Veteran's View - how bad is Nicklas Bendtner? (Updated)
By Samuel Mowbray
Virtually 26 years to the day, Arsenal signed whom I consider to be one of the worst players I have ever seen grace the red and white shirt.
His name: Lee Chapman and the fact that he then went on to win a Divison One Champions' medal with Leeds shows you how much I know about football and footballers.
Stop reading now if you want - as I am sure many readers from my generation have their own differing views (about our worst ever player). According to records, he played 23 games for us and scored 4 goals. He cost the very princely sum (in those days) of £500,000.
I don't mention all of this as a rant against Terry Neill, the manager at the time who signed him - but the fact that I'm writing this after returning from the Twente FC match - and I think I have seen a player who runs him close.
Yes, stand up Nicklas Bendtner!
Checking records, we took on Spartak Moscow at Highbury on September 29, 1982 in the first round of the UEFA Cup. I was there. We had lost the first leg in Moscow 2-3. Creditable.
In those days, for reasons, I don't think I have ever know, the home teams played in their away strip.
Someone that year had decided our away strip was green and blue. Yes, green and blue. Far worse than any concoction of yellow and blue - and we know there have been some bad ones in my time - which at least have been associated with our away strips.
I won't go on.
I have always loved European football. If I read the stats right, it was our first at Highbury for four years.
We lost 2-5. Somehow playing in green and blue shirts made the defeat even worse.
I don't recall the scoring sequence. But I do recall the fact that Lee Chapman was dreadful. Dreadful. Even though he scored one of our goals.
At least, last night we won.
Bendtner scored too. I rest my case.
If this player ever scores 20 goals in a season for us, I will gladly write again on Arsenal Addict that I know little of football and footballers after watching for 45 years.
I truly hope he does - and proves me wrong.
Does Arsene (always) know?
Samuel Mowbray responds to comments:
Fellow Addicts. I never suggested NB was the worst ever player I have seen play for our team. I suggested, on the evidence of last night's game, he was running Lee Chapman, on his current form, close.
Evidence?
Put through by Cesc in a pass of sublime vision and precision, he failed in a relatively simple one on one. Watch his assist for Theo's goal, and it is clearly a fortuitous stumble/mis-kick. Unlike many I have never and I will never leave a game early or boo an Arsenal player. I just don't think he is a talented enough player in a small squad to win us the title
Of course he will have his moments. He is a professional sportsman. An international. He's young. We didn't pay much for him. These shouldn't be excuses - they highlight part of our dilemma.
I truly hope I am wrong but I doubt he will ever score 20 goals for us. If he does, I will post on AA out of joy - and humiliation. It will be a pleasure. But I don't see what Arsene sees him - any more than I ever understood what he saw in Aliadiere.
My opinion.
David Alexander
Reader Comments (147)
NO NO NO NO Shiftyboy thinks he is the dogs bollcoks!! Read the teamtalk arsenal page.
All your saying is nonsense. JUST COMPARE HIM WITH ADEBAYOR!
Ade plays EVERY SINGLE GAME...and he scored 25 goals last season.
Bendtner played around the half...and he scored 8 goals!
Bendner is 20 Ade is 26 so thet's a lot of experience difference. You shouldn't be THAT hard with our players,except of that just check bendtners STUNNER against the S*uds last year, one of the best i've ever seen, much superior in air than Ade.
Give him time, he's gonna be better!
You plonker. he's a kid and therefore inconsistent. He had a bad game but that doesn't make him a bad player. He's growing as a player and you will be eating your ill-chosen words before too long.
THIS PAGE IS A JOKE.
ADDICTED ALRIGHT.. BUT SOMETHING ELSE, AND ITS NOT A FOOTBALL CLUB
Two Words
Giles
Grimandi
I HATE blogs that post several stories a day. I see this stupid blog pop up about 20 times a day which tells me of the low quality of the blog.
This is the first story I have read on this blog which has pretty much proved to me what a low quality blog it is.
What a completely rubbish article full of absolute sh*te.
Seriously go and check the stats of Bendtners goals per minute and assists per minute and compare them to Adebayor or any other striker we have.
Not bad for a 20 year old now is he?
Stupid fool. I wish the twats down the road have more fans like you.
HOW BAD IS THIS AUTHOR?
Virtually 6 years to the day, Arsenal blogs began with whom I consider to be one of the worst authors I have ever seen grace the red and white blogsphere.
His name: Myles Palmer and the fact that he then went on to write a great book about Wenger shows you how much I know about blogs and authors.
Stop reading now if you want - as I am sure many readers from my generation have their own differing views (about our worst authors ever).
I don't mention all of this as a rant against the many people that keep ANR alive...us the blogging public but the fact that I'm writing this after reading Arsenal Addicts blog on Nik Bendtner - I think I have seen an Author who runs him close and in fact, just pips him.
Yes, stand up Samuel Mobray!
