Nikki confirms he wants out! That’s sad news, very sad news…..

Is it heck, why has it taken him so long?

I’m not suggesting he is a bad player but in my mere humble opinion, he is a striker not clinical enough to make a real impact at a club like Arsenal.

He joined us in 2004 as a youth signing.

His career stats, including his loan spell are:

In 132 League appearances, including from the bench, he has scored 33 goals and has 20 assists!

In the FA Cup he has made 14 appearances, scored 4 goals and has 2 assists!

In the League Cup (Carling Cup) he has made 20 appearances, scored 8 goals and has 4 assists!Finally, in Europe he has made 29 appearances, scored 9 goals and has just 2 assists….…

Yep Nikki, you are right, you are a world-class striker and you will one day be the best….

Here’s a few of his so-called quotes:

It is always fair to ask whether players are worth the incredible amounts of money. We must be worth our salaries because that is how the mechanisms of society works, isn’t it?

As long as I work as hard as I can then I believe I’m worth what is coming my way. I pay a big price with my body, my time and with never being able to have privacy when I am out.

I don’t complain about that. It’s a part of being a professional footballer but it’s definitely a price to pay. Again, I am not complaining but I love to go on a skiing holiday but as long as I have my career I can’t do that because of the risk of injury.

Ahead of us playing Barca he said:

The dream scenario is to lead the line and score against Barca. It is a difficult place to go as they don’t fail to score there.

Of course I would have no qualms about leading our attack. I am getting back to where I belong, and there are still improvements to make. It is going well, we are a team and the team will win in Barcelona, not just one player.

Ok, that’s just two, that was enough for me 😉

Yep, that is the same player who missed a golden chance to knock Barcelona out of the Champions League this season, a better touch by Nikki and we would have been through to face Real Madrid. You all recall Burnley, of course you do – how many chances did he miss?

Yes, I know he scored a fine hatrick against Leyton Orient, he also scored a very important winner against Wolves in April last year but has he ever really hit the dizzy heights?

No is the answer!

I used to be told after his constant gaffs in front of goal, ‘you have to be in there to score and at least he’s in there’ (well, something similar) but reality is, he’s a striker. Yes you have to be ‘in there’ but you also need to put your chances away and he doesn’t often enough.

Try using your head son!......
I struggled choosing a photo of him pictured after his misses, there were so many…

I would love to know what his chances to conversion stats are; maybe one of you will help out with that. I don’t think they will make good reading though.

Regardless, he has been with us long enough, long enough for us to all see he really isn’t what Arsenal FC need to be winners and despite all the good words that Nikki has about himself….

Does he back up his own words about himself on the pitch?

If he does leave, I wish him all the best in his career, I’ll miss him, honest I will – who else will I rant on about 😉

Couple of snippets in the Red Tops – The Sun report that following Wenger saying that no offers had been made for our captain, Real Madrid made contact with our club. The same paper suggests that Madrid have been told they can can the bidding off with £54 Million!

The same paper also reports that Alex Song has been given the hoof from the Cameroon squad having refused to shake hands with the captain Samuel Eto’o. Other reports suggest this story is untrue.

The Daily Mail report that we are to make a £4 Million offer for West Bromwich striker Peter Odemwingie. The same paper also report the Real Madrid interest in Cesc Fabregas, they name the price to be £50 Million though.

That’s about it for today, have a good one!

262 thoughts on “Nikki confirms he wants out! That’s sad news, very sad news…..

  1. rico says:

    Jack’s been tapping up Cahill then, good man 😉

    Just read that NN story suggesting we will announce a new signing next week (yawn) i reda the other day that Cahill would be announced after the international game…

    I love all the silliness 🙂

  2. Lee says:

    Funnily enough, was reading about jack tapping him up this morning and thought that would please you!!! 😉

  3. rico says:

    Oh, and we are one of the clubs linked to Romelu Lukaku, he’s made a statement saying he is on his way to the PL…

    Could WATH see his ‘wow’ player signed after all 😉

  4. rico says:

    Where do the papers get their news from though…

    Peter Odemwingie, where does that come from??

  5. A says:

    Silly post.

    Bring out RVP’s stats from when he was 23, and then compare?

    Bendtner could have been a big asset for our squad, and is at least much better than Chamakh despite being a lot younger. Can’t blame him for wanting to leave, though.

    And why do people continue to harp on those quotes of his? Does he behave in an arrogant manner on the pitch, or with his teammates? He is always one of the first guys to celebrate a teammate’s goal. And don’t forget, the only time during his Arsenal career when he played a number of games on the trot, he did extremely well (End of 09-10).

    He’ll be missed, and will be a very good striker.

  6. rico says:

    Too true Lee..

    A – thanks for your view but, i have mine and i don’t rate him, never have and never will. how you can compare him and chamakh when the guy has only been with us a season, is, to use your own words, a silly comment…..

    Nik has been with us long enough, he talks the talk but seldom fails to disapoint.

  7. Larry Kamvazina says:

    One things for sure, were getting a defender and a midfielder this summer.Whether they are world class or not,i have no idea folks.

  8. A says:

    You might not rate him, but don’t use stats against him. He’s just 23, and very few strikers have a record like that at that age. Plus, most of those appearances have been from the bench. Whenever he comes on as a sub, on most occasions he does make something happen, and adds another dimension to our play.

    I’ve seen enough of Chamakh this season, and even his past record, to know that he will probably never be a great or free-scoring striker. He has never really scored more than 15 goals a season anyway, despite being first choice at Bordeaux. And I’m everyone has seen how he is quite poor at shooting with his feet.

  9. rico says:

    Hi Larry,

    we’ll get signings like you say but sadly i fear they won’t be who most want…

    Lee, nor me ….

  10. Larry Kamvazina says:

    That miss at the “camp no go” was the end of his carrier here.I bet even Arsen knew it then that this guy will never make it here.Even the legendary micheal rickets(of bolton fame) would have put that chance away!

