Not that he did not know how to score. From his league debut against the Spuds on, he was a very decent goalscorer. He never really fit at Arsenal, where the tempo was too high and he was forced wide too often. With the new Arsenal, the Cesc and Na$ri-less Arsenal, the play is much slower, more direct, and seems to me to be more the sort of play Bendtner would thrive in. I always thought that in the German or Italian league, were there is just a little bit more time on the ball and generally more crossing into the box, he would do very well indeed. It is for that reason that I hope we don’t sell him too

Hi, I am Martijn, and I am a fan of Bendtner. It has taken me many years to get used to that idea, and I have tried many things to get rid of that pesky addiction. I just can’t do it. To me, the ego tripping Dane is not only a potentially class striker, but one who deserves another chance at Arsenal, and does not deserve the derision he has received many times from fans and pundits alike. When Barry Glendenning, the incredibly sarcastic and heavily accented Irishman from the Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast put him forward as a potential topscorer at the EURO’s, it was met with derision, or people expected he was kidding. He was not, although that was partly down to the fabulous connection Bendtner has with Christian Eriksen, resident wunderkind. Me, I love me some Bendtner, and I hope that by the end of this article, you might too.

Seeing Nicklas Bendtner at reserve level or playing in the Carling Cup was like seeing LeBron James play basketball against three Japanese businessmen on the end of too much sake and karaoke.  Bendtner was the boss. He was incredible. Whilst never the fastest, he glided over pitches like a big Danish horse, powerful and upright, but with a funny stance when dribbling: crouched, with his arms wide like a spider. Never the prettiest player to see play (although there are ladies who thought he was absolutely gorgeous. Whatever…) he looked absolutely majestic when playing well. Big and strong, with a very ungainly technique but one that, in his early years, never failed him. He scored like crazy in those formative years and us Arsenal fans knew he would be able to scale the very heights of footballing greatness. I still think that, by the way. I still think Bendtner has the ability to be an absolutely class centre forward, with his movement, industry (when he feels wanted, and can be arsed, he really works his socks off) and finishing ability he is still always a threat, and for a cumbersome striker he is not nearly as bad with the ball as some imagine. In fact, amongst the best crosses and passes I have seen the last five seasons have come from his feet, perhaps even more so than beautiful goals. Whenever he was pushed out wide he really did well, worked hard, caused problems and gave Sagna room to overlap. I can’t imagine Andy Carroll doing so well out wide, and he recently cost 35m pounds…

Not that he did not know how to score. From his league debut against the Spuds on, he was a very decent goalscorer. He never really fit at Arsenal, where the tempo was too high and he was forced wide too often. With the new Arsenal, the Cesc and Na$ri-less Arsenal, the play is much slower, more direct, and seems to me to be more the sort of play Bendtner would thrive in. I always thought that in the German or Italian league, were there is just a little bit more time on the ball and generally more crossing into the box, he would do very well indeed. It is for that reason that I hope we don’t sell him too cheaply, for he can easily be a Champions League striker and in my opinion, at Arsenal too. His right foot has shown some very nice goals in the past, and he actually seems to have more problem with simple tap-ins then nice finished from fifteen to twenty yards.

Arsenal have been going in a more Northern European direction of late. More Englismen, more Germans, a Belgian and a couple of Poles (not to mention the French, who are stylistically more Northern than Southern, in terms of football). Even Arteta has lost lots of his Spanishness during his years at Everton, and is now a very cultured English style midfielder, full of hustle and bustle and making well timed interceptions and passes. Wenger seems to have done this out of a combination of necessity and realisation that the Spanish style he was trying (before Guardiola, I might add) to use just does not work in England, not unless you have the absolute best players in the world. Before, when we won titles, our teams were more direct, still very technically capable, but played longer passes, and countered more efficiently. I always thought Bendtner was excellent on the counter, many of his goals coming from late, quick offensive movements and not usually from slowly built up moves. He would be able to get in behind defences, showing them his pink heels, because he is faster than he looks and his use of the channels was only second to van Persie. Adebayor, whilst a more proficient goalscorer, was more predictable with his movement than Bendtner. Unless those movements were the headbutting moves on his own teammates…

