Top Top Striker in January! Bendtner ready to shine &100 years ago today we kicked off at Highbury…..

Morning all.

The ‘lack of signing a striker’ debate goes on, I suspect it will for a while and should Giroud suffer any kind of injury, it will go up a notch. We can only hope that scenario doesn’t play out.

New signing Yaya Sanogo must be feeling a bit cheesed off, he’s already had a part to play in our season so far, well, a few minutes. It’s now looking highly likely that the young Frenchman will be pushed down the pecking order after Niklas Bendtner saw his transfer to Crystal Palace blocked and Arsene Wenger stating that he’s more than happy to call on his services.

Bendtner spoke about the collapsed deal:

Naturally, I was very disappointed as I was looking forward to a new challenge, with a new club and a fresh start in English football.

Many things have been said about where my future lies after many years at Arsenal, the truth is I just want to play football which is when I’m happiest and Arsenal is a fantastic environment for any professional to ply their trade.

I still feel very strongly about Arsenal Football Club and following positive talks with the manager, I am looking forward to working hard to regain full fitness and doing my very best to help to the team and the manager fulfil our objectives and ambitions this season.

I have learnt a lot from my loan experiences at Sunderland and Juventus, and I want to assure all Arsenal fans that I will give everything I have to contribute to what I believe will be a successful season for the club.

So, he wants to train hard, get fit and give his all.

Right words, I’ll give him that but we’ve heard that before but sadly never seen him carry out that promise. He’d better get his head right off the pitch and his feet right on the pitch and just maybe he will..

Why?

Because he’s into his last  season with us and he knows that by getting everything right both on and off the pitch will attract clubs much bigger and better that Crystal Palace. (No disrespect intended)

Bigger clubs can afford bigger wages and they’ll be no signing on fee when he leaves.

Start scoring goals when he plays and he could yet get to be a very very rich man and let’s be honest, that’s all he’s really interested in otherwise, he’d have moved away from us long ago if football was the be all and end all in his life….

Whatever happens, this will be the last season we should see his name included in our squad – he doesn’t want to be at Arsenal and we, well I, don’t want him here either, he’s nothing but trouble..

Talking of strikers:

In the gossip pages,  yes, they still rumble on despite the transfer window being closed and some, if not most newspapers are adamant that we are gearing up to sign a top class striker in January. Suarez of course, remains top of that list.

Finally, 100 years ago today, saw us play our first fixture at Highbury.  We were in Division Two back then and that first match was against Leicester Fosse. Needless to say we conceded a goal but came out 2-1 winners….

How things have changed....
How things have changed….

It’s all a bit different now….

That’s it for another day have a good one….

0 thoughts on “Top Top Striker in January! Bendtner ready to shine &100 years ago today we kicked off at Highbury…..

  1. Kc says:

    Morning all,
    i think we are truly in for LS,i think AW did an interview at japan where he said that in other to be a great succesful team u need two great quarterbacks:a world clas no10 and a wc striker,we have got d no10,it remains the no 9,hopefuly we wil get d st sooner than later

  2. kc says:

    Simply put, of
    course Arsene is a draw.
    He’s paid £7.5m a year to
    be a draw. Whatever your
    views on him, standing in
    a room listening to him
    talk football is
    inspirational, even if after
    you leave his reality
    vortex you’re left a little
    perplexed….LG Post

  3. Adam says:

    Morning kc. Me too. I just can’t stop thinking about him and have eaten Mezes for the past two days in his honour.

  4. cork gunner says:

    Waiting to see ozil play hs first game for us is a pain in the hole.no disrespect to our international teams but couldn’t they all be cancelled this week so we can see this magician in the red and white of arsena.lif we add another player of his quality for the next 2 r 3 windows we’ll be up there.oh yeah ,morning all

  5. Adam says:

    What about the baking program Rico? You can’t miss that surely.
    I think Ozil is showing the adulterous Paul Hollywood how to bake Turkish bread this week while simultaneously walking on water.

