Andrei Arshavin has claimed he’s still aiming to return to Arsenal at the end of the season, despite strong suggestions he’ll make his current loan return to Zenit St Petersburg a permanent move in the summer.
Quite whether that return to the Gunners is merely to pick up a couple of pairs of boots which he’s left in his locker at the Emirates, a recipe for banana cake from Barbara the tea-lady or to actually challenge for a place in Arsene Wenger’s starting line-up remains to be seen…it may just be to see his kids who he’s left studying in the capital.
“Of course,” replied Arshavin when asked if he’d return to London. “Yes,” he confirmed when asked if this is something he wanted to do.
“Every player wants to play and not sit on the bench and sit in the stands watching the action. I always wanted to play and not sit on the sidelines watching everything unfold.
“I’m used to living in London and while I’m on loan at Zenit my family has stayed there because my children go to school there and everybody feels comfortable there.”
Zenit St Petersburg are currently top of the Russian Premier League, but have only managed draws in the two games in which Arshavin has started since his return to his hometown.
I’m afraid his time has come and gone in an Arsenal shirt.
He’ll certainly have his work cut out to get a regular starting place back. Next year we’ll have Ox, Ryo, Zhervinho, Rosicky, Rambo back to form following a full pre-season, Wilshere, and maybe still Theo all competing against him as any sort of AM.
Would be nice for him to be back scrapping for a place like Tomas, but it’s difficult to envisage it in quite the same way.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Arshavin and he’s certainly had his moments in an Arsenal shirt, but there haven’t been enough of them.
For me, his impact can best be described as underwhelming, relative to his fee/reputation.
whatever happens i want podolski at emirates.i don’t have any issues with arshavin coming back.but he should understand that we would have ryo,ox,podolski,gervinho,theo all infront of him.gervinho will go to ANC and i don’t think ryo will be ready for use next season in PL.he can play cup games.so it’s going to be podolski,theo and ox for him.if he doesn’t mind competing and putting his best on pitch i have no complaints. also i would like to see ox played in midfield next season.so arshavin will have his chances here. if we secure 3rd spot im pretty sure we have… Read more »
I’m happy for him to come back if he gets some form going.
But whether he plays or not for Arsenal is not the big issue here: Is he still doing his Ask Arshavin column? I fucking love that column.
qn: how can i play for a big club like Arsenal or barcelona? I am 12 years and i always dream about such a big team what should i do?
AA: Don’t dream.
Classic
One of the joys of having Arshavin in our team is knowing that we have his Q&A sessions.
Let him come or not, his four goals against liverpool will always be remembered !
5. Remember that rocket of a winner at Anfield the season after?
For me it’ll be…
“It’s Nasri… can he go all the way here? Still Nasri… looks for ARSHAVIIIIIIIIIINN!!”
I was so excited when we signed him, and his form that half season was unreal, such that the few warnings we got from Zenit fans about his work ethic (“he plays when he wants,” and he doesn’t always want to) were happily dismissed as something he had left behind. Arshavin liked big games against big clubs, but even those performances became patchy near the end. I think in the end that Arshavin had a negative impact on players. We looked like a club willing to put up with and reward laziness and carelessness, and fellow professionals never want to… Read more »
I would like seeing him back at Arsenal. Like rosicky , i would like to dee him depart Arsenal(if that happens) with premier league title or the champions league beating barka in the final and revealing his shirt with his celebration on it(has that happened before?)
It sounds lovely, but Arsenal will never beat ‘BARKA’, they’re ‘the dogs’!
Taxi for this fella!
Down boy
champions league, arsenal v barcelona,
scores tied at 1-1.
arsenal counter, cesc feeds nasri who squares the ball to arshavin.
the russian bends it into the net.
2-1 arsenal!!
best arshavin moment. EVER! hands down!
it was a pity to see him get boo’d so many times this season. he has quality but for some reason seemed reluctant to put in a shift for the arsenal.
but ill never forget his winner against barca!
I absolutely agree with you, but he had many other better moments also like when he crossed the ball to Henry in a 2-1 stoppage time win against sunderland, he is a great player and deserve respect from all, i think arsenal fans should apologise to him for their booos
Everybody should relax, he needs time to regain his form, he’ll come back strong. And for you guys who don’t want him to return, imagine what an impact he’d have in the Milan game if he was still at the Arsenal. Hoping he captures some of that great form he’s shown in the past and returns to the Emirates as the player he truly is! COYG
I think the fact that no one has even realised he’s gone says a lot about his contribution this last year. I thought we’d miss him, but honestly, it kind of feels like some kind of weight off our shoulders without this guy in the mix. It pains me to say it a bit, because of his obvious talents, but that’s the way it feels. I think we should move on from Arshavin and his high wages also.
