Andrei Arshavin, What went Wrong?

He doesn't seem to know but we might have a better idea. 

He came and did this:

 

And then now a days we see this:

So where has it gone wrong for him?


We'll start form the beginning. Andrei Arshavin came to North London and the Premier League officially on the 3rd of January 2009 (The day after deadline day :s). He was always going to leave Zenit after Euro 2008 when he was a key to Russia's run to the semi final (he was in fact named in the team of the tournament). Where would he end up? seemed to be the question on most lips, Barcelona had already had a bid rejected and had Spurs in the summer, Which seemed to frustrate Arshavin who then decided that he was going to leave. He did leave Zenit and he joined Arsenal.

It seemed like Arshavin was well up to the task of regular Premier league football, He made his debut on the 21st of February, scored his first goal for Arsenal on the 14th of March on the 11th of April he added his second Arsenal goal, His excellent performances were recognised when he captained Arsenal on the 2nd May. He was both Arsenal and The Premier League's player of the month for April due in no small part to an incredible 4 goals at Anfield in a 4-4 draw. 

He finished the season with 6 goals and 9 Assists in 15 games. He finished 2nd in Arsenal's player of the season poll also after playing less than 25% of Arsenal's games. Arsenal finished the season in 4th place and a dissapointing 18 points behind 1st. The view on Arshavin however was that in the little russian Arsenal had one of the world's elite attacking players a player who had the magic in him to change and win any premiership in an instant. 


He started the 09/10 season in similar form scoring a truly world class goal at Old Trafford.

He often puts his finger to his lips as a trademark celebration, not sure who he is ever shushing. 


A similarly fantastic goal was scored when Arshavin again put Liverpool to the sword in December 2009. He was so important that season he was being played not matter what, he started a game and was man of the match when played up front against Stoke. Arsenal finished 3rd only 11 points behind 1st. Arshavin finished the season with 12 goals and 7 assists and a handful of man of the matches. His reputation of being a top class player was difficult to argue.


In the 2010/11 season Arshavin featured in all but one of Arsenal's league games and made 52 apperances overall. Arshavin hit the ground running scoring 6 goals in all competitions by September. By January he had scored 7 goals (he would only score 3 more all season). Did he get coal for Christmas 2010? What was his New Year's resolution? Now it would be unfair to say he was awful (as he is now) in the early part of 2011 he did suffer a dip in form however. A sign of a return to his best could have come from his goal against Barcelona, It didn't. Arsenal lost the league cup final to Birmingham and there season spirraled downwards as did Arshavin's form. He scored one more goal all season in a 2-2 draw with West Brom. Signs of discontent amoung the fans grew in the opening months and kept growing in 2011, Arshavin was never a player that could be describe as an Engine who worked tirelessly but the player was noticably lazy and with a dip in form confidence seemed to desert him. He often was found at the breakdown of Arsenal's attacks with wayward shooting and poor passing. 
The season ended with an a very impressive 17 assists, He scored 10 goals in the season which for an attacking midfielder or wide man is far from shoddy however his ratio had dropped from just >1 in 2 to just under >1 in 5. 


The summer of 2011 was rife with rumours of an Arshavin leaving the Gunners, German teams Oil-Rich Anzhi and other top russian clubs were linked. Alot of Arsenal fans were more concerned with how much they would recieve than loosing a player who in 2008 looked unplayable. 


Arshavin stayed but the way he has played this season I think he, Arsene and the fans are wondering why? Arsenal had a very poor start to the season. No less than in the 8-2 drubbing at the hands of rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford. I was a neutral in this game Karl Jenkinson was torn apart but Arshavin was by far the worst performer. You can some up his performance in that game as Lazy, Wasteful and petulant, scratch that, that is how you would sum up his season. He has scored once when the ball was dropped at his feet infront of an open goal. 


What has gone wrong for Arshavin? He seems to have stopped trying. He showed for a decade that he has a brilliant football ability, but currently he is low in the pecking order and I think if a decent bid came in for him Arsenal should bite the hand off. One other reason suggested was that in 2010 due to Russia's failiure to qualify for the World Cup he went into dpression and considered quitting football, to be honest he kind of has. He is low in the pecking order doesn't look intrested fresh scenary could help this once great Russki get back to his best.

Hees been bad for Arsenal but has he been his "usual self" in the Russian National Team? Well, his last goal was in October 2010. They have Qualified for Euro 2012 however (the same tournament in which he was announced on the world stage)