Friday, March 29, 2024

Park-life: striker’s military service delayed

In the long run it may have little impact on Arsenal, but Ju Young Park’s mandatory military service has been delayed for 10 years.

Because the South Korean has a ten year residency in Monaco, the Military Manpower Administration have allowed him to put off his service which was due to begin in less than two years.

All of which would allow him to continue his career rather than it being cut short in its prime, but one suspects that this isn’t going to be something that really benefits Arsenal.

Clearly, based on the amount of first team action he’s had this season, he does not have the trust of the manager which makes his £2.5m arrival from Monaco in late August all the more difficult to understand.

Those who suggest it was a cynical ploy to sell shirts have clearly not done any maths. A transfer fee + a wage (generously estimated at £40,000 per week) means Arsenal’s total outlay will be close to £4.5m.

I have no idea what an Arsenal shirt costs in South Korea but based on a price equivalent to £40 it means we’d have to sell over 100,000 shirts to just break even, and that doesn’t even take into account profit margins, taxes and the rest. Surely there are cheaper and more effective ways of selling shirts than that.

Arseblog News reckons it was a late gamble on a player who Arsene probably thought was a bit better than he actually is and who just hasn’t adapted to England and/or English football.

He scored a nice goal for the reserves in midweek but has failed to make more first team squads than he’s been included in, and it’d a brave man who put any money on Park being an Arsenal player next season.

For his own sake he needs to move, and with Arsenal setting their sights on the likes of Podolski it’s a clear sign that his future likes elsewhere.

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Glory Hunter

Im brave but i still wouldnt put my money on Park being here next season!

The strange thing is he is probably more clinical than Chamahk but he’s hold up play is non existent! And as a lone striker than is imperative,

Surely keeping Vela would have been a better option than signing Park!!!!
But hindsight hey!

Cygan's Right Foot

Could it not just be that he could have left this year, so Wenger wasn’t sure about sticking him in the team and disrupting it?

Now he is free for another 10 years, i wouldn’t be surprised if we saw more from him. If we can secure at least 4th, then we could rest RvP and give Park a run out

Anon

I doubt we’ll see him much even if he stays, seeing as Arsene prefers Henry over Park in almost every instance, even going as far as not even giving the South Korean any sort of cameo in the easy 7-1 Blackburn rout.

If he doesn’t play him in unloseable games, when will he ever play him?

Here's Waldo

RvP NDP!

Comedian

I dont know about Park’s holdup play but i have rarely seen it this season even if Chamakh manages to get the hold of ball there are barely players around him . Park is the captain of south korea and in Asia they play a good passing football how doesnt he gets more game than Chamakh i still dont know. But now after his 10 yrs extension i guess there was a clause when we signed him if he was able to get more than 2 and a half years we have to pay some extra sum. And if we… Read more »

Wes Mantooth

I would argue that Chamakh and Park should have been sent out on loan. If both players had little hope of getting any substantial minutes on the pitch, then I think it would have been more beneficial to have someone like Afobe (who would benefit from just being part of the squad) on the bench. Chamakh, who is clearly low on confidence, might have benefitted from a spell at Bolton. Owen Coyle seems to have a knack (among other things) for developing self-belief and confidence. Just ask Jack, who has mentioned in conversation a couple of times, that this (more… Read more »

D arsenal

he should go. period!

SRBian

Why? Because the looming prospect of military service might have been playing on his mind.

Imagine you knew that during year, you’d have to give up whatever you were doing and go and serve in the military. Would not let it phase you and continue to give 100%? I doubt it

ramgooner

my money is definitley on park to stay at arsenal next season.with this news it is more likely he will. park is asia’s best striker.he is a leader.a good squad player.decent trainer.experienced 3rd choice back up and a clinical striker.the best part is he could be used as an element of surprise.he could be very useful in cup matches next season.arsene i hope will target league and europe next season and having his core players focus on them is very important while finge players like park could prove valuable in cup competitions. players like these are bought to make the… Read more »

Cygan's Left Foot

Go where? I thought he was doing his military service at The Arsenal….

