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You remember that Andrei Arshavin fella; turned up in snowy London in 2009 from Zenit St Petersburg, proclaimed ‘Gooner’ status, scored four goals against Liverpool, smashed in a scorcher at Old Trafford, enjoyed playing with Cesc, held weird internet Q&A sessions, scored the winner against Barcelona, then disappeared off the face of the planet?
Yes? Well according to Russian national team coach Fabio Capello he’s gone and he’s not coming back.
Speaking to the Russian press (original source not found) about why he’s given up picking a man, who until recently was the captain of a country jam-packed with 143 million people, the Italian tactician had no problem cutting to the core of the matter.
“Arshavin is a great talent but he has started to fade. I went to see him in London but unfortunately I have to tell you that he is no longer a player that he used to be and I cannot call up a player to the national team unless he is beneficial to the team.”
“I would be a fool if I didn’t play Arshavin if he were in perfect shape or state of mind. Some people think that I removed him probably because of some personal reasons but the thing is that he is not performing.”
While Capello has done this type of thing before (remember him writing off Beckham at Real Madrid and for England?) it’s pretty hard to think he’s spoken out of turn this time around. While Arshavin is still capable of the odd flash of genius, whatever consistency he had before we signed him in 2009 has evaporated. And he’s just plain lazy.
There’s no chance Arsene Wenger will speak as dismissively (in public) about one of his own players but you can’t help but think the boss must be very disappointed with the way one of his most high-profile signings has fallen way below the standards expected.
That isn’t to say the Russian is solely responsible for his demise. There will always be questions about why he never had the chance to play in his favoured central position behind the striker; a position from which he spearheaded a UEFA Cup winning run for Zenit.
In January he’ll be able to sign a Bosman deal with a foreign club but with Zenit turning down the chance to take him permanently last summer it wouldn’t be surprising if he ended up traipsing somewhere exotic for one last big pay cheque. A sorry state of affairs.
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Still worth having him just for the arshavin voice on the podcast, used to make my week!
Speaking of which :
BRING INTERNET JOE BACK!
He used to make my week, and however shitty things got for the Arsenal, he always put a smile on my face.
Funny that cos capello is also not the manager he used to be as we all see when he dillied and dallied with our own national side.
It’s hard to argue with that, but it’s sad. I always liked him, and even though there have been many more opportunities to remember him being lazy and perhaps slightly out of shape, the things I’ll remember are the goal against Barca and the four goals at Anfield. He is gooner.
Whenever I get in to a tough spot with the missus I can always rely on those timeless words… I am goonar! (usually preceded with… back off b*tch) . Arshavin is a philosopher for the ages.
well that’ll be why Fabio is paid the big bucks, then
what an observation. give that man a national manager’s position paying millions
What a waste, what a shame…
And what a statement of the fucking obvious….
‘What a waist’ has been half the problem.
well played
Whilst I appreciate he hasn’t been at his best, the few times he has played he hasn’t done that badly.
I’d personally much rather see Arshavin on the pitch than Gervinho .. I really don’t want to see that guy wearing the shirt again.
Still better than ramsey though. I mean gervinho. He has goals, assists and i can swear i saw him go past a league two player more than once.
The prince of wales couldn’t go past a single league two player.
How the fuck does this become a Gervinho & Ramsey diss thread? Get a life fellow gooners and support your club / players
Amen to that. Truth is, I’d rather see him than gervinho, podolski or theo as it stands today.
Regardless of this statement, I’d still rather see him in an Arsenal shirt that Gervinho.
Don’t even mention that name. He’s dead to me!
Unless he scores another goal, in which case he’ll be alright again.
Great minds Kippy!
Haha top man!
Can’t help but think that signings like Arshavin are part the reason why Arsenal are in such dire straights, and who is really to blame? He looked the player.
Has Arsene lost his transfer touch?
Vermaelen, Koscielny, Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mertesacker etc has been signed since…not to mention our 3 signings this season…
sure there has been a few duds, but does it look like he has lost his touch?
I still love Arshavin even though he has turned into Garfield.
I don’t normally laugh out loud at comments but that was hilarious
Well that sucks. Capello sounding like he’s paid very close attention to his performance only puts us out another couple of mill.
Those wishful days of a (moderated) inflated sale of maybe £7m or so look ever increasingly to be much further down the toilet.
Thanks, Fabio.
*moderate. Damn this infernal spell checker thing on my gizmo for a phone.
It should be noted i like the guy, and he has played very well for us, but he’s not in his zone as a winger for us.
There is just something really lovable about him – maybe the owliness or what ever it is. Maybe i’m biased as a Finn but there aren’t too many Russians who would have made it outside former Soviet Union. Shevchenko aside ofcourse.
Ukraine is game to you!?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzLtF_PxbYw
Best tv show ever. I named my boxer after George costanza.
Who cares what that curly haired cunt thinks? Arsh hasn’t even played enough this season to make judgement. Instead we play 5 head and Rambo on the wings. A huge fucking waste of talent
Off topic i know, but i just watched the “Invincibles” dvd, brings a tear to the eye, fucking shocking what we’ve turned into………..moan over…
I assume you don’t mean the Disney film.
no shit!
And in other news, it turns out bears do shit in the woods.
His performance against Reading earlier in the season in the League Cup was absolutely atrocious, probably his worst in an Arsenal shirt. He’s a likeable player but I can’t wait to see the back of him. He isn’t even good enough to play in our reserves and I don’t care if Arsenal lose him on a free, the club will make money by not having to pay his wages; wages that can be, and hopefully will be, used on a much better player.