  11. A says:

    You people talk as if it was the easiest chance in the world! He had scored at the Camp Nou just a year back, you know? ALL players miss such chances in their career. Even Henry did in the CL final. And he missed two, despite playing the whole game.

    I mean, it is quite short-sighted to blame him for our CL exit, really.

  12. SUGA3 says:

    er, it WAS the easiest friggin’ chance in the world if his first touch was a tad better than a rapist’s, for crying out loud!

  13. Greg Timothy says:

    If I were Bentdtner,I want to get out. He has been played out of position when central is his best position.He is not the only one being played out of their natural position.The thing is Wenger has a penchant for letting guys in the team and not letting them play where they were bought.
    Is it any wonder the gunners can’t compete?Is it any wonder Wenger has been consistently outshone by the red faced?

  14. rico says:

    A – of course i will use his stats, they tell the story – like i said in the post, i’m not saying he may never come good, just he isn’t good enough for our club..

    re Chamakh, if you feel the same this time next year then fair do’s…

  15. Peezy says:

    I agree with ‘A’!! Bendtner at his age…is a good striker and if he gets a run of games he will be immense.

  16. rico says:

    Hi SUGA, I thought it wasn’t that hard a chance… 😉

    I think if we went back to that night and were able to hear fans comments on the miss, they wouldn’t have made pretty commentary…

  17. rico says:

    A – i don’t think anyone blames Nik outright for us losing the chance to go through, it’s a team game and they could/should have done better…

    But, when you are gifted with such an opportunity right at the end, you have to take it… He didn’t…

  18. SUGA3 says:

    yes, he can’t be blamed for the CL exit, as we did not exist in that game, but the fluke results happen in football and a quality player takes his chances when required!

  19. bops says:

    He is 23 .. What did you expect ?? Where was Henry when he was 23.. A bit of a perspective please.. Of course he will be no Henry but he is a good player and he will become a very very good striker going forward.. And regarding this years stats, what did you expect if AW puts him in the wing.. Do remember that he carried us almost single handedly at the end of last season when RVP was crocked.. remeber his goals against Stoke, Hull and Wolves.. His Champs league hatrick after he missed his chances against Burnley.. He has a lot of confidence and can come back up soon after a dissappointment.. Anyways I will definitely miss him and he is going to be a 20+ goal striker wherever he goes in a couple of years.. Thats for sure..

  20. A says:

    Well yes, he should have buried that chance, but didn’t. But really, how many of our 23 year old strikers would have? Did RVP bury the necessary chances at that age, and without a run of games? Bendtner is a 23 year old striker who has hardly ever played 10 games on the trot. He did so just once in 09-10, and scored a number of decisive goals. You weren’t complaining then, were you?

  21. rico says:

    Peezy – all i am trying to say is he’s not good enough for arsenal, he will probably do much better for a so called ‘lesser’ club or in a different league. We need a clinical goal scorer, Nik is not that man….

    Re the playing out of position, i agree he’s no winger, nor is Theo – fans maon and groan on about Theo getting of his arse and cutting in with the ball etc etc, and getting himself in the area when he can…

    Can the same not be said about Nik, we may line up 4-3-3 but once the game starts, do we ever really stay that way??

  22. rico says:

    A – Theo Walcott may have done, Nasri may have done had the chance gone to him….

    My gripe is how Nik tells us he is so so good, he isn’t to date…

  23. Merlin96 says:

    Sad, he si neither fish nor fowl.

    Does not have a predatory instinct like Eduardo or Adebayor to be a target man.

    Has the touch of a rapist which render him useless as a deep-lying forward like Van Persie.

    If he is that good, Wenegr will never even be tempted to buy Chamakh.

    His misatke is to stay with us one season too long and such force a move during summer 2010.

  24. Andy says:

    Arsenal offers great opportunities to youngsters but not to a striker – unless he is amazing – because we a RVP, there’s no need to start Bendtner because Robin is better but oh well I did like Bendtner.

  25. rico says:

    SUGA, 🙂 re your last..

    bops, he might become a good striker in a couple of years but not now, and we need now – he isn’t happy to wait so good luck to him wherever he goes i say…

    As long as it’s abroad 😉

  26. A says:

    Theo and Nasri have themselves missed many easy chances during the season. Plus, you have to take into account that they play a lot more regularly. Bendtner is expected to play 100 minutes of football over a month, and then come in and play at the same level as the top strikers in the country. When he played regularly, he was putting crucial chances away.

    He might not be made for Arsenal, considering the system we play and because RVP will always be first choice, but I wish we held on to him. Maybe all of us will regret it two years from now.

  27. Steve Palmer says:

    Morning all,
    Your post made me chuckle rico, Nick on his way and ready to go, I can see your face with a big grin, and I am also smiling, but what I am afraid of, is while Robin is Leading our line anybody else we bring in will perform the same way as the others. Wenger has on many occasions stated that he believes the way we play is still the right way, and will continue that till he is proved wrong. In my opinion six years says its wrong and our tactics need to change. Wenger see’s Robin as our No1 striker and although I don’t disagree at the moment, still believe we need plan B now and again, we are predictable as has been proved, and if we do not change we will continue with some of the same. Bentner has been used and had many chances and as you stated rico could have put Barca to bed, but i watched an old game last night where Chamakh had a chance to head a goal and chose to pass instead, this must be instilled in them, Bentner on the flank, what the hell are those tactics, yes Nicky is not as great as he thinks he is and Wengers idea’s are not the best either. definitely time for change

  28. SUGA3 says:

    A,

    and who told you that we should be limiting ourselves to having 23 year old strikers?

    bops,

    he will NEVER be as good as Henry, well, he might, but it would take a lot of hard work, which he is not really going to do, since he thinks he is the bollocks…

  29. rico says:

    Hi Andy.

    If Nikki was getting it right on the pitch i am sure wenger would have played him rvp…

  30. A says:

    Remember how long RVP takes to get going after returning from injury? Or Walcott? Or Nasri? Or Fabregas? It is the same with every player! Bendtner had no pre season, and played no regular football. It’s not easy, but he isn’t judged with the same yardstick, I don’t know why.