Training every day and not playing football with all those Guns around him!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anon

The selling shirts theory is complete bullshit. Who wants to buy the shirt of a fringe player in a big club who’s the star of your country? Think about it. If Arsenal wanted to market themselves to Asian audiences, Park would have gotten a run-in on matches like the 7-1 trashing against Blackburn so that the Asian market can at least have something to cheer about (and it’s not like Arsenal had ANYTHING to lose at 5-1 up). If he planned to make Park a fabulous, Asian-market-attracting item on the Arsenal shopping window, he’d give him a chance in easy… Read more »

JC

I was surprised Wenger didn’t take RvP off in the Blackburn demolition, and I would have liked to see Park get a run out. But of course Henry was ahead of him on the depth chart so he got the nod when the Ox came off. And Song and Koscielny had to come off because of tiredness/injury (as we learned after the game — the substitutions were a bit bizarre at the time), so there really wasn’t an opportunity to take RvP off and put Park in.

TAMCK

I’ve been watching Bolton games over the last month just because Ryo is playing and I’m not even Japanese.

Maybe these Asian lads have magic powers…

springlovin

Ironically enough the reason is goal difference. Wenger chose to put Henry on rather than give Park game time as the Blackburn game was an opportunity to counter the goals we conceded especially against Man u cunts.

Nazzygooner

You guys reckon Lille would still want him in the summer? Maybe Arsene bought Park so that he could make a bid for Hazard and throw in the korean for a good bargain? Who knows?

stonedwasherman

I still back Park to come good. Call me a day-dreamer but yeah..

Anon

you’re not alone at least

AFC

Gosh. I’m waiting for months now to post “that” Blur link and for some decent banter, but so far I’m not sure if that is ever going to happen.

I think you should never write off players bought by AW, but in this case it simply doesn’t seem to happen for Park. Shame though.

Anon

Nobody wrote off Amaury Bischoff because he pretty much didn’t exist though.

AFC

I am waiting for months to post “that” Blur link and do some good banter but I feel that somehow this is not going to happen.

I wouldn’t want to write off players bought by AW, but in this case it seems more and more difficult to believe. Also, regarding Podolski’s arrival.

TAMCK

I said that about Bendtner.

Still might happen!

ken

Me too. I mean have we actually seen any indifference or inability from him? No because he really hasn’t even been given any sort of chance to at least garner detractors. Anyway, he’s looked fairly sharp the times he’s stepped out on the pitch for us. Sure, he won’t be our No. 1 option and he might not hold up the ball but we should at least let him have more of a go than what he’s had this season.

DB

Feel a bit sorry for him as its not his fault he’s not good enough, more like AW or the scout (Grimandi?) who signed him.

Wish him all the best wherever he goes, just don’t understand why we pissed up our relationship with Lille (not only for Hazard, who I doubt we’ll get but for the future in general), for this guy?

This was our ultimate panic buy, and epitomises everything this summer should not be.

Adam Watford

I thought Hazard has already said he wanted to go to the other mob down the Seven Sisters Road anyway.

His preference it seems is for Lillywhite not Red and White.

Trollsene

Don’t know why you got thumbed down, to be honest. Hazard is a transfer flirt, something you don’t want at any club. Yes, he is world class no doubt, but getting him is trouble waiting to happen. If/When Real Madrid or Barca come calling, he’d probably hop on the next flight to Spain.

TAMCK

Transfer flirt? Such bullshit. This is basically what’s happened: Newspaper: “How would you feel about playing for Arsenal?” Hazard: “They’re a good club. I would probably enjoy playing for them.” Newspaper: “How would you feel about playing for Manchester United?” Hazard: “They’re a good club. I would probably enjoy playing for them.” Newspaper: “How would you feel about playing for Tottenham?” Hazard: “They’re a good club. I would probably enjoy playing for them.” Newspaper: “How would you feel about playing for Real Madrid?” Hazard: “They’re a good club. I would probably enjoy playing for them.” Newspaper: “How would you feel… Read more »

waterbear

I know some if not most people will disagree with me but I don’t believe he’s as bad a footballer as people make it seem. I still remember his amazing goal he scored in the carling cup and thought to myself that Wenger’s pulled it off again. For some reason however he hasn’t been given a chance to play and this could be down to Wenger thinking he’s not up to standards or it could be something else. We simply don’t know all facts to it and I find it hard to condemn a player that hasn’t been given the… Read more »

Anon

“We simply don’t know all facts to it and I find it hard to condemn a player that hasn’t been given the chance to play.”

