The day after Nicklas Bendtner, who appeared wiser and more down to earth during pre-match interviews, lost 4-0 to his former club, you would think Ekstrabladet might go easy on the Nottingham Forest striker.
The former Arsenal striker was unable to have any impact on the game on Tuesday night as Arsène Wenger’s men walked away with a 4-0 win in the EFL Cup, and on Wednesday, the Danish newspaper interview a sports psychologist to analyse his behaviour.
Focusing on the nickname “Lord Bendtner”, which has stuck with him since his time with the Gunners, Erik Østenkjær didn’t hold back in his verdict.
He said: “Why doesn’t he just ignore it and focus on sport? For me, it is an immature way of thinking. It may well be that he feels above anyone or anything, but it can also be seen as ‘shit’ (which is ‘lort’ in Danish). This is all about Bendtner’s way of taking it on, and he’s the only one who can remove it.
“He can do so by behaving properly or completely ignore it. He can smile about it and joke with it. It’s the only way he can get rid of it. It’s not for others to do it for him.”
Also ridiculed in the past for his self-proclaimed ‘best striker in the world’ comments 10 years ago, Østenkjær was baffled at the player’s ability to make promises he can’t hold.
He explained: “I don’t understand why he promises everything to everyone all the time. It’s laborious. Either you do things or you don’t. It puts pressure on him, for promises require answers, and in the end it’s mostly disappointments.
“He doesn’t take full responsibility for his abilities and actions. What is needed is a deep and profound self-awareness that he is a grown up. He has a child and has had several girlfriends. I think everyone needs to see him act like a grown man.”
The player had addressed the nickname in his pre-match interview, saying the ‘Lord was dead’, but it seems it’s going to take a lot more than that before things get back to normal for Bendtner, both in England and in his home country.
Perhaps a few goals here and there mixed with less interviews could do the trick?
