As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
I can't remember a more embarrassing footballer to represent our club. Fans of clubs all over the country laugh when his name is mentioned, radio stations and pundits take the piss out of him and yet the deluded goon still sees himself as Barcelona material
When he eventually leaves I feel like having a second BBQ
Having said all that.....he's still better than Sanogo !
SteveO 35 wrote:I can't remember a more embarrassing footballer to represent our club. Fans of clubs all over the country laugh when his name is mentioned, radio stations and pundits take the piss out of him and yet the deluded goon still sees himself as Barcelona material
When he eventually leaves I feel like having a second BBQ
Having said all that.....he's still better than Sanogo !
The sad thing is,I think he might actually have a bit of talent,somewhere hidden away behind his lazy façade and stupid dim-witted off-pitch antics I reckon if he put his heart to it he might actually be half decent,and for me its a fucking waste,shame he'll forever be remembered as another Billy Big-Bollocks did-nothing-in-the-game professional footballer who's wasted his chance millions would give their right arm for.
i think super nic had/has a lot of talent - unfortunately he was never encouraged to be humble or realistic when he was successful.
when a club puts a young player on 50K a week, they think they've made it but they haven't, and when the focus, concentration and discipline goes then so does the form, and then they get dropped.
nic when fit was positionally very good, he just had a mental block finishing. that could have been trained or counselled out of him imho and he could of been world class maybe.
as it is, it wasn't and now he eats, drinks and shags to try to come to terms with relative failure (he's still on 3.5million a year....)
its the same story as bentley and pennant - we build these kids up as superstars in their minds, pay them a fortune and pamper them and then wonder why it didn't work out....
of course some other players who didn't have the ability get let go and still do okay elsewhere - Matty Upson is one, because they have the 'pick my self up and be one with it' approach to life (even though we chose Djourou and Senderos ahead of him...), stephen hughes is another once he settled for Coventry.
i always want our kids to do well, and i'm sad for nic - i genuinely fear for his health and sanity when the Arsenal money stops rolling in. he doesn't strike me as the type to have put cash aside nor would i think he's been encouraged to.
given the last 3 years i don't think that a club is going to even risk 5k a week on him do you ? - perhaps Russia or Turkey is calling ?
whether his future is in football or not, i hope it works out for him and he doesn't become another Gascoigne - sectioned and homeless, or Tomas Brolin, playing for a swedish 3rd div club for peanuts and vodka.
clockender1 wrote:i think super nic had/has a lot of talent - unfortunately he was never encouraged to be humble or realistic when he was successful.
when a club puts a young player on 50K a week, they think they've made it but they haven't, and when the focus, concentration and discipline goes then so does the form, and then they get dropped.
nic when fit was positionally very good, he just had a mental block finishing. that could have been trained or counselled out of him imho and he could of been world class maybe.
as it is, it wasn't and now he eats, drinks and shags to try to come to terms with relative failure (he's still on 3.5million a year....)
its the same story as bentley and pennant - we build these kids up as superstars in their minds, pay them a fortune and pamper them and then wonder why it didn't work out....
of course some other players who didn't have the ability get let go and still do okay elsewhere - Matty Upson is one, because they have the 'pick my self up and be one with it' approach to life (even though we chose Djourou and Senderos ahead of him...), stephen hughes is another once he settled for Coventry.
i always want our kids to do well, and i'm sad for nic - i genuinely fear for his health and sanity when the Arsenal money stops rolling in. he doesn't strike me as the type to have put cash aside nor would i think he's been encouraged to.
given the last 3 years i don't think that a club is going to even risk 5k a week on him do you ? - perhaps Russia or Turkey is calling ?
whether his future is in football or not, i hope it works out for him and he doesn't become another Gascoigne - sectioned and homeless, or Tomas Brolin, playing for a swedish 3rd div club for peanuts and vodka.
I absolutely agree with your comments on how we pay young players too much money before they have proven themselves and this policy is still in play at the club
Cannot agree with your assessment of brolin though - it seems to be generally forgotten in england that this guy had a very successful career in italy (back then the italian league was the bnumber 1 league) and he only came to england for the payday. When he himself, or most football fans and journo's outside england , assess his career they will see him as an excellent player (not world class) who had a very good career
Have to agree with augie RE Brolin. He had a good career and made decent money I'd imagine. My impression was he was still playing because he just loved playing. I think (if memory serves) that the old Queen from MOTD Lawrenson continued playing down through the divisions for years after his proper career ended?