Sorry mate, you must´ve been watching the wrong game.
When we desperately needed someone to take up the creative mantle (and come back from 4 goals down, in case you don´t remember), Arshavin stepped up to the plate big time.
His gut-busting run in the 120th minute was pretty good for a bloke who´s supposedly unfit, and it laid the winner on a plate for Theo. He also played Theo in for the first goal with the type of slide-rule pass our much-vaunted midfield rarely seem to be able to produce these days. As I recall, he tried all night and looked as good as anyone out there (watch the Arsenal Player highlights if you want, its free).
He´s totally out in the cold because Wenger wants to build the team around players who are committed to the club, and I understand that. I do, however, think he´s been getting a rough deal for the last 8 weeks or so when you consider some of the shocking performances we´ve had to put up with from other “stars”…
A talent unfulfilled is still a talent nonetheless.
Well said….
He arrived as a little magician, full of promise and delivered on it. Nowadays it’s as if he’s misplaced his box of tricks and the rabbits have been well and truly abandoned.
The thing is, if he starts tonight and is electric, then It’s not inconceivable that he may yet arise from his current slumber. I for one will be willing to give him another go.
Failing that, I can’t imagine Cuba being out of the question, given his current perchant for having a cigar on the pitch…arf!
Shava has always been one of my favorite players, I don’t know why but there’s just something about him and the way he plays that just makes me smile. Such a talent, could’ve been the best in the world under AW tutelage. In my opinion we didn’t get the best out of him as he never played his natural position for a sustained period of time (first it was cesc, then rosicky, now it’s santi). He always brings back such great memories:
“ARSHAVIN! FOUUUUUUUURRR!!!”
For some reason one of my favorite arsenal moments.
Liam, don’t you think it says something about his talent that in his worst game in an arsenal shirt (i’ll acknowledge) he still produced 4 assists, cause he was played in his favorite role. Now if that was on an abysmal day imagine what his good days could be like…
why nobody admit that hi was played out of position, hes not a left wing he is central attacking mid, he dont have pace to be LW.
wenger killed this one
FIFTEEN (fucking) MILLION QUID!!! Let’s not forget that while we think about his cute owliness! We spent a lot of money on this guy and he has not even started to pay it back.
Stils remember watching the 4:4 against Liverpool – while I was simultaneously having an argument with my wife.
What a fucking game.
Thanks Arshavin for the great memories.
Is it just me that’s concerned Wenger hasn’t been using his players correctly in their best positions,
Especially considering the number of players this has happened to; Walcott playing on the wing whilst Gervinho scuttles around as centre forward, Ramsey on the right wing, Arshavin never given the chance to shine in the position he has proven most dangerous for every other team he has played for.
I also see a pattern of us playing with too many central minded players and little or no width unles we throw on a walcott or in patches arshavin (both these player favour central positions though surprise surprise) but they tend to drift inward anyway.
Which has led to stagnant performances born not out of an unwillingness to create chances quickly and effectively but a lack of the avenues to do so with so many players in the centre and the opposition able to defend relatively easily, if well organised, without being stretched.
Arsene Wenger continues to believe in a tactic of keeping the ball and breaking the other team down slowly, except we don’t have the personnel that this style needs bar cazorla and wilshere/ arteta.
These problems are quite obvious and could simply (not easily) have been fixed with a change of personnel and tactics in reaction to poor results from these failed tactics first and secondly by having a tangible plan B from the bench or otherwise during the match.
As much as I am grateful to wenger for his service to this club and football in general over the years in immeasurable ways, I do believe his time is up.
The way the team have performed, the ineffectiveness of his team selections and formations, his poor tactical flexibility, the extent to which he plays men out of position has become intolerable to me atleast.
We have only a few options for which to be sucessful in the short and long term. Either the players, the team become brilliant at the tiki taka way of playing that wenger is determined to convey on the pitch, Wenger changes his habits of odd formation selection and player position dictation or We remove him from his position as manager.
I welcome you to decide for yourself which is most likely and preferable.
Jesus mate, if your going to write that much, start your own blog. I don’t have time to read a novel.
Sorry about that mate, there was a lot to say.
ARSHAAAAAAAAAAAAVVIINNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That winner against Barcelona though..
*sigh*
great first half!!
if arshavin leaves on the bosman rule, i bet he will stay in the premier league. there will always be a lesser club that will take on an old superstar for free. the reason he stayed is cos he wants to get a citizenship.
Nice article helping justifying AW’s selection.
Keep it up. Just spare us the critism when other news medias, the usmanovs and others; when they do the same.
This day and age everyone has an ulterior motive I guess.
Always good to see support for the little Russian. Will be sad to see him go as I strongly believe his services could be used, if the boss showed the same faith he has for the likes of Gerv and Rambo!?
Yes he can be slow to defend but the brief moments this season when he has played, more often than not he’s added to the teams success.
Unfortunately the boss won’t use him again and in my humble opinion that’s a shame cause he’s not passed it just yet!
Spasiba Arshavin #23
Arshavin is lazy but he has always been capable of something brilliant something out of nothing i think hes copped a raw deal this season. He was poor in Greece but other than that he has done ok in his limited time hes played this season.
Andrey Arshavin At Anfield Again!
I bet he made the commentators think about that before that game…