English Premier League: Nicklas Bendtner stirs trouble in Arsenal camp as Arsene Wenger advises patience
After returning from injury, Bendtner has become the latest player in the Arsenal camp to come out in public and express his discontent at the way he is being treated at the club. The Danish forward, who played for his national side in the 2010 FIFA World
Cup, has been dropped to third in the striking pecking order at the Emirates Stadium due to the arrival of Maroune Chamakh in the summer transfer window before the season began.
Both Chamakh and Robin Van Persie are above the Danish centre forward as far as Wenger’s selection preferences go. However, the Arsenal manager has requested Bendtner to be patient and capitalize on the opportunity that he will be given when the time is
right. Nicklas was out with a groin injury and therefore, he has seen relatively less action this season as he has only featured five times and that too as a substitute for Arsenal. He has not started a single game of football for the Gunners in the 2010-2011
season.
Recently, Nicklas told a Danish newspaper that he was wasting his time on the Arsenal bench when he could be playing first team football elsewhere. Responding to these comments in characteristically aristocratic fashion, Arsene Wenger told the press, "Have
you ever seen a player who is on the bench and not frustrated? When you try to convince a player that he has to be patient, then you waste your time, but that is what you have to do. You ask a player if he is fit after two training sessions and he says 'yes'.
That is normal. I was the same. I have been very pleased with Nicklas' attitude and spirit. He has to continue to work, and when he is completely match fit he will play. I can understand because he has put a lot of effort in. Now he has to be a little bit
patient.”
Elaborating a bit further on the Danish striker’s situation at the Emirates Stadium, the long standing Frenchman said, "Nicklas has a good level of confidence and that is not bad, but you have to justify it on the football pitch. He is getting sharper in
training. He will play games. But we are a big club and we have big strikers - you cannot start the season with one striker. You decide and, unfortunately, you can only play 11.”
Wenger also went on to explain the effect that Maroune Chamakh has had on the Arsenal set up as he said, “When you look at the number of times Chamakh was decisive, you can only say that if you are not happy you must be very difficult to please. I am extremely
satisfied I signed him. Chamakh is a guy who gets others involved, who creates chances, who is collective in the final third. He is a very collective player and even if he doesn't get 20 goals I am sure the players around him will score because of him."
Chamakh has been effective but controversial since his transfer to Arsenal. This controversial streak emerged in him when he allegedly dived to gain advantage for Arsenal against Partizan Belgrade in the UEFA Champions League as well as against Birmingham
in the English Premier League. However, Wenger was quick to defend his striker as he explained, "I spoke with him and said, 'In England it is not tolerated, the English people become very aggressive about it. He said 'I don't dive. Since I was young people
ask me why I dive, but I don't even know the way I go down and when I do it is because I have been unbalanced'."
Wenger also addressed the Cesc Fabregas tackle that the Spanish midfielder committed to in Arsenal’s last league match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Stephen Ward was on the receiving end of the challenge in question. The ex-Monaco manager clarified the
scenario as he said that Fabregas didn’t deserve a yellow card and he went to the Wolves' dressing room to apologize to Ward by telling him that he didn’t intend to hurt him with the tackle. Wenger’s Arsenal take on Everton in their next Premier League matchup
at the Goodison Park Stadium in Merseyside, England.
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