  31. Gooner4life&beyond says:

    Van Persie at 23. 22 League appearances, 11 goals and 7 assists. Just what was your point again A?

  32. SUGA3 says:

    A,

    whatever dude, he is not being played regularly, because he is shit…

    and he might be judged differently if he did not come out with all that crap about being a top striker and willing to play for Barca…

    same goes for Diaby, I don’t want either of these big time Charlies at the club, come the next season, but sadly, the future Ballon d’Or winner will still be here and will probably get a new contract and a payrise for contributing bugger all…

  33. rico says:

    A – we will never know, all we do know is he didn’t take his chance.

    Like i say, had he have actually been as good as he thinks he is, he wouldn’t have been restricted to just 100 minutes over a month…

    He’s like Denilson, he’s a player who divides fans view…

    I won’t regret his leaving, even if he scores 30 goals in the Bundasliga (spelling) next season…..

  34. Gooner4life&beyond says:

    Ha ha ha, sorry A, but Van Persie came back into the team this season and start banging in goals and went on to achieve a scoring record in back to back games.
    What are you on about?

    The rest, you may have a point. But VP is the man, so it’s best you don’t mention him and Bendty in the same sentence.

  35. rico says:

    Morning Steve

    Glad you had a chuckle, i’m here packing his bags for him and checking his passport is up to date 😉

    Agree re the tactics, Nikki should have been part of that plan b but…. Maybe the new players will give us more of a second choice of play against the teams we need to…

  36. SUGA3 says:

    G4L&B,

    if it’s the same ‘A’ who used to frequent LG, you have to appreciate that he is pretty damn persistent at being wrong each and every time he hits the keyboard…

    quite persistent one, have to give him that 😉

    A,

    if that’s you, you are sorely missed on LG, there are a few bloggers who can’t wait to collect their bet of honour prizes…

  37. rico says:

    A – Nikki naffed up his own recovery last season, he should not have gone to the WC, he wasn’t match fit…

    Oh, and then he missed the start of our season, as did robing but who came in and scored some of our goals…

    Chamakh…

  38. rico says:

    G4L&B

    Ditto re your RvP comments, he cam back and hit the ground running over the last few months..

  39. SUGA3 says:

    rico,

    RvP is Mr Arsenal, he just has the passion for the club which enables him to give that little bit extra…

    and a true captain material at that, given the Diaby situation!

  40. rico says:

    Agree SUGA, we were talking about him yesterday and how he never moans about our club, love him..

    Diaby situation, what is that??

  41. SUGA3 says:

    it’s when Diaby got booked for kicking the ball away, can’t remember what game that was, it was said that RvP shoved him around the dressing room a little bit 😉

  42. Will says:

    Just 4 strikers

    Top strikers by age of 23.

    Alan Shearer – Apps: 212 Goals: 99

    Raul: – Apps: 334 Goals: 163

    Thierry Henry: – Apps: 261 Goals: 79

    Nicklas Bendtner – Apps: 196 Goals: 58

  43. bops says:

    rico,

    Ok.. but your post was very bitter.. couldnt understand why.. He is a good backup striker.. much better than Chamakh in my opinion..

    SUGA,

    🙂 I know.. no one can be Henry but all I am saying is if you can give Walcott time, Henry time, then we should give this guy a chance.. but if he wants to leave then its up to him..

  44. rico says:

    bops, it’s not bitter, it’s just a bit tongue in cheek, humourous – regs here know i’m not a fan of him and hearing him say he wants out pleases me.

  45. A says:

    @Gooner4life&beyond, Haha! I know you want to gain the upper hand in the debate, but don’t resort to lying!

    By the end of the 04-05 season itself, RVP had 10 goals in 41 appearances in all. Which included 26 appearances in the league, with 5 goals. So really, I don’t know where you got your stats from.

    Yes, RVP has been awesome this season, and he’s way better than Bendtner is now. I’m not comparing them as players. All I’m saying is cut the Dane some slack.

    RVP banged the goals in this season, but everytime he has returned from injury before, he’s taken his time to get going, as has Theo, or Nasri, or Fabregas. So why can’t we accept the same thing for Bendtner?

  46. Steve Palmer says:

    Plan B.
    Good wingers that can cross.
    Centre forward two footed.
    2 good centre backs.
    2 big defending mid fielders.
    1 experienced goalkeeper.

    the rest will wok itself out

  47. A says:

    I don’t even know what website LG is SUGA, so I’m sure I don’t visit it! 😛

    What is wrong and right in this debate anyway?

  48. SUGA3 says:

    A,

    because RvP in his pomp is class and always was and Bendtner is pap?

    can you see Bendtner ever doing this:

    well?

  49. A says:

    You just don’t see the point do you?

    If I thought Bendtner was better than RVP, I would argue that he should have been played ahead of the Dutchman. Let’s not turn this into a childish argument.

    I just don’t approve of the slightly harsh treatment he is given, compared to some others. Weren’t we thanking our stars towards the end of 09-10 when he was scoring nearly every game?

    Even at the start of this season, some fans were calling for RVP to be sold, because he never repaid us for all our patience during his injury-ridden career! If he is out injured again next season (God forbid), the same section of fans will call for him to be sold (“We cant afford to keep him anymore” et al).

    A lot of fickleness.

  50. Will says:

    A

    If Nic b didn’t come out with “I am the best striker in the world” bollocks and actually turned up in the big games, he would be given some slack but come on, saying you are the greatest when plainly you are not is asking for trouble.

    Let’s look at this season shall we?

    Games: 27
    Goals: 5
    Assists: 2

    A, do you think that is the quality needed for a team chasing the league title and the Champions League?

