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Arsene Wenger has hinted that Nicklas Bendtner’s recent move out wide could prove to be a permanent one.
The Dane had previously made his name as a central striker, putting his height, strength and aerial ability to good use as something of a target man for the club, but has found competition for that spot increased this season with the arrival of Marouane Chamakh.
And with the recent return to fitness of Robin van Persie, who has been in fine goal-scoring form for Arsenal, Bendtner might have to get used to offering something from a wide position.
Initially playing on the right of a front three, the 23-year-old scored an excellent opener in the Carling Cup semi-final by cutting in from the left, and Wenger thinks this could be a good tactic for him.
“He didn’t surprise me with that goal against Ipswich, because he works on that in training. He is very good on the left side. In fact if he has to play wide, I think he would prefer to play on the left so he can cut inside.”
The kind of goal Bendtner scored against Ipswich became something of a Thierry Henry trademark during the French striker’s time at the club, and when training with Arsenal recently Wenger believes the two players may have spoken to each other about playing as a striker from the left.
“Thierry spoke to him,” the boss revealed. “I don’t know what was said but I saw them speak together. I don’t know what people speak about in the dressing room.
“It can be about football, it can be about cars, it can be about anything. But Thierry likes to give advice to the other strikers.”
Although it will take more than a goal against Ipswich to convince me, it is an interesting idea, and we’ve seen big Nick do that before. It could be good for his all-round game to play there for a while, so he can add classy strikes like that to his game, as well as his tap-ins and headers. Some time in a different role can be good for a player, and it wouldn’t be the first time the manager has tried it out.
However, won’t it be equally tricky for Bendtner to dislodge in-form wingers Nasri and Walcott as it would be to get in ahead of van Persie and Chamakh?
And it doesn’t say much for the future of Andrey Arshavin if so many players are being preferred to him out there, even those who aren’t familiar with the position.
It’ll be interesting to see how we line up against Huddersfield today.
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