  6. Canadian Gooner says:

    Good Morning to the Lady of the House and all fellow Gooners in residence.

    “…the truth is I just want to play football which is when I’m happiest…”? Niklas certainly wasn’t making much of an effort for his happiness during the transfer window. He had already offended me by his utter lack of effort over the years he has been under contract to Arsenal. Now he insults me and all Arsenal supporters by spouting this pack of bullshit (apologies Rico) and utter lies.

    He is more of a moron than he thinks we supporters are. I hope and pray we never have to play him or, worse yet, depend on him. He epitomises the mercenary mentality of most players.

  7. rico says:

    Morning Cg…

    No need to apologise, he is full of utter bull. If he really wanted to lay football as he suggests, he’d have taken a pay cut and been long gone by now…

    All he is probably thinking of is securing a bumper deal elsewhere in January…

    Sooner he goes the better.

  8. gooner50 says:

    Morning Rico. I often review and enjoy this site but very rarely comment. Anyway, good article this morning. Also agree, LG have a good post today & I have just caught up with Untold – they have just finished a very revealing analysis of referee bias for last season – worth a quick look.

  9. S2S says:

    Hey Rico and everyone,

    An inspired Nik B can be damn good and give him some space and he can score. He shall play one or two games with kids and get some fitness back. I still think if Nik B is fully motivated and fully focused, come May we may be in very very good condition. Just don’t be cocky.

  10. Canadian Gooner says:

    Adam – I trust Mesut will be using a gas oven to bake his bread while walking on water. I wouldn’t want to see electrocuted before he even played his first game for us.

  11. Canadian Gooner says:

    S2S – Yes, come May Niklas may also be in very very condition, just in time to make a quick exit to a club willing to sign him and desperate enough to meet his wage demands. Hopefully there is such a club.

  12. rico says:

    Welcome g50 and thanks. Have read Lg but not Untold, but have read their stuff before about referees…

    Hi S2S, and what do you base the theory of Nik becoming good on?

    Can’t say I have ever seen him play in such a way that would give me such a view. I’d rather see Park get playing time than him…

  13. Adam says:

    CG. He bakes with the energy from his stare. Those eyes generate energy in all bandwidths.
    Bendtner is rubbish and should be nowhere near Arsenal. Rico is right about him.

  14. tizteezy says:

    Two weeks interlude is just doing my head in…boring to say the least. I hope we resume with a win and make winning an instinct at the Arsenal. Emmmm, morning house

  15. S2S says:

    @Rico,

    I am just optimist.

    It is on the game I saw him playing against Barca and his incredible goal against Ipswich in CC SF.

    And in Final of CC, he was not played. And from there AFC and Nik B have been at crossroads. But he can be a 12-15 goals back up for us and we can give breather to OG.

    @CG

    I know he is perfect example of mercenary but he’s one mercenary we want to fire this year and after this, hopefully we’d never have to look at him again and he’d go to Italy/Germany/Turkey.

  16. potter says:

    I don’t expect to see Ozil at Sunderland or possibly for a short period only. I think he will be held back to make his debut at home for maximum kudos. The international’s will slow down his assimilation to the team and I think Wenger will give him time to settle in when the whole team is available.

  17. Canadian Gooner says:

    If that is the case Adam, I hope Arsenal have full and exclusive rights to his energy projection capabilites. They might be able to make a few quid of it, similar to what the Spanish teams do with their players’ image rights.

    Maybe he could use his energy projection to cook the addled brains of the awful referees such as the ‘gentleman’ who officiated our opening league game with the Villains.

  18. bob john says:

    100 years since the 1st game at Highbury. oh to have a time machine! A big part of the club died when we left there sadly. Maybe they should have renamed the club when we moved to avoid confusion with the one we grew up loving.

  19. rico says:

    I’d like to think so too Albert..

