Decent interview with our cult hero of the 2000s:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/oct/09/nicklas-bendtner-i-became-too-fond-of-the-lifestyle-that-came-with-the-money
Shows that a good portion of the rumors and reports of him being arrogant and a bad boy were actually true and not entirely his fault. If Arsenal had better mentoring/guidance, talents like him and Wilshire would have had a better foundation to cope with the money and pressure. Gambling and drinking/smoking is still such an issue in English footie.
Also shows a bit what Fabregas must have been struggling with regarding cerain team members. At least Bendtner has grown up and become brutally honest with himself, I dont think the other guys like Adebayor, Wilshire will ever come close.
Lord Bendtner brutally honest interview
posted on 10/10/20
comment by Gillespie Road. (U18361)
posted 49 minutes ago
£400k in 90 minutes?And here I thought Andros Townsend losing £40k in one night was bad.
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There's a good film called Molly's Game that puts even that into perspective. One of the main characters is apparently (based on) Tobey Maquire.
Definitely worth a watch.
posted on 10/10/20
Only had chance to listen to the first half of Bendtner's interview with Arseblog, but he comes across very well so far, and his book sounds like it could be really revealing, not just about him and his football career, but about what happens when young players aren't protected enough - or refuse help to be - from the temptations that inevitably surround them, once they have 'made it'.
I know Arsene also has his long anticipated reveal all / reveal nothing book out this autumn too. But as someone that has tried, and failed, to really engage with any football biographies thus far, I have to say I'm kinda more tempted to try Bendtner's tbh.
posted on 10/10/20
comment by Emile Smith Rowe FC (if he's loaned, I'm loaned) (U8879)
posted 3 hours, 53 minutes ago
comment by Gillespie Road. (U18361)
posted 49 minutes ago
£400k in 90 minutes?And here I thought Andros Townsend losing £40k in one night was bad.
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There's a good film called Molly's Game that puts even that into perspective. One of the main characters is apparently (based on) Tobey Maquire.
Definitely worth a watch.
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I guess that's my evening sorted.
posted on 10/10/20
That's a good read and it is nice to see a footballer come out and say he was a pillock. Especially when it's one who actually (IMO) had a fair argument to have beef with the manager and put some blame on him. I always felt sorry for him because he'd replace the cripple after his inevitable halfway injury. Start slow but get going scoring, only to have Wenger pull him from the side to put back the 80% fit cripple as Bendtner hit form.
Only thing I don't get, is it does sound alot like Wenger couldn't do the "Firm hand" approach. But if that's the case then how in the hell did he ever manage to get and keep his inaugural team or the invincibles under control? Because in comparison to his later teams, that lot were downright thuggish bad boys
posted on 10/10/20
Gambling seems to get few of the bigger footballers
Stories back in the day of a nose bleed stakes gambling clique in the England team known to include Rooney, Owen and Terry
posted on 10/10/20
Bendtner was another player who Wenger massively overrated, he had a horrible first touch, half the time he couldn’t hit a barn door, basically he was coddled at Arsenal. Predictably shown up once he left...
posted on 10/10/20
comment by ItsAboutTheBackFour (U9916)
posted 2 hours, 53 minutes ago
Bendtner was another player who Wenger massively overrated, he had a horrible first touch, half the time he couldn’t hit a barn door, basically he was coddled at Arsenal. Predictably shown up once he left...
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That half would be the slow starting I mentioned. Got himself scoring, keeping us in stuff. Then regardless how well he was doing, got straight dissed and dropped for an RVP 80% comeback. Can't really expect any player to fulfil his potential if every time he gets going, he's benched, Nobody CAN really improve never getting to push their limits, whilst at their form best.
That's why cripple boy ended up with a career a shadow of what it could have been. Broke every time he really hit his best. That 31 he finally got, was chump change to what he had been capable of. In fact if he'd not been made of glass, then it may well have been him who hit 50 first not Ronnie. He was good enough.
posted on 11/10/20
80% Van Persie was better than 5 Bendtners though...
posted on 11/10/20
comment by TheSkins (U3865)
posted 9 hours, 42 minutes ago
80% Van Persie was better than 5 Bendtners though...
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Exactly.
What WB2 fails to acknowledge is that, quite apart from Van Persie, Bendtner failed even to oust Marouane Chamakh as a starter.
You only have to glance at the guy’s post-Arsenal record to see, playing at any decent level, he’s a 1 in 4 scorer at best.
But yeah, that’s on Wenger. And Van Persie. And no doubt the weather. And the fans. And Stan too...
posted on 11/10/20
comment by TheSkins (U3865)
posted 10 hours, 24 minutes ago
80% Van Persie was better than 5 Bendtners though...
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Matter of opinion. In mine, nobody who is only 80% fit, is worth having on the pitch, no matter his level of talent. Because that 20% loss makes them rubbish anyway. As demonstrated by the numerous times people got dropped to bring back RVP only for him to fall short of the level of performance we needed from him anyway (through no fault of his own, he was still injured).
Also, you're failing to see the potential link between us always bringing him back to play at 80% (so not healed) and the repetitive breakdown of the player halfway through the following season, each and every time we done it. Play Bendtner and rest RVP just one of those. RVP likely romps to 30 and more fit and strong for ALL of the following season. Just because for once he was actually allowed to get to 100% fit to play, before being returned to the side. Playing your best/most talented player, really isn't always the best things to do. RVP is a prime example of just how and why.