  51. rico says:

    Lee –

    and Benzema isn’t happy, just imagine how many he would score if he was happy and settled playing in a side who create as many chances as we do…

  52. SUGA3 says:

    A,

    anyone calling for RvP to be sold is clearly an idiot…

    and I don’t think you got my point: the video shows RvP at 23, how funny, eh?

    as for the thanking our lucky stars bit, well, if you thank your lucky stars for something, it means that you were not exactly expecting something to happen, right?

  53. rico says:

    A – please don’t bring suggestions like ‘childish arguement’ here to HH, we don’t work that way..

    Debate and respect others please…..

    You rate Nikki, others don’t, its opinion, and opinions are personal so lets respect them…

  54. A says:

    @Will, I get your point, and I agree with it too.

    But I feel what’s more important is the attitude he shows with respect to his teammates, manager, and fans.

    He’s never had any trouble with teammates, celebrates their goals in equal measure (Unlike many other players), and hasn’t had spats with senior pros, like RVP, Nasri, or even Song.

    Not to say that I dislike those three, but am just saying why Bendtner doesn’t really have an attitude problem.

    He’s scored 9 goals this season from 32 appearances. Crucially, only 14 of those have been from the start, and 18 from the bench.

    In the league, most of his appearances were on the right, so I don’t even know if we can judge him on that.

  55. rico says:

    My view on Nikki is not fickle either, I have never rated Nik….

    As for RvP, he can do more in three months than some do for an entire season…

  56. Gooner4life&beyond says:

    Lmao, A is a class muppet. Van Persie is 27, if you go back 7 years to 2004, he is ONLY 20!! You retard.

  57. A says:

    @Rico, no offence mate, but it’s easy for you to ask me to stop cuz you’re on the other side of the argument. Maybe the others could show some more respect too?

  58. Joaquim moreira says:

    Good morning!
    NB must stay! 😉 Who is now our goal score?
    Stay NB , stay !
    Back to work

  59. Lee says:

    The earlier RVP stats of, apps: 22 goals: 11 assists: 7 is from 06/07 season when RVP was 23 yrs old..

  60. Steve Palmer says:

    Suga3,blinding goal as you say but a centre forward out side the box and the guy that crosses almost in the corner, bit like Arshavins, but i would like him further up, his position is a midfielders spot

  61. SUGA3 says:

    Bendtner does not have the attitude problem?

    now I have heard it all…

    so, it’s a great advantage that he never argues with team mates?

    I prefer if someone is either hot or cold, I hate the ‘lukewarm’ types…

  62. A says:

    @Gooner4life&beyond, In Aug 2005 season, RVP was 22, and had already played 26 league games for Arsenal. But somehow, your stats said that he had played 22 league games for Arsenal at the age of 23?!

    I’m afraid you’re gonna have to eat your words, because I was just proving your stats to be utterly wrong.

  63. SUGA3 says:

    Steve,

    don’t forget we had TH14 back then, pretty damn hard to make the CF position your own with that dude on the books, wouldn’t you agree?

  64. Gooner4life&beyond says:

    I couldn’t help myself with that last post, accusing me of lying when you can’t even count. Or your doing a bit of Marty McFly time jumping and meddling, wow.

    Taking stats of the year when VP first came to Arsenal at 20 and using that, what’s wrong with you?

    You like Bendty, good for you. Is he better than Chamakh, I doubt it. Is he crap, definitely not, but he seems to be going and it’s probably for the best.

  65. A says:

    To be very clear, I dont wish to compare RVP to Bendtner. RVP is a better footballer, but I would love to have Bendtner in the squad, because he adds a certain value to it.

    I do agree though, that he would perhaps be better off in another team that suits him more than Arsenal.

  66. rico says:

    The respect bit goes out to all A,

    my bit to you was just about the ‘silly arguement’ 😉

    Anyway, moving on nicely 🙂

  67. SUGA3 says:

    A,

    what is the value then?

    lack of pace? crap first touch? inability to control the ball in confined spaces? being utterly predictable? hmmmmm…

  68. Gooner4life&beyond says:

    Let me spell it out for you. We are in 2011, Van Persie is 27. Follow so far? Go back 4 years, that means 2007. Then Van Persie was 23, just like Bendtner. Do you get that? Now in that year, his stats were what I posted, duh! Aug 2005, as if that makes it better. That is still 6 years ago, he would be 21! FFS.

  69. A says:

    I think Bendtner is better than Chamakh. Of course he is not better than RVP, otherwise I would have wanted him to start as CF ahead of him!

    However, I feel he is a much better Plan B than Chamakh, and could be a huge asset if given some more time to play. (Not on the wing)

  70. Gooner4life&beyond says:

    Apparantly Samba is happy at Blackburn, so I hope we get Cahill. I can’t say who is better, but I just think I’d prefer Cahill.

    The most important thing would be some top notch defensive coaching, it’s needs to be drilled into them, so they never forget it. No matter what stage of the season we are in, or even if we suffer a fluke defeat in a final.

    We are a club with too many excuses, time to man up.

  71. A says:

    @Gooner4life&beyond,

    Let me make it clear for you.

    Robin Van Persie was born on 6th August, 1983 in Rotterdam. Hence, on 6th August, 2005, he turned 22 years old. A miracle? Maybe, but modern mathematics has proved that (2005 – 1983) can indeed be equal to 22.

    As for the earlier bit, you said RVP had scored 11 goals in 22 games at the age of 23. All I said was that he had already played many more games by the age of 22! I didn’t know you picked out stats from just one season. No point going on now, surely?

  72. rico says:

    A – so it’s not so bad he is leaving then, for the sake of his own career, now lets go get Drogba who has a great head, two great feet and will score for fun…..

  73. SUGA3 says:

    Steve,

    I never thought of RvP as a CF, he is more of a Bergy type with a few more goals in him, unfortunately, we don’t really have a proper CF with Chamakh and Bendtner being pretty damn laughable…

  74. rico says:

    Maybe it’s a good time to move on from Nikki B,

    I’m gutted Mark Randall has been released 😉

  75. rico says:

    G4L, personally i think we need both of them, Samba the no thrills and spills defender for the bully boys 🙂

  76. A says:

    I can’t believe Randall has been with us for so long. Tiny example of why we have such a huge wage bill.

