Arsene Wenger has admitted it was a gamble to select Nicklas Bendtner for tonight’s 2-0 win over Hull, but said the Dane had worked hard in training and merited a chance.
His selection was something of a surprise but with the need to rest Giroud and Theo Walcott not an option from the start due to illness, the Arsenal manager had little choice.
“Look,” he said, “it is a gamble if a guy has not played for a long time, and his last performance was not convincing against Chelsea, but he has worked hard in training and deserved a chance.
“We know that when he has the mind of the game, he has the qualities. I believe tonight he had a good game.”
Pressed on the striker’s long-term future (I mean, why would that have to be an issue after one game but that’s modern journalism), the boss was, as you would expect, more circumspect.
“At the moment we are not as far as that. He has the stature, he has good technical quality, he has quite good pace.
“Look, we had him as a boy of 15 or 16 and I made him sign a long contract twice so that means I always believed in his qualities.”
It’s a matter of expediency, of course, and with no Podolski, no Sanogo, a sick Walcott, what else could he have done with Everton, Napoli and Man City to come in a 6 day spell.
It’s nothing more than a decent performance from Bendtner and a good, important goal. Let’s leave it at that.
He scores when he wantssssssss.
Kind of
Gotta love the ponytail man. should have had a hattrick tonight but probably doesnt know how those are done anymore….
Not sure you gotta love him. Resignedly accept, perhaps?
The last time he scored before tonight was a hattrick…it’s fresh in his mind!
Loved the “he swims when he wants!” chant after the goal…
That was so funny
Classic classic performance, Bendtner. Gutted Madrid or Barca will Nick our Bendtner in the next transfer window!!
Given a chance, got a goal and played well, so fair play to him. Such a shame that his attitude is so poor as he does have the talent
Bendtner has always had talent and on his best day is hard for any defense in Europe to beat. Trouble is that his mind/attitude/desire/personal decision making/lack of class has always been in his way to prove that on a regular basis.
One of those players who could have been if only he would have listened to Arsene’s advice and had the “Arsenal DNA” like other youth coming up at the time like Jack.
He swims where he wants
This comment made me laugh quite a lot and for that i thank you!
beautiful whipped in cross from jenks as well for TGSTEL’s goal, let’s not forget
well rotated by the manager, i think
And the perfectly placed, beautifully weighted pass from Ramsey to set up Jenko’s cross, let’s not forget
Lovely clipped pass from Rosicky to set up Ramsey to set up Jenko’s cross, while we’re about it.
Where’s the keys for the swimming pool
if he could just be that humble 15 year old you signed..where did it all go wrong…where!!
Danish Princess might have the answers
lol….he shags a lot of them right?
Wish I could like “he swims when he wants” a thousand times.
To be honest, provided he doesn’t do something utterly stupid, I’m completely comfortable with him as a second choice striker to allow Giroud a rest every now and then.
He could have been one of the leaders of the squad and loved by all as he has been here for a very long time. He has lost his bond with the Club a bit. Now it’s much tougher to rebuild it. Can this be the first step in that direction?
I was worried when I saw he was starting, but then I suppose that’s why Wenger’s manager-he knows what he’s doing, and I guess Bendtner’s been working well in training. I’m quite interested as well in yet another clean sheet. I’ve lost track of how many we’ve kept on the trot now, while Chelsea and Manchester City, the pundits’ darlings (for some reason they seem to like clubs prostituting themselves to wealthy owners) let in three and two goals respectively. I’m starting to think we actually might do something this season…
Why are the league leaders on 6th on match of the day?
You should know better by now.
He did ok. That’s about it.
Was good for him that he got that early goal, and in his position, you would hope he would look at the players he now has behind him, and what they could do for him, and realise what a fuckin great opportunity he has here. Such that he has no chance of getting elsewhere.
But you know he won’t. Probably.
And that’s the sad truth for him and his career.
So true. I can’t help but think there’s a fairly decent footballer buried deep under all the twatery, just clamouring to come out. Doubt we’ll ever get more than a glimpse though. Shame.
The Dane of our existence
Best comment thus far.
On the night he managed only 3 less than Suarez. what a night for him calls for a swim this!
worth noting that Suarez has scored nearly as many as Tottenham this season…
Ramsey’s only one behind…and he’s not a striker
suarez has played six less games
And he’s a cunt
wenger’s pragmatism pays dividends- in any other club he would’ve been totally frozen out.Played well, and i’d use him for any fa cup games-plus, its nice to see and it gives giroud a break. The squad is starting to look pretty formidable- also daydreaming that yaya sanogo is an absolute ivan drago of a striker that wenger is priming for the run in!
and what a cross from jenkinson!
he’s always been a fantastic crosser – overtly glad that he got a chance to show that off today
I wonder what felt worse for Hull fans: that AW thought so little of them that he gave Nik a start or that he scored on them inside 3 minutes.
Anyway, good game indeed. Must admit I was one who hoped he’d never wear the shirt again. Once again, Arsene played his cards just right.
Enjoy this new thing Arsene is doing with the ‘Look’ prefix to his statements. In other words, ‘wind your neck in.’
BENDTNER YOU BEAUTYY
HAS THE JARL RETURNED? DOES THIS MARK THE RETURN OF OUR GREAT NORDIC WARRIOR PRINCE? NO? OKAY, I’LL TURN OFF THE CAPS NOW.
Fair play Bendtner.
Glad you got a goal.
The sneaky part is that Steve Bruce has always loved Bendtner (took him on loan twice and wanted him at Hull this year).
Lol did love until he knobbed his daughter and did one
There was a footballer named Nick.
Who’s moves were not clever or slick.
He beat on his chest
and said I am the best.
Should we trust him or give him the flick?
Nick Bentner could, if he got his head down and worked his socks off in training and curbed his urges to party, become a very important squad member for us. He has the stature and the ability to come in and do a fine job.
TROUBLE IS HE WON’T BECAUSE HE CAN’T STOP BEHAVING LIKE A TOSSER !
Its pantomime season and nick bendtnaaaaar is our very own villian! He bound to play well this month!
I’ll just chip this in to Bendtner, “common Nick make us proud of u and do ur job well and sensibly, coz we still believe in you”
May be be when he reads this he’ll change?!
😀