    S2S, that’s fine, but when it comes to Nik, I will remain a realist. You mention one or two ‘moments’ – for for each of those, there are many many other bad memories…

  20. rico says:

    Maybe 20 mins to give the away fans a treat Potter and I see where you are coming from re the home game, who is it we play?

  21. potter says:

    If you put away the preconceptions that we all have with him , had we bought an established international that had scored 22 goals in 55 internationals for say £12 million , would we have said it was a good bit of back up buying in the last window.

  22. Keith says:

    Granted he’s not ideal…but he nearly single handedly got us fourth spot a few seasons ago when he was our only available striker…he has serious motivation now and i dont think he is as bad as peolpe make out!

  23. rico says:

    Is he though Keith? Park wasn’t given a chance imho.

    Certainly think his attitude would be a whole lot better and he’s desperate to get back playing for his country…

  24. frednerk says:

    Morning rico and all,
    After all the transfer crap wenger put us through
    he put on the magic hat and signed a magician
    what a treet for all the loyal seasontickets
    great bit of business for us all.
    We have to build on this signing,
    ozil is one of the best players in the world,
    and should attract better class players..
    anyway
    Flamini looks a great signing now..

    With the risk of upsetting most on here
    and going by what I have seen after many cold wintery
    nights watching the stiffs at barnet
    N/bendtner is by far the best I have seen
    who has not fulfilled his potential..

    maybe his big head got in the way.

  25. Judge me in May says:

    Good morning, nice one rico,
    I agree bendtner is shite.. should have got rid of him ..
    His attitude stinks..
    Look at Giroud, he is hardly the elite striker arsenal needs, but he works like a donkey and scores good goals too, beside he is our best defender :-)..
    I didn’t see anything from NB52 to suggest he has talent or team spirit. ..
    And to all the smug AKBs who giving it small and large please calm down.. Most fans have been sensible criticising wenger and questioning his ambition and recruitment policy including selling players for footballing reasons… His last 3 or 4 signings suggest he has seen the light and may be he has changed his philosophy…
    so we have to wait and see.. meantime most would support the club and of course wenger..

  26. rico says:

    I’m just not convinced by Nik at all, and his off field brushes with the law haven’t helped his cause..

    Not sure Potter – Park scored 23 in 61 for Korea but his signing didn’t really get us all lifted much..

  27. potter says:

    The point is that Bendtner as a player is NOT shite , but his attitude probably was. Once his head went down and he got the chip on his shoulder about being misused he chose to turn his back on the team and the manager who he lost faith in. During his time at Arsenal he continued to score goals for Denmark where he was used as a traditional forward. At Arsenal he saw Adebayor come in and get preference whilst he was stuck in RHS midfield. If he gets the chance to play ” up top ” I hope he takes it with both hands . We need him to !

  28. rico says:

    Stoke – welcome to the PL Ozil….

    Morning fred, that says it all though for me, great talent, rubbish attitude and application.

    The only thing that might drive him on is money, i just hope we don’t ever be in a situation so we have to play him.

    Giroud only has to stay fit until Jan 1st 😉

  29. potter says:

    Can’t be sure Rico , not being a stat type person but I would think that a lot of those international goals came from playing emerging teams from south east Asia.
    I would agree that however Park’s signing is one of the great mysteries of life.

  30. Keith says:

    Lets just hope we dont need him for important games…Theo will be great up front when needed, especially with our counter attack style with ozil and santi pulling the strings!

  31. rico says:

    You are a cruel man Keith 😉

    Morning Judge, I’m with you re Nik and Giroud. His defending against the Totts was incredible and the effort/determination he put in was outstanding. He was on his last legs but never gave up..

    Bet if he cut his head he’d go off and come back on all bandaged up and carry on…

    Unusual for a Frenchman I know but I bet he would 😉

  32. Keith says:

    I personally think the park signing was for the emerging asian market….look at how many shirts the other Park for Utd sold plus helped raise the popularity of Man U in asia..just my opinion of course!