    I think more than CB, we desperately need a CDM as well, someone preferably more experienced than Song. It will challenge him to up his game as well. With Denilson leaving, we need one just to make up the numbers anyway.

  77. Gooner4life&beyond says:

    I dunno, I feel that if Chamakh finds his feet and stays consistent with his head, he offers more than Bendtner. He has a better first touch, holds up the ball up better, better with his head and defends from the front better than Bendtner.

    Bendty is definitely not a wide player though, shame on Arsene for wasting him there, he’s no Pedro or even a Villa.

  78. SUGA3 says:

    do you mean Neves ‘Better than Alonso’ D******n?

    making up the numbers? no, we need genuine competition for Song to keep him on his toes…

  79. A says:

    Btw, Pedro is quite underrated, eh? He scored goals in big games, and is extremely clinical.

    Chamakh needs to improve A LOT with his feet to do well in the EPL consistently.

  80. A says:

    Of course we need genuine competition for Song. I said that we need one just to make up the numbers anyway, so instead of bringing another Denilson-type, we ought to go for a more experienced and top-class fellow. Will Wenger do it?

  81. Steve Palmer says:

    I have worries when we talk about acquiring a striker i keep getting a vision of Drogba and Torries it appeared to bugger both of them up, and expensive.what’s your views on this

  82. Gooner4life&beyond says:

    Ok, so he is 22, not 21. But Bendtner is 23 and you were banging on about him only being 23 so what can you expect, well at 23 I showed you what a 23 year old could do. Simple as, so you still have no point. Which is what I proved. Now we can stop, your maths still isn’t that great, so no miracle. Just poor counting, he turned 23 at the start of the 2006 season.

  83. A says:

    Just buying a defender won’t do it for us. We’ve got good defenders individually, but the system doesn’t work. Even with Sagna, Vermaelen and Gallas in the back four, we shipped 40 goals in 09-10. Dixon/Keown as def coach, anyone?

  84. SUGA3 says:

    A,

    Vermaelen and Gallas pairing was an unbalanced one, Djourou and Koscielny did much better, even though they are not as good as TV & Billy…

    we need one more big right footed defender to play with TV, IMO…

  85. A says:

    G4L, you really frustrate me.

    I thought you were posting stats of RVP up till the age of 23. Only later I realized they were stats of a single season (06-07).

    Is that clear now?

    I do have a point, it’s just that you don’t agree with it. Fair enough.

    P.S. My point was never that he is as good as RVP.

  86. Gooner4life&beyond says:

    Villa is amazing, sorry to bring back painful memories Rico. If they get in Rossi at the expense of Villa, I hope we get him this time.

    Steve, I know getting two top strikers can flop like Drogba and Torres, but it’s worth the risk. If it had worked, I think Chelsea would have won the league.

    A, Pedro is a real gem, that’s what we need from our academy or it’s not that worthwhile. Barca are getting top players coming out of theirs, I think it’s such a hard act to follow. How many other clubs can claim to be doing the same?

  87. A says:

    SUGA,

    I think Koscielny will be an excellent defender for us, but he needs some help from his partner in defence, and a bit more time.

    He is a fighter though. Vermaelen and Koscielny isn’t a good pairing too, I’m afraid.

  88. Gooner4life&beyond says:

    Lol, a misunderstanding then @ A. I will take my share of the blame for that. I really liked Bendtner, I cliamed he’d be better than Ade, so I was glad when Ade went, but it hasn’t worked out.

    Rico, both would be good, but what about Vermaelen, Djourou, and Koscielny? That I would have to say is too many defenders, we’d have to loan out Bartley again and I’m anxious to see if he can do a job for us.

  89. SUGA3 says:

    A,

    as far as I am concerned, the CBs should be paired in ‘little + large’ combos, ideally, I would like to see:

    New CB + TV

    Djourou + Koscielny

    in that order…

    of course, they should all be trained in different combinations and selected on the basis of form, but that’s the primary setup on my mind…

  90. rico says:

    I’d like Drog Steve, but Torres, sadly i think he’ll come good for the Chavs next season….

  91. rico says:

    Hi alan, fight you to drive it 😉

    G4L, haha, its not so bad, but if wenger wants to show he means the business, he’s the kind of signing to make 🙂

    I’m not sold on Kos yet and JD’s fitness worries me, he’s a bit like RvP, evry hard tackle and i think he’s done…

  92. A says:

    It’s tough to compare the academies in Spain and UK.

    In Barca, the kids stay at the academy all day long. They live and breathe the club, and are actually coached A LOT more.

    In the UK, only 90 minutes coaching per day is allowed, how can they reach the same level at the same time? It’s not impossible, but it’s tougher for sure.

    Plus, there is that rule of clubs being allowed only to take players who live within a ceratin radius of the academy, isn’t it? I don’t quite remember.

    Barca’s academy is great, but we overlook the fact that MANY of their players have been acquired from other clubs at a younger age.

    Puyol, Pedro, and Busquets were all brought in when they were 17. While Messi, Valdes, and Iniesta even earlier, when they were 12 or 13. Xavi has been with Barca throughout.

    I guess it’s easier for the bigger clubs to get talented kids to switch academies in Spain cuz of that distance rule. Not so sure though.

  93. rico says:

    A – before I leave, have a think about writing a post for HH if you fancy it??

    In fact, same goes to you all, its a quite time in the news world, good time to get some moans and groans off your chest 🙂

    back in a bit…

  94. A says:

    SUGA,

    Agree with you. That’s why I said TV and Kos might not be a great pairing.

    New CB + TV is my first choice too. Depends on who the new CB is, though! Might just be another 5’11 French import.

  95. Lee says:

    He may not be 23yrs old (lol) and playing in Portugal but Falcao’s stats, apps 193 goals 122..impressive!