Bendtner has an image problem. Many seem to think he is rather crap, and not worthy of Arsenal level or his wages. He also has the problem of doing the wrong thing whilst off the pitch, but I have learnt to take those with quite a few pinches of that salty stuff I put on my eggs. First of all, I have quite a strong connection with Denmark, I sort of speak the language (jeg elsker dig, Iben!) and spend some time there every year (in fact, I am moving there after the summer for half a year). As such, I have spoken to many Danish people and there are a few misconceptions here in England about his behaviour and personality. Firstly, Bendtner is immensely popular in Denmark. He sells a lot of Arsenal shirts and they are amongst the most popular clubs in the country because of him. He is the star of the national team and still their hope for success. For his merchandising appeal alone his wages are partly worth it. Bendtner may have married a princess, but they loved each other, according to the tabloids, in which Bendtner very rarely appears. In fact, I’d say the Daily Mail seem far more obsessed with his daily business than any Danish people do. So many of the things that go on in his life are overblown in the British gutter-press. Yes, he has a jewellery business, and that is quite funny, but no more distracting or time-consuming than Rio Ferdinand’s production company or John Terry’s infidelity, and they still perform ok.

And then the big, pink elephant in the room. Bendtner’s ego and drunken charades. Vandalism in Newcastle? Unsubstantiated and as later turned out, not exactly true. The pizza parlour incident in Copenhagen was the sort of drunken remark anyone can make, I know I have threatened clubowners in Utrecht with my parent’s non-existing wealth quite a few times in order to intimidate, and it just sounds like he was doing the same. Ramming his car, well, that happens. He was not drunk and when it happens to players like Ronaldo, no-one gives a peep. Karim Benzema has written off two cars in his Real Madrid time and people aren’t making him out to be the next Mario Balotelli….

His ego is what I love about him. Everyone knows the remarks Arsenal’s resident psychologist has made about how he lacks any self-criticism and how he thinks it is always someone else making the mistake. In theory, people with that level of narcissism, when they are insanely good at what they do, will only succeed more, and will build on good performances or form with even more good performances or form. Bad performances and fans booing you won’t help them. You see, if a player is pretty much technically perfect, and never blames himself, he will a
lways do it the perfect way. Players who lack that ego and confidence can be technically perfect, but when they make mistakes they will look at themselves and start changing what does not need changing. Aaron Ramsey comes to mind: they try too hard. Bendtner trains very well, I always hear, and he works on his faults, without trying too hard to change who he is. Which means that when he does perform well, his confidence means he will keep doing the same thing. In the long run, and with a manager than believes in him, that confidence level will mean he could become amongst the very best. He has it in him, and he just needs to get a run of games, something which injuries and other issues did not get him at Sunderland. At Arsenal he would have done much better than Chamakh or Park and I am genuinely sad he didn’t stay for this season, for he would have performed, I honestly believe that.

For all his faults Nicklas Bendtner is an international footballer and a star in his country, he is a proven goalscorer even at Champions League level and played a part in many of our recent famous victories, like against Barca. He also has the ability to grow a mean haircut and sell some shirts in the growing Danish market. With a handy, technically proficient playmaker behind him (like with Denmark), say, Jack Wilshere, with whom he is still very good friends, he could still do the business for Arsenal, and provide competition to RvP and (knocks wood) Giroud. Three strikers, each with their own abilities. Bendtner was missed this season when we needed a battering ram, when we needed something different. Remember how many times he was crucial in our failed title bids of 2009-2010 and 2010-2011? And how he has a knack for scoring against those mugs from across the road? He has the late scoring ability that a RvP or Vermaelen has shown this season, and that is an ability you can never have enough of in a team. And, hell, as long as others in the world of football don’t rate him and won’t pay a right price for him, we should keep him at Arsenal. And profit from knowing that in fact, actually, Bendtner is pretty good. 

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