  33. rico says:

    Wikki doesn’t say who the goals are against Potter and that’s as far as I look – not a stats person myself either, in case anyone wondered.

    Shirts = Park and it would be interesting to know how much money was made.

    Compare that to what the club have already made on on new number and I suspect there is a clear winner…

    I strongly suspect that TW will be guy to move central when/if needed…

  34. snaparse says:

    good read rico u just keep em coming don’t you?…..as someone who has followed the youth team down the years i am really disappointed to see bendtner waste his talent…..his ego is as big as it comes hope he uses this opportunity 2 find a good club for himself…….between i really miss highbury

  35. stevepalmer1 says:

    Morning all, Nice one Rico.
    Nicholas Bendtner well i never, Fans saying he could be good, he can help us win the league he walks on water. The mans a complete Crettin, he’s not fit that shows his intent and how much he wants to do it for Arsenal, didn’t he say he would never kick a ball again for Arsenal. I just want to play football the crettin said yet he can’t even be bothered to get himself fit. Crystal Palace don’t know how lucky they are. The great Nicholas Bendtner and his Father havent had a good word to say about us for the last few years. The only reason he is still with us is because Wenger Honors agreements. Sanogo maynot at this time be a top class striker and he may not make it in this league but i would play him rather than the Dane anytime. Sanogo will come good but not if he has to wait behind You know i’m wonderful Bendtner. We made a mistake with him but his contract will be honored thats more annoying than seeing Gervinho sold at least he tried.

  36. rico says:

    Thanks snaparse/Sp

    We agree on something Sp 😉

    If he loved football, his agreement wouldn’t have been an issue, he’d have dropped his wage demands and moved. He’s had plenty of offers… According to his father of course…

    I’d rather Akpom or Afobe got their chance…

  37. Canadian Gooner says:

    Potter – Introducing the Wizard of Ozil to the BPL with a game against Stoke RFC is a bit like throwing him in the deep end and hoping he can swim. A bit harsh I’d say.

    maybe we should leave it another week. If he thinks that all Premier League teams play like Stoke, it might scare him to see all their finese players.

  38. Canadian Gooner says:

    Akpom before Bendtner any day.

    Just remembered what one wag said on here some time ago. “If Bendtner’s head was as big as his ego, he never be able to get through a doorway.”

    If he was half as good as he thinks he is, he would be a decent player.

  39. rico says:

    Have to agree there Sp, don’t think anyone here thinks Nik can walk on water, I doubt he’d even manage to play on a waterlogged pitch…

  40. potter says:

    Steve :- I don’t think that he can be labeled cretinous, badly advised , ill informed , yes, with an ego pumped up no doubt by his agent father. The point I was making is that he was labelled “Shite” but his international record suggests that he isn’t. His track record with the club was good when he played with Lupoli , but only when he reached the fringes of the first team and got to fill gaps did it go pear shaped. We are stuck with him and he with us, there is something in him lets try to make the best of a bad job.

  41. stevepalmer1 says:

    Fair play Keith, But the man gets right up my nose, Wenger has said that he will use him if he gets himself fit, what he is trying to say is, if he helps himself he may have a future in football, as its plainly seen that if he carries on as he has it will only go downhill after us,

  42. stevepalmer1 says:

    Morning Potter, You sound like a man that has feelings a man that turns the other cheek a man that forgives and a man with a heart. Sorry Potter the soonest he goes the happier i will be. I blame Wenger for not buying a striker and until he does i will hold that against him.

  43. rico says:

    Sp, no matter what Nik does, I think he’s burned his bridges with Arsenal, too many things have been said and done but ultimately, the club pay him a lot of money so if he’s there, they’ll use him. If needed of course.

    Until that day, I’d make him play in the reserves to get match fit..

