I read reports that he's considering retirement at the end of the season... a bit late considering he hasn't been bothered to play football for about 2 years. So frustrating how he's happy to sit there on his 90k a week to do F all rather than go somewhere else and play football, but to retire at the end of it takes the pi$$. How can someone with his talent be happy to go out on such a low? Just shows there is no fight left in him, if there ever was to begin with. It's a pathetic ending considering how his career with us started, and can't wait until he is finally off our books.
Overall I would say he is our biggest ever flop, he's our record signing or close to it and only delivered for about 18 months/2 years. Some of his performances after that were a total disgrace, lack of quality and lack of effort combined. There's nothing worse than seeing players who can't even be bothered to give 100%, or 50% in Arshavin's case. There were some highs, especially getting us top 4 pretty much single handedly but when he's our record signing you're expecting him to deliver as standard anyway. He didn't do it for long enough and even in his prime he was overrated imo.
There's so many excuses made for Arshavin, it would be nice if the same leeway was afforded to players at the club who get slaughtered who actually care and give their all when they play. At the end of the day he didn't have the motivation to succeed and was content to doss about and rip the club off, and for that I will always remember him as a
Arshavin, biggest ever Arsenal flop
posted on 11/4/13
he is asked his favourite position he said depends on the formation, 2nd striker in a 4-4-2, wing in a 4-3-3
posted on 11/4/13
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/football_focus/7929416.stm
at 3 mins 40 secs
posted on 11/4/13
He played as a CF vs Blackburn
Nasri played left wing that game, as he did for his whole first season.
Just because he drifted out to the left doesn't mean it was Arshavin's base position, the whole point of having a free role is to give you freedom on the pitch.
posted on 11/4/13
he didn't have a free role though, he was playing on the left. just found this interview in Russian translated. http://news.arseblog.com/2011/11/arshavin-gives-russian-interview-says-stuff/
In the “Arsenal” Wenger once you identified on the left flank. In your opinion, nothing agreed to play in the wrong place?
In principle I am in the “Zenith” came out on the left. And I, too, Wenger said: “Play, where you want.” Therefore we can not say that I am confined to the left flank. Although the “Arsenal”, I agree that acting on the edge anymore. And in a match with “Olympiakos”, for example, the second time at all actually played left back. It all depends on the circuit. “Arsenal” still prefers the 4-5-1 and not 4-3-3.
posted on 11/4/13
next question is do you have an explanation why you haven't played 2nd striker, and he says no
i can give you the other link later, don't have time to find it now. he says specifically, he doesn't enjoy playing left wing in the 4-4-2 beacuse of the defensive work he has to do.
posted on 11/4/13
That interview is in Novemeber 2011.
posted on 11/4/13
yeah but he's saying he never played 2nd striker. anyway all i know is that he was always playing on the wing, no point going around in circles. will try and find that link later if i can.
posted on 11/4/13
He played as a 2nd striker just a few weeks before that interview vs Bolton, so maybe take the word 'never' with a pinch of salt
posted on 11/4/13
My points are made from memory and can't be ar.sed to check teamsheets at the moment but I still stand by my statement the the majority of games Arshavin played in that first half-season were from the left although he naturally loves drifting central.
posted on 11/4/13
Other than the times he's been wrong, 8bit has never been wrong. Never.