  96. Gooner4life&beyond says:

    A, I think you are right about the rules. Easy to forget about that. That must be why we are always trying to get in players like Ramsey, Chamberlain, Jenkinson, Walcott. Hopefully in a couple years we’ll have some top players out of what we’ve brought in.

    Lol, Falcao is a beast. Too much of a focus on the league players are in, rather than their quality. Cristiano Ronaldo was playing in Portugal, look what Man U got from him after a couple seasons.

  97. Will says:

    What we need.

    An experienced, organiser at the back and who can deal with the rough and tumble of the up and under Prem style.

    An experienced but brutal bastard in the centre of midfield who will sort oout the prem bully boys seeing as ref’s won’t do their job.

    An experienced and clinical striker. A greedy bastard who doesn’t care about passing, only about getting the goals.

    Arsenal, league champions.

  98. W.A.T.H says:

    I see you lot been having fun on here this morning….
    I was wondering if it was a maths class or a footie site…?

    Lots of good points been made and I think Bendy is an arrogant prick myself but he’s not a winger so hard to judge him fairly, he does have crap control and a poor attitude BUT having said that I reckon put him in a team who put decent crosses into the box and he will score plenty goals for someone it just won’t be us.

    Rico, my “wow” signing will go to the chavs it’s all about money…! watch.

  99. potter says:

    I know that you have called time on the Bendtner debate but I have only just been able to log in.
    I just thought I would send a message to ” A ” and tell him that I have a lot of sympathy for his position. I too believe that Bendtner’s career at Arsenal has been horribly mismanaged and I think had he had the correct support when he played in his true position things might have been different. A player who could actually cross a ball like say : George Armstrong would have been his making as it was he spent far too much time providing that service for others that don’t want to get in the box. Kind of reminded me of John Radford’s experience playing for England at Wembley and being utilised far right under Ramsey who was not known for his wingers either.

  100. rico says:

    Hi potter – i don’t think Wenger has helpd his career, same can be said about AA, Theo, Vela and others…

  101. W.A.T.H says:

    Potter, think what you say is correct but we’ve all sort of said that in anycase but Bendy hasn’t helped matter either with his attitude of being mr brilliant…! That also comes from wenger as well though as it does with so many in our squad.

  102. potter says:

    I think the attitude comments are over played , The boy has confidence , in my opinion that’s not a bad thing.Wish some of the others showed some instead of playing within themselves and taking easy options.

  103. A says:

    I just feel that whatever he says in the media isnt relevant, as long as he says something that shows Arsenal or any teammates or the manager in a bad light. He’s been good within the team, so I don’t have issues with those statements.

  104. Gooner4life&beyond says:

    Arsene Wenger thinks he’s smarter than he is. He needs to stop trying to mould players into what he wants them to be and accept them for the players they are.

    He turned Henry into a prolific striker and now he thinks he can do it with anyone. Frigging joke.

  105. W.A.T.H says:

    Well as has been said many times on here, we all have our opinions and thats what it’s all about.
    I think he has a lax attitude and really couldnt care less, he talks like he’s Cryuff maybe he should play like him first before he goes spouting his mouth off. There are many other players worse than him that also need to go and I’ve said above I have no doubts that in a team that suits him he’ll score goals but he certainly won’t at Arsenal.

  106. W.A.T.H says:

    G4L, thats half our problem with wenger and this persistant playing with positions and as we have said for ages n ages trying to fit square pegs into round holes, bnedy is an example of that as well, he ain’t a wingers arse…!

  107. Gooner4life&beyond says:

    W.A.T.H, it’s sad that so many have been bemoaning it, but he still persists. Forget Bendtner, I believe the most arrogant and over-confident person at Arsenal is Arsene, followed by Pretty Huge Wanker.

  108. Lee says:

    So we’re lumbered for another season, and it doesn’t really matter who he buys because he’ll probably play them out of position….

  109. Will says:

    If Nik B scores 25-30 goals a season with 15 assists he could spout off about being the best ever, at the moment, his head should be down and he should be trying his best to be that player.

  110. W.A.T.H says:

    G4L, Arsene is a dictator and does exactly what he wants, he isn’t accountable to anyone hence he gets to play with the club however he wants. Ur take on PHW is spot on and from what I hear the fact he’s always piss just about sums him up too….!. Wenger needs to get a grasp on reality b4 the peasants really do take up arms and start the revolt…! It’s not far off…!

  111. W.A.T.H says:

    Will, when Chez even makes comments about Bendy having a big mouth it says it all, he’s a playboy, well he thinks he is and he also plays that way, he has the attributes to be a really good player but seems he thinks he’s already gods gift and doesnt need to work at it. Let it be said yet again though, us playing him as a winger also doesnt help.

  112. Will says:

    Maybe he is played as a winger because he doesn’t do enough in training to warrant a place in the middle.

  113. allezkev says:

    Afternoon Gooners. So old ‘pink boots’ has caused some kinda uproar on here.
    Great debate but as far as i’m concerned i think Bendtner has had enough opportunities to show if he has the required class to be an Arsenal centre-forward and i gotta say he hasn’t done it…
    I won’t be sorry to see him go, but i hope he has a good career elsewhere all the same.
    Arsenal, if they’re really serious about being winners again, have to look for better players than Nick. the problem is ‘that’ costs….. ARE YOU LISTENING ARSENE???

  114. W.A.T.H says:

    To be fair to him Will we don’t have wingers who could cross for him even if he was in the middle so whats the point…? Chamakh is good in the air but he don’t have ppl who can put in a decent cross so for me both these two are wasted at Arsenal.

  115. Will says:

    Wath, I think Chamakh is a better back to goal player and can bring midfielder’s in more than Nik B.

  116. W.A.T.H says:

    Yep would prob agree with you there Will he does bring players into the game more and has better control but he’s gone backwards after the first 3 months and yet neither have a game that really suits the way we play so whats the point of a plan B players when we only ever play plan A…? sort of defeats the object eh..?