  44. Keith says:

    Steve I cant stand the guy, I never liked him. I just think that if we really really need him that he will have a lot to prove and that he will be very motivated for a move..this could be his last shot at the big time…he knows it, Wenger knows this too and it could work to our advantage (or at least help our cause), if again we really really need him…not ideal but better than nothing…at least so I have to convince myself of the positives lol

  45. rico says:

    Going for Ba means one of two things imho.

    Either a striker is definitely coming in in Jan or next summer or, AW is giving Sanogo a year to see if he’s going to be fit enough and good enough…

  46. stevepalmer1 says:

    Keith i understand what your saying. I just hope it never comes to that, Wha ha ha.

    Rico, as far as i’m concerned i would be happier to see him in the background picking up his hefty cheque not taking up a possibal future Arsenal players place. He’s had it easy for a few years getting paid a good wage , He could have shown intent he could have shone when he was on loan but he came back to carry on with the easy lifstyle, getting drunk wreaking cars and abusing everybody who didn’t recognise him, would i ever put him in an Arsenal shirt, your having a laugh.

  47. c2hills says:

    Morning rico and all.

    His ego is bigger than the universe yet, he lives on small planet earth. We have to support him now though because we don’t have a choice.

  48. Canadian Gooner says:

    Niklas Bendtner walk on water? We have ample photographic evidence that he often has trouble walking on an clear sidewalk.

  49. potter says:

    Thanks for the character reference but I don’t think that those who know me would agree with it. I watched Bendtner a lot when he was younger and with Lupoli he was really effective as a youth, just if not more so than Akpom is now. I saw a talent that needed nurturing but rather like Anelka his family have seen him as a ticket to the gravy train. Whatever we think of his personality there is a footballer in there . Wenger’s job is to find that and get it out of him. As always there are two sides to a story and I would imagine that he doesn’t know what to do for best. His father is all about the money but didn’t have the talent to get it. He most likely feels that the club have isolated him as much as we ( myself included ) feel that he has let us down big time. Last chance saloon beckons, if we get to find the way, he is a good 15- 20 goals a season man.

  50. Canadian Gooner says:

    Rico – Even if Yaya shows promise, I think we will buy a striker in January. Then we can ease Yaya in gently, giving him time to acclimatise to the PL.

  51. HenryB says:

    Good and interesting Post. Rico.

    I also agree with your 12:15.

    The Ba loan proposal would have been a stop gap until next January or next summer, after we failed to get Suarez, and we will certainly get another top, top quality striker then although it may not be Suarez.

    We now have the money, we have got a world class No.10 and we will get other world class players in the near future.

    It is the domino effect in action.

  52. Canadian Gooner says:

    potter – I don’t dispute what you say, but many of us feel NB52 (now NB23) has be given more than his fair share of chances. As Albert Einstein said – only a fool repeats the same experiment over and over again and expectes a different result.

  53. rico says:

    Sp, it’s not the best situation I know and I really hope we don’t have to call on services but….

    That’s my own view too Cg, an a good one too…

  54. potter says:

    I seem to be on my own and I am not defending his past actions, I wish it had been different but it’s time to make the best of a bad job ……..Just saying.

  55. stevepalmer1 says:

    If Ya Ya turns out as i have predicted, we might just save ourselves a few quid. The lad needs games he needs to aclimatise himself to our league and our style he wont benefit by being sitting on the bench. Wenger has given Bendy enough chanche’s granted he never was a winger but good footballers can play anywhere. Bendy has trouble with both feet he hasn’t the pace of Giroud why give this man any hope, when we know that he is only going to balls it up. Apkom and Sanogo are here now they have been patient and if they have to they will wait their turn but not behind him.