Frog, fatgooner etc have apparently joined the “In Arsene We Trust Completely” brigade and pointed out Arsene’s decisions to not pick Park shows that he is complete shit.

And somehow when Arsene plays Denilson, we agree he is shit.

Tom C

Maybe he was just insurance that wasn’t needed in the end. If RVP had been injured in january and we hadn’t signed Park then we would have been strikerless

Wyn

He took that goal nicely in the Carling Cup. Wouldn’t mind a bit more of that.

JC

Park is the best player on arguably the best national team in Asia — he certainly has quality. But he hasn’t had the opportunities at Arsenal, and perhaps with good reason. As we all know, we only play one man upfront, which means limited opportunities for central strikers generally, and our man upfront is van-tastic and irreplaceable. Considering that RvP has not been injured (and may that continue!) and how our season has gone, with each game being critical and a “cup final,” we haven’t had much of an opportunity to play central strikers other than RvP. Park is buried… Read more »

Anon

Good to note that Arsene has played Thierry alongside Van Persie a few times when he was still here. Arsene pretty much MADE ROOM for Thierry, not so much for Park…

JC

Yes, but Henry is… well, Henry. And he clearly demonstrated that Wenger’s trust was deserved.

Anon

But at the same time he gives no chances to Park. Pretty heart-breaking if I were the South Korean wasting a full year.

Trollsene

The best NT in Asia? Well, I’d agree to that if Japan is not part of Asia.

the only sam is nelson

interesting. so we bought a player on the cheap, because his value had been diminished due to the expectation he’d have to bugger off and play toy soldiers. Now we have the korean captain on our books, available for playing without the problem of that military service. So he either beds in and delivers on some of the promise he’s shown (the league cup goal already referenced was a moment of genuine class that people should bear in mind when trying to dismiss him), which would be great or we sell him on at a fat profit, which wouldn’t be… Read more »

Gooner-and-how

I am more optimistic .. maybe the prof was waiting fr this to happen before introducing him to the first team.. he can so obviously score goals… from being parked to the highway now

the only sam is nelson

also i like the look on his face that suggests he’s getting bored of keeping the junior gunners in the family enclosure amused by doing aeroplane impressions…

“I’ve had enough of this now. Can I do the train next?”

ontheup

I think you also have to look at the possibility that Wenger didn’t believe that RvP could play almost 90 minutes of almost 39 games. I mean he went from horse placenta to work horse in the span of one season – there’s your headline Arseblog 😉 Who knows how Arsenal would’ve fared with Park instead of RvP? I mean, worse, for sure, but it’s possible Park would’ve shown the skills to stay here next season. I’m not against keeping him and Chamakh as 3rd and 4th strikers.

the only sam is nelson

work horse is a bit lee chapman. can we not have thoroughbred?

argonaut

We’ve either got to start playing him, or sell him this Summer. With the deferral of military service, his value has just gone up significantly. Use him, or cash in.

And no sodding loan deals.

Midfield Corporal

Whenever anyone mentions Park to Arsene, I always picture that scene in Weird Sciene where Gary’s Grandparents have had their memory wiped and ask ‘who is this Gary character’. Not sure Arsene even remembers signing him.

heihaci

It was a last minute gamble from Wenger. I feel sorry for him because he would’ve been playing regularly in ligue 1

rvp

Its simple maths people….buy him for 2.5m sell a few thousand shirts…get rid of him for some sum…say 1 million even….no real loss made, some new fans gained

Trollsene

I refer you to Anon’s post.

Bixby

I think Wenger bought him for Carling Cup & (perhaps) FA cup purpose, so he could rest RVP in those competitions. Since we’re not playing in both of ’em anymore, the chance of seeing Park playing is gonna be minimal this season. I still believe things are gonna get better for him next season with arsenal. Just my thoughts.

Tommy Gun

I’m not suggesting Park was or wasn’t bought as a way to profit in the Asian market but I just wanted to highlight the “shirt sales” argument as it my understanding that it is branded financial products that make clubs the big bucks. Do a google, apparently Man Utd have sold over a million club branded credits cards in Korea as well as picking up a couple of Korean sponsors after signed their Park.

Mulcs32

Park was just a last minute panic buy that hasn’t worked out.He along with Chamakh will leave and 2 to come in.I hope and pray that the board invest heavily in the squad so that we wont be looking for a third striker to replace RVP.

