Marouane Chamakh to Arsenal: Uncertain Role for Nicklas Bendtner?

With a few days before Wednesday's increasingly significant derby (thank you, Paul Robinson!), I thought it a fine time to take a few deep breaths, forget the unsuccessful Catalonian expedition, and consider the implications of the rumored signing of striker Marouane Chamakh.

More specifically, what would the acquisition of the tall, French-born Moroccan international mean for Arsenal's other tall, young striker, Nicklas Bendtner?

The Math

If Chamakh's name is added to the current roll of strikers at Arsenal (and how can it not be considering the tantalizing price tag?), someone will have to go.

Of Robin van Persie, Andrei Arshavin, Theo Walcott, Nicklas Bendtner, Carlos Vela, and Eduardo da Silva, the last two would seem to be the most expendable.

Vela is young, athletic, and highly talented, but he has not impressed in his limited appearances for Arsenal. If he is to remain with the club, he should expect to spend the next couple of seasons on loan or with the reserve squad.

Eduardo's ghastly 2008 injury at the hands of cheap thug Martin Taylor took over a year off of his career. Since returning to Arsenal for the start of the current campaign, he has clearly lost his former quickness and poise. Sadly, he is not the player he once was. His Arsenal future is in doubt.

If Chamakh indeed comes to Arsenal, it will not be to sit on the bench. He will start up top with van Persie and Arshavin, who hopefully will have nothing to gripe about by the end of this summer.

For better or worse, if Chamakh comes, Nicklas Bendtner's role at Arsenal will be reduced.

A Work-in-Progress

I have long joined many Arsenal fans in being critical of Bendtner's skills and skeptical of his overall fit at the club. My stance has been that he is excellent for his national side, and may prove to be a great professional footballer somewhere, but not at the Emirates.

Bendtner has demonstrated a frustrating inability to take on defenders one-on-one, a first touch that I would generously dub 'erratic,' and, worst of all, a tendency to disappear for long stretches against top competition.

My favorite (of many) anti-Bendtner statistic refers to his performance during the '08-'09 campaign, in which he tallied 15 goals. Of those 15, only one came against the top ten teams in the Premiership (a meaningless header to put the Gunners on the board in what would end a 4-1 loss to Chelsea). None came in five appearances in the knock-out stages of the Champion's League, where he had zero shots on goal despite starting twice.

Bendtner has seemed to me an opportunist and a cherry-picker, a lion against West Brom, Portsmouth, and Cardiff City, but a ghostly, overmatched lamb against the Big Four.

Looking at the past few months' worth of devastating injuries and makeshift lineups, however, few players have stepped up and stood taller for the Gunners than the divisive Dane.

It's not just the obvious contributions: his Porto hat trick and the memorable winners against Hull and Wolves. In little ways, with a solid run of play to bolster his confidence and comfort level, Bendtner has shown the makings of a complete, multi-tooled player.

He may waste chances in front of goal and make little effort to contribute to defensive pressure in the midfield, but when he chooses to play, he keeps his head up, creates chances for others, and positions himself well inside the 18-yard box.

Thanks to a healthy run of form since his late January return from injury, Bendtner has helped pick up an offense that stalled in the absence of a traditional target man. In his first start since October, Bendtner made his presence known in a 1-0 victory over Liverpool, almost scoring against Pepe Reina and challenging the towering Martin Skrtel on many crosses. Since then, he has started all of Arsenal's 11 matches and contributed eight goals and four assists during that time.

There are still many negative points to keep in mind—his jaw-droppingly wasteful performance against Burnley, his utter absence for the better part of 180 minutes against Barcelona—but even Bendtner's most strident critics, among whom I stubbornly count myself, must admit that he has rewarded Wenger's patience and contributed flashes of brilliance that have helped keep Arsenal in the title race.

A Managerial Balancing Act

All the time on the field has really given Bendtner a chance to improve, but with the return of van Persie and the likely addition of another top striker, will Bendtner' growth be stunted, or worse, could he conceivably regress over the course of '10-'11?

At Arsenal, Bendtner will be relegated largely to a bench role for which he is not best suited.

Although he came on as a substitution to net the winner against Wolves a week ago, most of Bendtner's off-the-bench appearances have not been as productive.

His already mentioned unevenness and his tendency to become a non-factor for long stretches during a match make him inefficient and un-ideal as a 'super sub.' He is not lightning-in-a-bottle like Theo Walcott; he does not change the face of the match simply by stepping on the pitch.

I'm convinced that the only way Bendtner will continue to produce and, more importantly, to improve, will be with the experience and confidence engendered by regular play.

This means that either Bendtner must move to a club where he can continue to improve from a starting role, or Arsene Wenger must find a way to give Bendtner regular playing time.

Bendtner won't be transferred.

Wenger has invested so much in his development and borne so much criticism for taking on the cocky Copenhagener; just when the move is starting to pay dividends Wenger won't turn Bendtner loose unless someone overpays wildly for him.

Also, this season has taught Wenger the importance of a reliable plan B. He will not sell a striker unless he knows he has adequate replacements and potential backups.

No, Nicklas Bendtner is destined to stay at Arsenal for at least the next two seasons, when his current contract will expire.

Given his continued progress, it's possible that Bendtner could parlay the last two months' improvement into a successful gig as the first man off the bench next fall. He could learn to be more efficient in a limited role and focus on becoming a difference-maker in big matches with tight scorelines.

While he certainly has come a long way, I'm skeptical as to whether Bendtner has the maturity to do more with less, so to speak. Going back to the bench, in my opinion, would be more likely to bruise the volatile player's ego, sour his attitude, and stifle his growth.

I am confident that Arsene Wenger understands best how to continue to shepherd the young striker through these critical years. Doubtless he has a plan for Bendtner's continued development, but will it entail the kind of significant first team action that would ensure the striker's evolution, or will it over-rely on Bendtner's own ability to adapt to a downgraded role?

It will be interesting to see how Arsene Wenger balances the best interests of his team and the necessary improvement of his roster with the development of a player who needs a lot of time and patience to become a consistent, Premiership-caliber center forward.