    Ak how you doing fella all good I hope and looking after those erections of yours 😉

  117. allezkev says:

    Wath, crossing is like any football skill, you need to practice it, to perfect it, and what’s the betting that crossing isn’t on the agenda of LeGenius.
    Hola Lee, had to larf at your 11.11…. village, haha.

  118. allezkev says:

    No more erections Wath, it’s all done mate, now i’m just having a fag…….
    I gotta say i’ve still got a lot of time for Chamakh, i think he can still do a job for us, i just wish he’d be a bit more greedy in front of goal.

  119. Lee says:

    defenders defending….wingers/full-backs crossing…..revolutionary ideas guys! Yeah AK, had to be said, was getting v.petty!

  120. rico says:

    Friedel has joined the tiny totts and JT wants Hughes at the Chavs, so do i re the latter, he’ll destroy them 😉

  121. allezkev says:

    Carry on Up the Village….
    Odemwingie anyone????
    Roses’ Rico, Wyevale have got a good offer on roses’…

  122. rico says:

    Bloody fern hedge kev, stinky dirty dusty things… 😉

    So have sainsbury’s, but one box, get the second half price 😉

  123. rico says:

    May be not kev – he can’t go anywhere for a month, i reckon villa could be a smokescreen, they are no better than Fulham…

  124. W.A.T.H says:

    You lot are terrible 😉

    Wait til Rico reads this your all getting banned and I am gonna grass you all up 🙂 Anyone for a weed…..

  125. W.A.T.H says:

    Ok i gotta shoot off for a bit lata all, AK see you abt 9 for our normal evening chat when this lot all vanish on us 🙂

  126. rico says:

    😆 WATH

    Paps are reporting that West Brom are looking for a replacement for Odemwhinger… 😉

  127. allezkev says:

    Hmmmm, Rico, i thought it was a done deal, just about the compo… Surely not Chelsea! Who in their right mind would sack Ancelotti and replace him with Mark Hughes? Mind you….we are talking about the Chelsea House of Fun.

  128. rico says:

    I thought it was all done and dusted too, but Terry has put a spanner in the works to make me think otherwise ….

  129. allezkev says:

    OK Lee, i was just starting to worry…… i got up this morning and started to worry….. worry worry worry. Bloody Arsenal….
    Rico, i think he’s not a bad player, i know he’s about 30 but he seemed quite a classy player to me. Given an opportunity like playing for AFC could see him give it a right blast for 3 or 4 years.

  130. rico says:

    Who, the wingie one from Brom 😉

    Have to be honest, i know nowt about him so i’ll take you guys word about him … 🙂

  131. allezkev says:

    btw Rico, a good post, it certainly got a few new faces on here. how about doing one on Denilson tomorrow lol ????

  132. Joaquim moreira says:

    Hello!
    News:
    a) Friedel (AV) Totenham
    b) Real Madrid looks set to beat Barcelona in the race for the recruitment of middle Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal.
    According to The Sun, responsible contact meringues came to Arsenal to become aware of the conditions for the transfer of the Spanish international. The response was immediate London: 60 million.
    The British daily also ensures that deviate from Barcelona Fabregas is just one of the objectives of this closed season for Real Madrid, where Florentino Perez also wants to avoid that Sergio Aguero Atletico Madrid leave and head to Camp Nou. To achieve these two goals, the club president has 100 million available.

    c) NB if he wants to leave is better leave (10 million?)
    d) Cesc: he don’t want to stay too. Is impossible have a concentrate player with those news (60 millions ?) or 40 millions and two players?

  133. Merlin96 says:

    Chris Rico, with you sitting hours at your PC gluteous maximus should be spreading vastly..waddling to your shower cubicle?…:D

  134. rico says:

    Hi JM,

    Meringues are far better with strawberries and cream, all scrunched together in an Eton Mess… 😉

  135. rico says:

    You cheeky one Merlin, I’ll have you know that i spend my day very busy in the domestic department, i stop briefly whilst passing the laptop, to leave a comment ….

    😉

  136. Joaquim moreira says:

    News:
    a) Lehmann could not leave the football, as planned, and signed by Schalke.
    The German had left football in 2010 but returned in April 2011 to Arsenal, because of injuries to goalkeepers of the gunners.
    According to the German site “Stuttgarter Zeitung, Lehmann will return to the club he played between 1988 and 1998 to be alternative to Ralf Faehrmann, signed from Eintracht Frankfurt.
    The direction of Schalke has not yet ruled on the issue, but is looking for another goalkeeper following the departure of Neuer to Bayern Munich.
    b) Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie does not forget the expulsion in the quarter-final of the Champions League against Barcelona, ​​in which the Gunners were defeated.
    The Dutch criticizes players of all Blaugrana considering the attitudes of these as “unsportsmanlike. ”
    “They’re always running to protest with the referee so that opponents are expelled. Harm companions. Who’s watching the game on television or on stage, do not you see that kind of stuff. I do not understand. They should shut up the ball and just focus on playing football, “said the Dutchman to the English Channel” Sport 1 “.

  137. Steve Palmer says:

    Leyman was only back five minutes and Czez started flooring everybody Good riddance to leyman learn nothing from him in my opinion, never a good keeper

  138. Steve Palmer says:

    I thought you were calling for our players to hound the referee the other day rico or did i misinterpreted.

  139. rico says:

    Not at all Steve, i get totally messed up with who said what, easy blip 😉

    We’d get players sent off if we behaved in such a manner…

  140. Steve Palmer says:

    I’m hoping next season we will produce the kind of football, not to worry about decisions Will fingers crossed that is. And i am like you starting to get a good feeling , hope your right Will.

  141. Will says:

    I have never seen Wenger talk about what we need like this and, we are going to Asia which is a first, I think Stan is starting to have an effect.

  142. rico says:

    I’m not quite so confident, he has gone saying he will make changes, to, no major changes are needed, then, we will add height to our sqaud..

