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We should be patient with Bendtner, Wenger tells supporters
12 Dec 2008Arsene Wenger today pleaded with the Arsenal fans to give out-of-form striker Nicklas Bendtner a break.
The Dane has scored just once in his last 14 appearances and turned in a dismal display in Wednesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat at FC Porto.
Bendtner is likely to return to the bench for tomorrow lunchtime's Premier League trip to Middlesbrough as first-choice duo Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor look set to come back into the side.
But the Gunners boss said: "I believe that at the moment he puts a lot of pressure on himself and does not completely play with enough freedom.
"He works very hard in training, harder than ever, and that will come good. But at the moment he does not get the reward for the kind of effort he puts into his training."
Wenger confirmed Eduardo will play for Arsenal's reserves against Portsmouth on Tuesday and believes the Croatian forward will be back to his best in six weeks.
"The problem for Eduardo is that we need to get him back to a level where he is able to compete once he is fully fit again," the Gunners boss told Arsenal TV Online. "We don't know how much patience he will need.
"I still believe that you have to give him at least one and a half months competition before you consider him to be completely back to the level he was at before.
"But what he has is a fantastic fitness basis, because he worked unbelievably hard and that is why he could surprise us by being back a little bit quicker."
Left back Gael Clichy (hamstring), captain Cesc Fabregas (knee), van Persie (thigh), Adebayor (rested) and Bacary Sagna (flu) could all return tomorrow for the trip to the Riverside.
"Sagna, Clichy, Fabregas, Van Persie and Adebayor have a reasonable chance to come back," confirmed Wenger. "Perhaps less certain is Sagna but the others should be alright."
For Boro, record signing Afonso Alves finds himself under pressure to deliver having scored just three goals this season.
The Brazilian cost £12.7m from Heerenveen in January and assistant boss Malcolm Crosby said: "He has to get a couple of goals, and pretty quickly, if he is to come out of it."
Reader views (2)
Wenger needs to start beleiving in giving the young players their chance when players are injured.Ramsey or Vela should have already been given the chance to replace Nasri(injured). Wenger has to stop playing players out of position because this is doing more harm than good.If a player plays out of position he is not going to give good performance, therefore play the young ones and they will gain experience and play good. lets not forget that players like Adams ,Brady,Fabregas and others all started this way.Otherwise tha young will get impatient and leave the club like,Upson,Bentley and others.
- A.Messina, Malta, 13/12/2008 10:26
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Like to see Bentdner reunited with Eduardo in Feb, they had a good understanding before Dudo's injury! RVP & Adyebaor, Bentdner & Eduardo plus Walcott is a good strike force. Vela needs a spell on loan at a Premiership club to get a run of games..Fulham would be my choice so we can negotiate for Hangeland. Jan wenger needs wide attacking midfielders, Giovinco, Elia and Afellay. 2 of these names would be great as Rosicky is no more unfortunately, Walcott & Nasri are injury prone! 3 players in the Jan window, Gallas out, Vela on loan.
- Newmy, Milton Keynes, 12/12/2008 16:52
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