You don't have to wait for NB to do well before your write to retract. You can do that now already. He's 20 years old. Drogba, Adebayor, Van Nistelrooy and all the players of his style were not as good as him at 20. How can you possibly watch what NB does - his touch, his heading, his accuracy on target his strenght and his age and call him a bad player? I cannot find the words to describe my disbelief!!!
I'm a gooner and i have to say i think Bendtner is absolutely
atrocious how he even gets in our squad baffles me the guys
link up play is terrible he has no pace, he has got to be the worst striker at the club i'm sorry but anybody that thinks Bendtner is good i think u have got a hole load of shit in Ur eyes if he didn't play for Arsenal I'm sure 99 percent of u gooners will agree with me.he is that bad i think when he plays with are over strikers he makes them also look shit. people that think hes a good player i honestly can't take u seriously
Thank you for confirming my growing belief that yours is the most knee-jerk, football-ignorant, ill-informed Arsenal blog on the internet, despite the stiff competition. Well done.
i KNOW bendtner will become a regular at arsenal and one of the great players at this club ! he has everyting to succeed !i really cant believe this joke of an article
this is the worst website going ,, you know nothing
Obviously your just like Caughtoffside and Sportingo and will do anything contraversial to get people to enter your site. Get a life
and i dont care how old he is Rooney was bloody better at 16, come on gooners are u sure Nicolas Bentner surely not.
James, from reading the battering that this article has taken it's clear that perhaps 1% of fans agree with you. Certainly not any where near the 99% you've suggested. Is the author your old man?
Yes Bentner was poor yesterday, but his head never dropped and he still gave it 100% effort for that alone he's more worthy of a starting berth than Ade or VanP's performances over the last couple of games.
i do worry about some of u gooners some times u think of players like Torres, Drogba and Rooney and then u Mention Bendtner come on its not rocket science the guy is poor
end of.
I agree fully, Bendtner is crap, he got mudddled up so mnay time last, there was a grown around the staduim everytime he touched the ball. he fucked up when he was clean through in the first half. His shot was so poor but the angle forced the keeper to parry it to gallas, and if he had managed to actually control the ball, would he have passed to theo.... i doubt it he would of lost the ball. And he got credited for an assit for that one........ he almost managed to hash up his goal, with shitty touched.... thank god denilson was ther to pick up the mess and a gelte back heel to the striker that my nan could have scored with a blindfold over her face
he cant play in this team get rid.... so fucking what if he is only 20, for all the confidence he gives out about how he deserves to start regualy and can take us to new hights.... he had better star showing that and soon or i think you find he will be headign back into the chamionship or even worse SCOTLAND
Although some time ago , Much the same was said of Ray Kennedy in 1969-70. He didnt do too badly in 70-71 and only won 6 League championship medals (5 at Liverpool)!!!
Having watched Bendtner in the reserves and now first team, he has far more skill than he is given credit for, and is a great player in the making.Of the youth team of 2004 he is the one chosen by Arsene, whilst Quincy, Larson, Muamba, Lupoli and Aliadiare have all departed. I trust Arsene's judgment more than the "45 year critics"
Now if you were talking about Hawley, Hankin, Kiwomya etc. but then I suppose mention of names like these, only adds credence to Arsene's policy of finding stars and not buying them
We really need to get behind the team ,including Adebayor and Denilson
Am i missing something here. He was involved in 3 of the goals last night and last season even with his limited appearances he scored 9 goals. Not bad at all. I admit he didn't have the run of the green last night. But the one thing he didn't do was stray offside all the time, like a certain colleague of his. He seems to know the offside rule pretty well.
People that feel the need to pick on a 20yr old player and say he is our worst ever player need to get to grips with themselves. Remember Glenn Helder for godsake.
Bendtner is a quality player that will do really well for us. Give him the support he needs!!
I think this article is a disgrace. I unlike yourself and several other clueless Arsenal fans am a fan of Nik. Many a times last night i listened to first timer women to an Arsenal game moaning about Nik, one occaion which did annoy me was when Clichy put a cross in behind Nik and he was unable to get his leg far enough back and she moaned. True he missed several chance but how many does Adebayor miss before he scores... Mentioning Adebayor if you compare several points Nik would come out on top. Heading: Nik is better. First touch: Nik is better. Ability to find a good pass: Nik again. The list goes on, as you can probably tell i am not a huge fan of adebayor (even before this summers revelations) so when i arrived at the game last night and it was confirmed he was not playing i was best pleased. If Nik is given a regular run in the team he will get 20 goals a season. Next time you watch Nik watch him with an open mind and see how many good things he does.
JOKE!
Not alot more to say. If you've been watching Arsenal for 45 years and you think Gus Ceaser is a beter player. You are more crazy than a apple shaped as a cock.
he is not awful...believe me adebayor is holding NB from developing to be a complete striker...give him time, he will come around, he justs need more game time
he reminds me of a bad version to peter Crouch gooners u mite think I'm harsh but i just think hes saw shit
he doest even look like a Arsenal player