Wow Arshavin Wow!

[MDGoonah41]

If football players were robots, the games would be no fun.

I have no problem with Arshavin being depressed, and I had no problem with what Gallas did. Would you hope players are robots who can cope with anything and not miss a beat? Sure. But its not reality.

 

[ultradoc]

Where's the 'bashing' then?

Apologies. But, some appear 'disgusted' by this. And it's also equated to gallas' reaction which was during a match and in the middle of a season. And gallas was right to be bashed, for me. So I assumed so. Nowhere near to a character weakness is this reaction of this. Almost as sensationalist as the daily mirror or star or whatever.

 

[Captain]

What is the reaction, if not a weakness?

Hundreds of players lose hundreds of games, big ones too; do they all go and tell the boss that they can't play?

 

[kamikaze80]

you only lose the last world cup game of your career once, it's not just another game. arshavin's a pretty sharp guy, i think he knows that he does not have much time left. when he loses his pace, he won't have much left - a player without height, power, pace or stamina does not have a lot to work with at the highest level.

 

[ultradoc]

maybe they do, maybe not to their managers, maybe to their wives, friends or someone. Don't people take a break from work when something traumatic happens in their lives.And they come back to normalcy many times with support from friends and family. Not by people picking on them as being weak.
This guy at least comes out with it, and I hope that will work out well for him, an emotional flushing if you can term it that way. Instead of having the disappointment pent up and not playing well for the club.

I wonder, we don't like int'l football much so we can not estimate how much arshavin must be feeling bad. Or maybe he IS weak, but I don't think it's fair to comment like that after this particular incident.

 

[CKD39]

That was Arshavin's last chance of a World Cup, he doesn't seem like the kind of player that would age gracefully. When he falls of his peak it's going to be very sudden and ugly.

 

[xcdude24]

He's a primadonna, and he has been since he's got here. I'm really not too bothered by his comments. It's not like he was on form before he made these comments anyways.

 

[raidersoftheark]

That was Arshavin's last chance of a World Cup, he doesn't seem like the kind of player that would age gracefully. When he falls of his peak it's going to be very sudden and ugly.

If Shavva is with us for the long term, I can see Wenger trying to do a Bergy with him. Which, in fairness could possibly work.

 

[number_0]

Someone should make a soap of players life, not like "footballers wives" obviously, but one based on real players, where they do the rounds on grannys houses and bring mobile phones in the showers.

 

[Shadow Moses]

Quite disgusted by that really.

drama queen

 

[AnthonyG]

That's exactly it, he has admitted that he pretty much told his coach that he didn't want to/wouldn't play; something which Wenger seems to have backed up in his own conference.

The idea of retiring is neither here nor there.

Fair enough, I still think you are wrong and being contrarian, but fair enough.

 

[OohtobeaGoonerGal]

What is the reaction, if not a weakness?

Hundreds of players lose hundreds of games, big ones too; do they all go and tell the boss that they can't play?

But the thing is no one is as honest as Arshavin is. The man is known for speaking out his mind, what others may think, he will just say.

It may not always be appropiate, but it is who he is. You can't honestly tell me there aren't days where maybe even some of our own players just want to push the football out of their mind and do something else after a bad result, they wouldn't let it be known, Andrey would.

 

[Clrnc]

How many of those who find this understandable also found Gallas sitting on the pitch and throwing a tantrum up at Birmingham understandable?

I believe I am not the only one that found both situations easily understandable.

At times like this, we just need to support the player through their mental state

 

[Biggus]

At times like this, we just need to support the player through their mental state

Y'see this is whats wrong with the world nowadays and in particular todays generation of mollycoddled players.
Andre if you're reading this- Stop moaning about Russia, you weren't good enough and you weren't even cheated like Ireland, so grow a pair and shut the f**k up and do what you're very well paid to do!

 

[Iloveyouarsenewenger]

You see, Arshavin's reactions to the press questions are totally different to other players. When a footballer or any person in general loses out something so important as Andrei did(mind you, he always valued his national games a lot, was the captain and knew that this might be his last shot at the WC) it is natural to feel devastated and shocked.

But, while many other players would keep their feelings to themselves and come up with diplomatic answers to the press questions, Arshavin is extremely frank and is ready to say what he exactly feels like. There is absolutely no need to treat this like a declaration of retirement plans or something.

We all knew that Arshavin was hurt and devastated by the loss and this article or interview tells us nothing new. Now, many people are speaking on the Cesc interview thread that they'd rather see what he does than listen to what he says. Use the same principle here as well. I saw a motivated Arshavin in the game against Liege and hence consider any criticism of the player based on this interview an over-reaction.

 

[Captain]

That's ignoring the elephant in the room that he couldn't get his head right within three days to play a game for his club. Why do people keep ignoring this?

 

[Klaus Daimler]

I don't know why people are making such a big deal out of it. I'd rather he tells the manager if he's not in the right state to play, and that goes for every player.

 

[qs]

That's ignoring the elephant in the room that he couldn't get his head right within three days to play a game for his club. Why do people keep ignoring this?

Exactly. Last week we had just lost Robin and because of Arshavins unprofessional attitude we had to field a completely unfamiliar front line. That was part of why we dropped 3 points last week. Its completely unacceptable.

And he's not looked as hungry as a player this season overall.

 

[kel varnsen]

I feel that it is Ant. They are both portraying a character weakness.

Gallas sat down on the pitch because the pressure of the day got to him. Arshavin didn't want to play football because the pressure of a day got to him. I see no real difference.

In isolation I feel that Gallas' actions were more understandable given the game on that particular day. Arshavin has just admitted that he told his coach that he doesn't feel like playing because he lost an international.

gallas did it during a match. arshavin has, seemingly, not let this incident influence his performance on the pitch. not the same thing at all. not by a long shot.

btw, when given a the chance to play, he has played fairly well. not his fault wenger decided to bench him last week.

 

[Burnwinter]

His emotional state is completely understandable. Success at the World Cup is something every footballer covets, so realistically the door has just slammed on one of his lifetime ambitions.

But as a fan I prefer it when our players don't constantly reveal their vulnerabilities and foibles to the press. This interview is an overshare.