arsenal. My question is: why does Bendtner get a second chance? Is it fair to Sanogo, Akpom, etc. to say “you may have worked very hard your whole life and are willing to prove you deserve to be here, but this Danish fellow who was arrogant, narcissistic, and not always a hard worker in training or in games is going to get the chance instead of you, even though he already had several years to show the type of player that he is”? I don’t think that’s fair, and Arsenal don’t need Bendtner to come good to be successful. If we were going to do shit like this why not keep Eduardo through his hard times after the injury? How is Wenger so loyal to Bendtner?
It seems to me that he’s there, Arsenal is paying his salary, and so if he is looking ok we give him a chance. If it blows it, that’s that.
While I was doing the background work on the Ozil story I was looking at Tottenham purchases and sales, and saw a list that included Bentley. While other players who had been released were shown as “free agent” Bentley was shown as “unemployed”.
Not sure how they make the distinction, but it shows how easy it is to fall. The players do need help in keeping the egos under control – think Adebayor as another in a long line.
But if Bendtner is redeeming himself and can deliver, why not play him in the league cup? Clearly Wenger thinks something might be there because he has listed him in the “25”…. http://blog.emiratesstadium.info/archives/31150
Arteta Amatriain, Mikel
Bendtner, Nicklas (English)
Cazorla, Santiago
Diaby, Vassiriki Abou
Fabianski, Lukasz…
So he could play if he got it together.
The bottom line has been said here and in other places:
If he gets himself fully fit, and If he gets his attitude right on and off the pitch, he could be a very good striker. How good we simply do not know.
That however, is two very big ifs, and we really have not seen much of that Bendtner before.
If he has finally grown up after (or because of) the mess of the last couple of years, then he might do a job for us at least until Christmas. He plays himself into a contract elsewhere, and we get cover until the next window.
If anything sums up the guy for me is a pair of games in 2010.
The Burnley game should be remembered for the win, or more because it was the first home game after Ramsey’s assault at Stoke, but all I remember is being sat in the stands, head in hands as he missed his 9th(?) sitter of the afternoon.
Three days later, after whimpering slightly at the fact was starting against Porto, (not that we had much choice), he scores a hat trick.
If we can have the second Bendtner, I’ll be OK with it, at least until the next window.
unfortunately, Bendtner is supposed to be a few weeks away from fitness, not it turns out Sanogo will miss up to 8 weeks. Why do our players, especially the kids pick up so many injuries…yes, I know thats been the subject of many threads on many forums…
Think maybe Wenger had better sign the Romanian if he is any good
Bendtner has potential. The big issue is will he work hard enough to achieve that potential? AW will give him a chance if he sees him working hard to be the very best.
Ever since he scored that great header against the Sp*ds, he has had confidence, lots of it.
Oh, and there was that end of season where he was scoring and carrying the offense, right?
Last chance for him; hoping he seizes it.
And he has to stay away from alcohol. Water!
Veni, Vedi, Vichy.
I think, Bendtners attitude problem has always been “off-the-pitch”. Attitude is good for a striker. BUT he should fine tune it to use it to his goods. And this guy has balls too…..remember “Paddy power”.
I would like to see him succeed, and that too at ARSENAL. After all, he said he doesnt want to wear ARSENAL shirt again. It would be fun to watch him eat his shit.
@ Dom – I’ve always seen Bendner as a ‘typical English’ center forward who is able to hold the line and the play. His footwork is quite good .Hope he has learned from his numerous loan spells and takes this( probably ) last chance and work it out.
And just for the laughs , here’s one about bad habits .
Simple truth in life.
A man was walking down the street when he was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless man who asked him for a couple of dollars for dinner.
The man took out his wallet, extracted ten dollars and asked, “If I give you this money, will you buy some beer with it instead of dinner?”
“No, I had to stop drinking years ago,” the homeless man replied.
“Will you use it to go hanging out with your buddies instead of buying food?” the man asked.
“No, I don’t waste time nor have any buddies anymore,” the homeless man said. “I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive.”
“Will you spend the money on a woman in the red light district instead of food?” the man asked.
“I gave up on sex a long time ago !” exclaimed the homeless man.
“Well,” said the man, “I’m not going to give you the money.
Instead, I’m going to take you home for a terrific dinner cooked by my wife.”
The homeless man was astounded. “Won’t your wife be furious with you for doing that? I know I’m dirty, and I probably smell pretty disgusting.”
The man replied, “That’s okay. It’s important for her to see what a man looks like after he has given up beer, friends and sex.”