    So that means we will get a tall CH 😉

  143. Will says:

    Come on, we know about the ref’s and Arsenal.

    I have a feeling we are going to be shocked.

  144. JonJon says:

    bendter will never be like rvp
    no matter what age..all the best strikers are standing out at that age..im not waiting until niks 28 just to see how shit he will be
    silly comment earlier
    good post
    use niks profit to give to nasri

  145. JonJon says:

    bonjour rico..
    im worried rico..
    i can see us losing players we dont want to lose..

    this is a big window and im not looking forward to it..

  146. Steve Palmer says:

    I am now getting the feeling that we can forget Cahill and Samba, Wenger in south America could mean to big centre backs from Brazil Argentina or Uruguay one of them down there anyway £20mill should do it for two we haven’t heard of.

  147. rico says:

    Steve, i think the same, despite the suggestion that Cahill will be announced after the Swiss game, i just don’t buy it…

    Nasri won’t leave jj, they will sort the difference out and agree to meet in the middle..

    Cesc, well, Barca will have to match what Real Madrid or Citeh offer, and they won’t be able to afford to – and Cesc wouldn’t agree to join either Madrid or Citeh…

  148. Steve Palmer says:

    I don’t think Cesc Naz or Arsh need to go anywhere they are well paid have got good jobs and don’t have to work that hard, wouldn’t we all like jobs like that. don’t kid yourselves that their desperate for trophies i dont buy that.

  149. allezkev says:

    Been down to Folkestone today, what an exciting life eh? U ok SP?
    Tell me, how does a pile of crap like Diaby get into the French team???
    Vermaelen on for Vertonghen

  150. rico says:

    good comment Steve… i don’t think they will leave either – my new hope is because just maybe wenger has told them what his plans are….

  151. JonJon says:

    evening guys..

    hi kev it easier to keep cesc cos hes stuck on a hefty contract..

    nasris not..so we best put him on one..5 years 5mil signing on fee..

  152. allezkev says:

    JJ i smell an agent on the take re: Nasri. I gotta say i’m a bit disappointed by his attitude, maybe a compromise on 100k pw might break the impasse.

  153. allezkev says:

    But it’s gotta be sorted mate, we can’t let it drag on like those mugs did with Flamini.

  154. Will says:

    I don’t think Nasri wants to leave, he just seems himself on par with Fabregas and Van Persie.

  155. JonJon says:

    it cant drag on..
    if he refuses we should just get shut but hes a good player
    thats why i would give him and his agent a bit of the niki profit and tell him to sign 70k a week..
    add bonus..like team of the year..player of the year..10k per goal
    if he wants his wage to be big then he’ll have to make it big himself with the add ons..but agents have made bribery legal..so lets do it and keep him here another 5 years..
    selling a player and using some of the cash to keep a good player on a contract that meets the wage structure still shows up as a profit

  156. rico says:

    kev – thats why i think Nasri will sign, he’ll wake up and see his agent is trying to sort his own life out, not our players,,…..

  157. allezkev says:

    Will i suppose it all depends on what happens with Cesc, if he leaves then the pressure to give Nasri what he wants could prove too much. But if Cesc stays then i’m not sure. We won’t find out either way until those wankers have banked our season ticket money…

  158. allezkev says:

    Rico, that’s why i respect Cesc, he told his agent to take a hike a couple of years ago, when that slimey snake was trying to sell him behind his back.
    Is Nasri an Anelka or a Cesc???

  159. allezkev says:

    JJ, that’s why Dein was so good, he could deal with agents [Anelka excepted], we didn’t lose anyone on a Bosman when Dein was running things. He wouldn’t have let Flamini bugger off.

  160. rico says:

    Didin’t he have that Pirez guy kev, the same one who ‘looked after’ Merida??

    DD’s son may just have a bit of arsenal interest at heart….

  161. rico says:

    Will, i hope we don’t keep them all, we have a few that need to go……

    kev, not even on the bench i think, i’ll go check that though….

  162. allezkev says:

    Will, i hope your right. It might depend on Wenger’s transfer business, if the players see some quality coming in, then it might encourage them to stay.

  163. rico says:

    Guys, i am off for the day, i have done well to say awake until now, having been up and about since the blackbirds woke up….

    catch you all tomorrow, have a good one 🙂

    nighty night…

  164. Will says:

    On Friday evening, Robin van Persie issued the following statement via Arsenal.com:

    “I’m on international duty at the moment but following several reports in the media I think it’s important to clarify some recent comments attributed to me.

    “These reports falsely suggest that I recently made negative comments about Spanish and Chelsea players, I would like to make it perfectly clear that I haven’t done an interview with Sport 1 or any other outlet in recent weeks and I’ve certainly not been rude as the comments suggest.

    “I respect my colleagues of Spain and Chelsea and look forward to playing against them for many years to come. I sincerely hope that all football fans worldwide don’t take these misleading reports seriously.

    “I wish you all a great summer!”

  165. Steve Palmer says:

    Morning all,
    Sorry to leave you so quick last night, Ak Folkstone ah, hope you wasn’t erecting,Me nothing special learning a bit of of rico and the guys, pleased about Wills report on Robin, comments like that can come back and haunt you.

  166. JonJon says:

    if you sued the media everytime they made something up there wouldnt be a media..they would be bankrupt..

    rico, nasri may want 110k a week but if we give him a 4mil signing on fee he wouldnt miss the extra 40k and if we used the money we make on nik to give to him and his agent we wouldnt miss that 4mil either..it would go to a good cause..

    and if he wanted that extra 40k then make it avialable for him to achieve through appearances, goals, and acheivements..

    if he played 50 games, scored 20 goals, made the team of the year and won a trophy he would earn more than 110k a week…

  167. Steve Palmer says:

    You are right there Will, anything to sell a paper, garbage content and defamation of character mean absolutely nothing to them. And if they can cause a stir in the marble hall the bums will.

Leave your comment.

Discover more from Highbury House

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading