Arsene Wenger has said he believes in Nicklas Bendtner despite almost selling the striker this summer.
No doubt there’s a measure of pragmatism to his comments. In the absence of Lukas Podolski, Theo Walcott and Yaya Sanogo, who could have deputised for Olivier Giroud, the manager is forced into using a player whose last appearance for Arsenal was in May 2011.
Since then he’s had two dreadful loan spells, a drink driving conviction, and he appears to have a grown a beard worse than Katie Holmes.
Still, he’s likely to start the Capital One Cup game against West Brom tomorrow night and Wenger wanted to remind people of the qualities that see him the second highest overall scorer at the club at this moment in time.
“I personally believe in his qualities. It’s just down to attitude and fighting spirit. When he has that, Nicklas can be an unstoppable striker. He gets his chance. Our job is about that. Take your chance.
“Fans forgive you everything as long as you produce the performances on the football pitch. That’s what people want. I think our fans have a positive attitude towards Bendtner and they will be behind him. Only you can create that with your performances..
“I see him as a centre forward. He can use his body back to goal. He’s an intelligent player, he can play intelligent passes and protect. He’s a similar type size-wise to Olivier Giroud. The central role is perfect for him.”
Having previously declared his desire to go elsewhere (more than once), and generally annoyed people with his flim-flamming ways, it’s going to take some good performances to get people back on side.
Still, he’s going to be in the side tomorrow and let’s hope he does well. He might not be The Greatest Striker That Ever Lived but … well, you know.
Ah Blogs, great to have you back an’all, back in the squad and available again. Great. But, y’know, the young lad, Arseblog Tom, has kinda come in and done a good job in your absence. A very good job really. And we’ve secured some nice wins while you’ve been away, you see. So maybe we’ll bring you back gently – just covering the Capital One cup games for now – just to get you back to full Blog fitness you understand. But for now, Arseblog Tom deserves his place in the side. I know, and it’s good that you’re disappointed,… Read more »
What’s important is the team.
How was Newyork?
It was awesome.
“he appears to have a grown a beard worse than Katie Holmes” — It is nice to have you back, Arseblogger!
Not only a decidedly dodgy beard, he appears to be trying to outdo Chamakh in the stupid hairstyle department. Not quite there yet Nic, but it’s certainly showing promise…
If he really has to copy Ibrahimovic’s style, then he might as well score his kind of goals, I say! No questions asked.
I just got kicked out of a plane just for saying hi to my friend Jack.
He’s the blogger we deserve, but not the one we need right now. So we’ll bench him, because he can take it.
This is the greatest comment that ever lived.
LIES!! DIRTY, DIRTY LIES!!
I am looking forward to this game because of the return of Bendtner. It’s only recently that I realised how far down the rabbit hole his love for the limelight had taken him – I wasn’t aware that his ‘antics’ included an ill-advised entry into parenthood and then a break-up seven weeks later. That sort of shit at 23 has solid potential to fuck with anybody’s head. His insane dad doesn’t seem to help matters much. The man seems fundamentally broken inside. Of course much of that is down to him, but if the Arsenal can drag a redemption story… Read more »
If we get 15 goals out of Bendtner this season, we will win the Capitol One Cup.
If we get 15 goals out of Bendtner this season we will win COC, league, and CL.
The thing is, for me at least, the notion of a Bendtner redemption is practically impossible. Not because of the astonishing hubris. Not because of the frequent acts of insubordination and appalling lapses in judgement. Not because of his despicable contentment to wile away his contract at arsenal mincing around cramming pies in his face. Not even because of that sh*t turtleneck sweater/blazer combo. No- what I’ll never forgive Supernick for goes back to the second leg of the tie v. Barcelona: In the Camp Nou, 86 minutes gone- a long ball by Na… some pr*ck finds Bendtner in space… Read more »
And then he’ll fack off on a free next year.
On another note, I quite like his beard!! And his new look. I mean I’m not turning all gay for Bendtner like I am gay for Pires (I’m not that gay. I’m just REALLY happy about Pires), but c’mon, let’s show some support for his beard.
blogs back…. he is like a new signing!!!!
did not see this – d’oh
It’s like signing a new blogger
He’s so hard to seriously sometimes especially with his new hairdo but fuck it, he’s one of us. If he lives up to his potential he’ll be a great player off the bench. If he’s still mucking up let’s get Luis Muriel or Benteke or any other decent striker.
*take
We know what he means.
The spelling police are strict on this site.
He was correcting himself!
aww FUCK!!
If people go round correcting their own mistakes what future is left for me?
You selfish swine Heisenburg.
In order to keep my fellow grammar nazis in work I will now spell something worng.
Go for it brothers!!!
Personally quite digging his Yojimbo/Shogun hair piece.
http://opal-films.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/yojimbo.jpg
He was inspired by that picture of Mertesacker and Podolski going at it with samurai swords on the Asian tour. He’s hoping to do well this season so he can get a new deal and go on next year’s trip and have a sword fight himself.
big ups to the Hound for the near hourly updates on Arseblog News!
and blogs too, thought this was by the Hound, good job all around
TGBTEL
He thinks he’s TGSTEL. We know it’s not true but trying to be it tommorow evening won’t hurt now would it?
Of course Wenger will talk up Bendtner. I hope he scores tomorrow, and can get in good form for us this year. (I think he will play well, since he’s playing for a new contract).
“Bendtner can be an unstoppable striker” is up there with “Eboué is becoming a pass master” as Wenger’s most hyperbolic compliments
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wenger-eboue-is-becoming-a-pass-master
He was a pass master. He gave a masterful performance as the game passes him by
Nicky B having a good game and scoring would be very good news, he’s the only other option as a CF now and I’d like to see Giroud get a rest now and then.
I always thought Bendtner had it in him to bag a decent amount of goals but he was shunted out wide too often, clearly hot upset and then started acting like a dick..he nerds these few months to go well..
The sad thing is that he’s acted like he has nothing to learn since he was 18. Giroud has developed more in a year than Bendtner has in 6. I really hope he starts taking his career seriously, beginning now. Wasting talent is shameful, and wasting a chance to work with as great a man and coach as Wenger is even worse. It would be a great story if he can turn it around now.
Cheeky Mooro. Very cheeky. Nice one.
Is he using that new look to get a photo for a fake driving licence?
I’ve always had a soft spot for the seemingly dickheaded, childish, asshole that is Bendtner. Pulling for the TGSTEL name to come to fruition tomorrow with a 7 goal showing.
COYG!
If he manages that he can put TGSTEL as the name on the back of his shirt.
Whats done is done , I hope crowd doesnt boo him or anything at the game… We need him till january and I hope crowd gets behind him like any other player in the Arsenal colors .
COYG
I’m gonna be the swotty one to point out that his last official appearance was in August 2011 against Liverpool when he came on as a sub. I only remember that game because of Frimpong being sent off and that cunt Nasri still playing for us. Anyway, Come on Nicky!! Win us back!!
It’s generous to call what nasri did in that match “playing” for us. He was on the pitch in a red shirt though.
I’m sure we’ll see Chuba Akpom get a good amount of the minutes in tomorrow’s game anyways.
I just hope he gets a warm reception, I know he has had a very up and down time at The Arsenal but this season we have to get behind every player 100% if we really want to challenge for silverware, even if it is only the Capital one cup!
thoughts?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1HDV1G4CbY
Ow and Arsenal are class again sad Theo is out for a bit but thats going to happen over a season, players will get injured and will miss some time that will happen its about our squad deph now.
I’ve never disliked the man. Always thought he has more talent than he ever showed, and way more than most fans believed he had. Always viewed his arrogant statements and attitude actually highlighted a very thin skinned and insecure personality that needed to talk big to make himself appear big; which is a fairly common mistake of youth that dont realise, actions speak far louder. Personally, by his age I’d made many mistakes, statements, and judgements that I regretted in later life with a bit more experience and knowledge behind me. As I would guess is the case with many… Read more »
Wise words, Orang.
There was a brilliant extract from Bergkamp’s new book this week in the Guardian, which contained this: ‘Arsène Wenger has an interesting view. He says, “I believe you have two kinds of players who play football. Those who want to serve football like you serve God, and they put football so high that everything that is not close to what football should be is a little bit non-acceptable. And then you have those who use football to serve their ego. And sometimes the ego can get in the way of the game, because their interest comes before the interest of… Read more »
This is the talk Wenger needs to give him.
FUCK it!. I dont care the past. If TGSTEL is running the pitch in Red and White he got my 101% support. And I’d be screaming the top of my lung when he completed his hattrick by the 89th minute.
Wenger knows…..Wenger knows…
COYG!
The bugger had better complete it before that. I want to see Park get on and get a hattrick of his own. I would love to see Park have at least one game where the Arsenal faithful actually see that he really can play and score. If he’s in the squad that proves he is still be a footballer, which is something many have speculated on in the last couple of years. Maybe tonight will be his night. If Bradford and Blackburn were too good for us on the day last season then West Brom certainly will be a challenge… Read more »
I’d prefer to see Akpom start than Bendtner, I thought he looked pretty useful in preseason, and he’s a much better prospect for us in the long term. I have nothing against Bendtner, but how many chances does that guy need or even deserve to prove himself? If he winds up on another silly money contract with us I will not be a happy gooner. Let him play while we are short up front, but get rid of him in the summer. Please.
Eddie Honda has dyed his hair blond!
Why are our striker all so fucking big and lank??. talk of Giroud, Bendtner, Sanogo and Chuba.
Can’t we have an aguero-esque or suarez-esque striker soon! just to confuse our opponents.
Wenger prefers tall, athletic strikers apart from Eduardo he’s never really favoured the shorter South American types.
I think you’re forgetting about Franny Jeffers.
Tall and lank? Are you, like Ivan Gazidis, from Johannesburg? 😀
Because most of our attack is tiny, they’re pretty strong but that extra height up there is useful for playing off and augments our set-piece ability.
We have Park. In Arsenal striker terms he’s a pygmy at 5ft 11 and a half. Bendtner and Giroud are both 6ft 4 ins.
He is officially now The Greatest Samurai That Ever Lived.
Must have spent the last 2 years watching every Japanese samurai flick available on DVD>
When Bendtner puts on the Arsenal shirt tomorrow I will give him my full support. Everyone deserves a second chance, he is in the last chance saloon to make something of his football career. He needs to grab this opportunity by the horns with both hands. To quote Gladiator ” win the crowd and you shall win your freedom” COYG
Once a prick, always a prick.
Wengers got no choice, so obviously his gonna big him up.
It’s a gamble but if it does pay off,
Then it will add a few more mil to his valuation come January.
You should know about being a prick, Wayne.
Go on lad.Here’s that 2nd chance,do good by yourself if not for the rest of us.Show your worth.
The difference between him and Giroud is that when one of them removes his shirt……a semi maybe on the cards.
Is it just me or does he look like he’s the post-apocalyptic future version of Bendtner?
I hope it is post-apocalyptic. I hope all the shit is over and some good times are coming.
His hair makes him look like a bearded sumo wrestler 🙂
His hair makes him look like a prick.
So while the West Brom defence falls over laughing he can sneak in and score. Great.
And i thought we had bought some young Spanish CB, didn’t recongize him at all
We need TGSTEL to be an effective option to the HFB, at least until the January window. However, the squad will not reach its full potential without Walcott performing at or near his peak form. Feo, in form, is a Difference Maker. We don’t have enough of those to consistently challenge the top squads for silverware. Ozil certainly helps there.
I’m torn between trying to stay in the Cup or saving our best for Swansea.
Everyone deserves another chance. I hope he smashes a few in and give Giroud some competition for start in the team. I might be overthinking but Giroud has no competition whatsoever and can only perform based on self motivation, desire and goal.
You know…I was thinking about Katie Holmes and thought, but she’s not hairy…!??
Then it suddenly dawned…
Blogs..welcome home.
Lovin the new Mogul Khan look Bendtner.
I thought Nicky B went to Denmark to regain fitness, he looks he just got back from a monastry in the far East. Let’s hope Bendtner son is in the right state of mind in the evening.
hii co gunners….
I cant understand how we fans can ever go against a player in red and white….
niklasB at the moment is one among us…
back him please. ..
let him be a part in bringing glory back to the Grove…
Blogs hope you enjoyed your time here in our USA mate. 3 points while here could not have hurt the stay much. We love The Arsenal here and BPL football it is truly growing by the day…the fact that we get every match now is just sublime. As for TGSTEL…well my feeling is he just needs to play, play with fight and desire and do his best for the squad. It can only help all parties involved really. In the past I would be up in arms regarding such cup ties…and not taking them seriously. I want to be clear… Read more »
He’s a great player just played out of position too often & wasn’t giving enough playing time.But I understand what can you do when u have players like henry,van persie,Eduado etc in your team?!.perhaps this is a better opportunity for him to proof his worth.
he is not a great player IMO and he had plenty of opportunities to prove me wrong
Fitting that his hairdo looks akin to that of a prized sumo wrestler eh?
I like nick. Here’s to a goal or three.
I know we’re short of options and all but surely this is the competition to see how Akpom is progressing? By starting this twat we are sending out the wrong message. Sooner we get rid the better. We should have ended this farce and paid him up in the summer.
That would put one hell of a pile of pressure on Akpom, wouldn’t it?
I don’t like the guy. But I love Arsenal. Right thing to do is cheer him and the rest of the team on.
Well, now that Bendtner’s back wearing the red-and-white, I hope nobody takes his intestines, untangles them and stretches them out lengthways!
What a strange feeling. Somehow i’m keen to watch the game just to see how he’ll perform.
If I was Wenger I’d pair Bendy up with Flamini for EVERYTHING training, sitting on the bus, in fact i’d make him live with him.
That would sort is attitude and motivation out.
It would also make a great bromance movie
I think we should all support NB tonight but there is a part of me that would drag Bergkamp out of retirement to paly tonight to just slap the ego out of NB one last time.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/dennis-bergkamp-rows-with-arsne-wenger-were-childish-but-they-came-from-the-heart-8837562.html
Wow. Arsene argued with God and Won.
I’m sad about the way Lehmann’s sending off marred that CL final all over again now.
“Getting people back on side” as opposed to getting on people’s backsides, which what he has been doing up until now.