Tenzo

Personally, I discovered Park 6 years ago while playing Fifa07, and he was already good then. I’ve watched numerous videos of Park, and his style of play was different to that of a CF. He’s got decent, and good ball control. It would be ok to play him on the wings, but we’ve got bags of cover in that department. He’d need to play with a partner, but that isnt going to happen, as he isnt a Chamack-esque player, who is strong and good in the air. He could’ve struck up a decent partnership with Chamack, if they were allowed… Read more »

Tenzo

*decent pace

MAllen

We need to give the lad a proper run. We need to see how his game develops when he’s play a few in a row. Look at Rosicky – don’t you feel his present form is largely due to Ramsey’s absence?

feygooner

I think it has more to do with Rosicky’s presence in the team.

rvp

or… end of the season well dress him up as RVP sell him for 100 million to Man City and rvp will be renamed as Park from now on….

Frog

Sorry lads, you’re all wrong. The correct answer to this conundrum is : who give a shit about a guy who never plays? It doesn’t matter what the reason is. If the boss doesn’t play him, I don’t give a shit about him.

the only sam is nelson

so you don’t give a shit about jack wilshere? santos?

i look forward to your rapidly backtracking answer

ribbit

Frog

What? I’m pretty sure the boss play jack and santos when they’re fit. Please don’t call me retarded if you’re to dull to read and understand the post I made. I clearly said: if the boss doesn’t play him. Fuck off.

Frog

This was a combined response to tamck and Sammy the turd.

the only sam is nelson

“It doesn’t matter what the reason is”

stupid troll, frog. do try and keep up with the meaning of the words you type.

TAMCK

I guarantee you’ll give a shit the next time Van Persie twists his ankle on the training field and we’re left with a Chamakh vs Park conundrum for the next game.

P.S. You are retarded.

Witoldo

The answer is: Theo Walcott, Benik Afobe, Tomas Vermaelen, or a RVP lookalike who will cause other teams to think they need to be wary.

Frog

Gervinho played up front for Lille as well. Apparently I’m not the retarded one.

Midfield Corporal

That’s a bit of a blinkered approach to supporting your team isn’t it?

Midfield Corporal

Original comment in response to Frog

Frog

No I don’t think it’s blinkered. If arsene decides for whatever reason that he isn’t going to play a guy, what’s the point in arguing about it? I support whatever team the boss fields every time. If he decides to play park, I’ll support him. Fact is, he doesn’t play so I don’t give a shit. We took Henry on loan and kept chamkh( who sucks) just so he wouldn’t have to play park. I’d even bet we’d see theo up front before he played park in an epl game. So really, why should I care? If Podolski or any… Read more »

Witoldo

I can’t believe people still think Park has a future at the club. In these days of 25-man squad limits (and more importantly for us, the 17-man non-homegrown limit), you can’t have dead weight in the squad. He’s played 18 minutes of League action for us all year. Aside for the well-taken goal in the Carling Cup, during his other run-outs he’s looked out of his depth–e.g. poor first touch, nervous on the ball. True, the injury gods chose to strike down the defense and the midfielders this year, but even still Henry, Chamakh, and RVP in the deep red… Read more »

Witoldo

Look at it this way–even Diaby with his injury hell has had more Premier League minutes than a healthy Park this year. Do you really think we’re keeping Park instead of giving his squad space to someone else? Someone like the highly-rated prospect Afobe could easily be our third- or fourth-choice striker next year.

Frog

Ya! That’s what I was trying to say. Park has no future at this club, hence, I don’t care about him.

Fatgooner

No! Park must be given a 4-year extension to his contract. It might take that long to discover why the fuck Wenger signed him in the first place.

Anon

Afobe is under 21 so won’t have to be named in the 25 man squad

Voldermort

If people think park is or could be so good i take it the same people will feel no need need to sign podolski in that case.
The only reason park may get game time between now and the end of the season is if rvp gets injured.
He will them be sold by wenger because we panicked in the summer and decided to buy cheap rather the quality.

Anon

No one said Park was TSGSTEL, and these same people who didn’t fully agree to your extremist views said he was shit either, we’re undecided.

Good job drawing some excellent straw men to the table, your logical capabilities astound me!

Anon

“If people think park is or could be so good i take it the same people will feel no need need to sign podolski in that case.”

You’re admitting yourself we think he “COULD” be good. A few years ago I never thought the economy could go bust so badly, but it did. JET was thought as a player who COULD play for the Arsenal first-team (but he didn’t), and years back we all thought Jack Wilshere COULD become a great player for Arsenal (and he does).

COULD, moron.

Frog

So in the first half of the thread I get abused, then you guys show up? Haha park sucks. End of story. I just don’t see how these twats can disagree.

Fatgooner

Don’t worry about the arseholes, Frog. Us smart ones know exactly where you’re coming from.

Anon

Yay, you’ve got friends now! 🙂

Voldermort

We have your back frog 😉

Midfield Corporal

I think the Frogs argument has got distorted as the thread moves on. I don’t think tamck or Sam think Park is any good, but the issue was frog not caring about anyone not in AW’s first team. I often find myself agreeing with elements of Frogs arguments but the the way that they are put forward are a little aggressive for some tastes. My only concern with park and Chamakh is to get them off the wage bill to make room for someone who will actually contribute to the team.

Frog

Yes and no. It’s not only the ” first team”. The fact that wenger , who has proven to be an excellent judge of a players skill set and ability, has so little faith in him that he can’t even get some minutes when we’re up 5 goals, says it all. Weather we like it our not, arsene is calling all the shots at the arsenal rite now. If he doesn’t “like” a player enough to get him some minutes, then it doesn’t matter. Hence, I don’t give a shit about park. That’s all I was saying. Then tamck abused… Read more »

Anon

“an excellent judge of a players skill set and ability”

-Denilson
-Bendtner
-L. Diarra

excellent judge.

point: Arsene is not always right

Frog

Thanks guys. I’m touched.

chris

Park was bought as a make shift option on a 2 and a half year deal because we thought he would have to leave for the military. I can’t see us keeping him we have to be wise with our squad options and if we are looking at players like Podolski and Giroud then i think his time or Chamhaks will be coming to an end at the club in the near future

Merry

This is good news for Park. I always liked him as a player, watching him play for South Korea in the various international cups and what not, so seeing him stagnate at Arsenal (for whatever reason) when he only had 2 years left in his career was sad. Now, assuming Arsene doesn’t start playing him all of a sudden, at least he’ll be able to have a proper end to his career at a club where he can find his level.

Les Bleu LaGoon

gotta say, I do feel bad for the guy. Scores for the reserves, scores for Korea, did score one very nice goal for the senior team in one of his his very limited first team run-out’s, but can’t get 10 minutes coming off the bench in a rout. Im not saying that he has a place with us or is good enough to be a gunner in the long run… just that I feel for a guy who seems to be a solid football player but can’t get a minute of first team football. That being said, I sit on… Read more »

Gunner4life

Park, chamakh, squilacci and almunia must go. Any arsenal-loving person can see that they take up way too much space which be filled by way more effective and quality players.

Gunner4life

Park, chamakh, squilacci and almunia must go. Any arsenal-loving person can see that they take up way too much space which could be filled by way more effective and quality players.

Voldermort

Anon, why get abusive to make a point? I didn’t insult you, I was just making a point. Shame you feel you have to call someone you don’t know a Moran because their views differ from yours.
Guess that says a lot more about you than it does some of the others on here who make thier case without abuse.
Have a good day mate.

Frog

Just skip any post from anon. He’s proven time and again to be a teat.

Voldermort

Moron even.

Midfield Corporal

Kevin Moran was a moron.

chippy

Anyone who thinks he won’t be at the Asian tour in the summer is deluded…he’s worth millions for that alone

Munya

fact is he hasn’t been given a chance to shine, he looks a decent player but I cant see where he’ll fit into the team unless we play him with an inform vp or chamackh in a 442. TBH RVP’s form has been such that it been difficult but henry’s appearances put doubt in the mind. given a run in this very good team im sure he can do well.

[…] a rather odd situation and story is developing regarding Ju Young Park. The story of him delaying his military service emerged last week and now his lawyer is quoted as saying: Additional negotiations about his […]

Dev

Lots of speculation. None of us know the true mystery behind Park. Someone needs to quiz Wenger in a press conference regarding this soon. He was thrown on with about 5 minutes to play against Man United and against Milan in the second leg, as though let off from his cage for 5 minutes. Then back to detention. Needs to play a half or so, not instead of RVP, but rather with him, altering our formation a bit though.

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