  56. rico says:

    Thanks Hb.. According to stuff in the press, we tried for Benteke and Rooney before the deadline, IF true, certainly shows we are looking at the better strikers…

  57. rico says:

    I can see why AW would say he’d play him Potter, why not, we are paying him. My hope is he wants to secure a free bumper deal elsewhere and that will bring out the best in him…

    He seems to be driven by money so unless he plays well when/if he’s called on, he won’t get a big a deal as he probably hopes for…

  58. SD UK says:

    Those words was professionally written by Bendtner’s PR agent or whatever they are called nowadays.

    He is average at best but with a fantastic midfielder plus Ozil all he will need to do is tap in 🙂

    But his problems is his attitude and if he can fix that and be one of the guys and not think he is the next 6ft Messi from La la land , then he could have a good season for Arsenal.

    Destiny can’t be touched because if you ask me to put 100 quid on Bendtner still playing for us , I would have lost the money. But here we are Bendtner is here to put on the red and white , who knows.

    Never say never i say

  59. Canadian Gooner says:

    potter – I know what you are saying, but I lack your patience and faith, or is it faint hope, that Nik will come good. Many promising young players lack the emotional and mental maturity to handle the step-up to a full professional career and falter at the first gate. David Bentley and Jermaine Pennant come to mind. They, like Nik, had the talent, but chose to waste it with wine, women, song and fast cars. They are damned to look back at what might have been, if they had made some effort and applied themselves. However, they will probably find someone &/or something other than themselves to blame.

  60. stevepalmer1 says:

    Looking at the big picture, whats the chance’s of Giroud Akpon and Sanog being injured at the same time by Christmas, and when looked at it eases ny mind a bit..Podolski will also be fit as well. Bendy will be like a new signing by the time he is fit, hopefully for his new club. Happy aniversary to Arsenal. I will not be around for our hundeth aniversary at the Grove or will it still be called The Emirates so i say it now Happy Aniversary.

  61. Canadian Gooner says:

    SP1 – We could put you in cryogenic storage and have you revived in time the 100th anniversary of the Emirates, if it still exists and if football hasn’t become a relic of humanity’s barbaric past.

  62. stevepalmer1 says:

    I’ll tell you one thing CG it wont be anything like we remembered thats for sure. I would think it would be a world League by then, We have seen enough changes in our lifetime and not all for the better. How many offside rules have been changed. Tackles that we made would be outlawed and i should think by that time we would have a mixed sex league. As lets face it Women are getting involved more and more and they will be running things as well doubt the men will get a word in not that we do now 🙂

  63. Canadian Gooner says:

    SP1 – Be careful, Rico may be walking her woofer, but she will review the comments posted in her absence.

    A woman is running things now and you may find you can’t get a word in now, edgewise or otherwise, far less 90 odd years in the future. By then, they may have disposed of men altogether.

  64. potter says:

    Trouble is that if O.G. is injured can we rely on Sanogo or Akpom to play up top and still expect to maintain a position to crack on after January.

  65. BrainwashedKev says:

    The Bendtner conundrum…?

    As many have commented, and it’s pretty much the way I see it…. It’s a quit pro quo….

    Arsenal need experienced cover for Giroud…

    Bendtner needs to impress in the final year of his Arsenal contract.

    Wenger is using Bendtner much as Bendtner is using Arsenal.

  66. BrainwashedKev says:

    Rico, when are we due to visit West Brom in the League Cup???
    We should get our first chance of seeing the ‘new look’ Bendtner…

  67. BrainwashedKev says:

    Ha ha ha,.no Rico, it’s an advertising generated blog, or it could be Twitter, that’s full of ITK’s…..

  68. BrainwashedKev says:

    Frimpong, Vermaelen, Bendtner, Park Chu Young, Sanogo, Viviano, Gnabry, Zelalem, Bellerin, Miyaichi, most of them could be among the starters at West Brom in the League Cup.

  69. rico says:

    Certainly can’t afford to play too many of the first team Kev, CL matches are up soon..

    Mind you, out the two, I’d rather we took the CO Cup seriously…

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