Disagree, we could have done with him against Milan; Arshavin or Park/chamakh? I know who I’d prefer. He might just have……
I can see this work, come back to us in the autumn all fired up, play a blinder for 5 months and when it all peters out in January, loan him back to Zenit. Repeat the next year.
Even Football Manager doesn’t work like that xD
I got a feeling he got too comfortable in London and forgot about doing his best for the team. I’m afraid I agree with you Johnny, I also feel that weight lifted off our shoulders, and it’ll be even more difficult for him to get game time with podolski coming, gervinho, walcott, ox also there and ryo coming back. Arshavin is too unpredictable, inconsistent and plays like he feels nothing for the club. He must fix that part of him if he wants to play for us again. If you don’t do your part of the donkey work when on… Read more »
Unless he can play in his natural position I don’t see much point in him coming back? the ox will only be stronger next season, gervinho will be more settled, and so Arshavin Wil not be required to play out wide left, his natural position is behind the striker,. so I think he’s played his lat game for us unfortunately.
thanks for the memories lad.
I suppose he was loaned out to get his confidence back. Because it was a lack of confidence which was his problem, his talent is unquestionable.
A fully firing Arshavin could get into almost anyones team
If and when he returns perhaps playing him in his best position in a few more games would be an idea? Look what playing Rosicky in the centre has done for his form!
I love Andrey and miss his lego haircut!
For all the trouble he’s caused us with his recent (ok, maybe not so recent) lack of form, I still see him capable of offering quality to our game. There are lots of little moments when I remember him shining on the pitch, but unfortunately they have become more and more seldom this season. It wouldn’t be the first case of misplaced trust, but I would like him to come back and prove us again that he is a great player.
It looks like ZSP have taken a good look at him and realised that the useless fat lazy shit isn’t worth signing.
Shame. More wage money to be wasted next season, then.
Who YOU call fat??
Jesus man, lighten the fuck up.
A step backwards if he comes back. He had so many chances to show his commitment to the club. 1 or 2 good crosses will not make up for his overall lack of effort.
It’s a shame but some players just don’t suit some clubs however good they are.
Last few weeks this set of players have worked their bollox off to get results. Just couldn’t see arshavin putting that sort of effort in.
Has anyone told his kids their dad’s gone back to Russia? Just wondering like……..
It would have been better if he came on against MIlan instead of Chamakh and Park. If he comes back stronger and full of confidence why not give him a chance?
Why not give him a chance? Because he’s a lazy fuck. Go back to Russia where money is the incentive and let’s bring in someone who’s passionate and wants to be a true gooner!
Podolski is coming, so no Arshavin you will not be returning to the Arsenal because you do not work hard enough. Look at Rosicky performance tonight and he did everything you do not.
I am not too sure how i feel about this one. I am a big admirer of the little russian but the timing in which he left was abit wrong, it was a statement of saying that the Russian National team is more important than Arsenal… it seems like it always has been with Arshavin. But id love for him to prove me wrong.
To be fair it wasn’t so long ago that many fans wanted to sell Rosicky. And now fans/media are singing his praises. So to be fair to Arshavin (and fans) we never got the chance to see him in his favoured central position. I mean, what if Rosicky had to play on the wing. Can you imagine how lost he would be.
why this debate arshavin is going to play in his prefered position at zenith lets see if he can still perform … if he can then he and rosicky should fight it our for the CAM spot, if he cannot simply sell him.
Please stay in Russia. For the fact he had to leave and abandon us in our time of need. His negativity is gone and all the players are pulling in one direction now. We are doing fine without him and he is a flop that signs contracts and sits happily on benches. If he did not want to sit on the bench then he should of played himself off it.
Spot on Dan. Ignore the negative comments. Sometimes I wonder if the bloggers on this site are actually watching the same players we are. Anyone who thinks Arshavin is worth keeping knows very little about what this team needs. It certainly doesn’t need lazy Russian fucks!
No Thanks! He is not good enough to wear the shirt. I am so pleased that I dont have to hear his name at the stadium or see him strolling around depressed on the pitch. I was one of those who booed his name when it was called out. It is the only way for the fans to tell Arsenal ‘stop deluding yourselves he is not good enough and a waste of space’. If he suddenly becomes a consistant, hard working player, fine, but at the moment he is shit, very shit.
Arshavin should join that other lazy bastard Adebayor at the Spuds. They always enjoy watching our castoffs. Gallas, Bentley etc
I for one was really sad when I’d heard that he left, even though it was a loan deal. Maybe it’s just me, but I was really impressed with him in both the Fulham and Leeds games. In the Fulham game, he was completely useless, but by the time he he was substituted in like the 55th min or so, he was barely able to stand, and drenched in sweat. It was the 1st time in about a year that I’d seen Arshavin sweat. If you had noticed at the end of games, he was the only outfield player who’s… Read more »