Should Nicklas Bendtner Start Every Arsenal Game? Not According to Arsene Wenger

Let me start by saying, I have never been Nicklas Bendtner’s biggest fan and of course, anything written in a tabloid newspaper can be taken with a pinch of salt but I just couldn’t ignore the Dane’s comments in today’s Daily Mirror.

“I should start every game, I should be playing every minute of every match and always be in the team.”

Are we to believe the 21 year old actually said this or was it possibly that he “wants” to play every minute and an interview has been taken out of context?

As a wannabe journalist, I’m going to have to side with my journalist friends at the Mirror and treat Bendtner’s comments as fact (with one eye open).

Should Nicklas be starting every game?

Bendtner is without doubt a classy player on his day, capable of numerous tricks and quality finishes while leading the line, like an old fashioned British professional.

But so is Hull City’s Daniel Cousin every three and a half games but he isn’t on Arsenal’s books and probably for one main reason, his attitude stinks.

The Dane has an air of “arrogance” about him which is almost essential in making your way in today’s egotistical football world and there is nothing wrong with it, as long as it is channelled in the right way.

Is the “right way”, speaking out before you have even established yourself as a first eleven regular? I’m surely not the only one that doesn’t think so.

His record for the season reads:

Games started: 16

Substitute appearances: 14

Goals: 8

Overall, it isn’t a bad record for an emerging player but in the big competitions (UEFA Champions League and Barclays Premier League), he has still been on the bench more often than he has started which probably tells us what Arsene Wenger thinks.

Is it really a good enough record to declare,“I should start every game, I should be playing every minute of every match and always be in the team?”

Should is a long way from will, which in turn, is a mile away from deserve.