Despite being linked on a regular basis to the likes of Christopher Samba, Ricky Alvarez and Joey Barton, the most underwhelming transfer rumour from an Arsenal fan point of view has to be the Gunner’s being linked with Wolves striker Kevin Doyle. After last seasons’ failings, Arsene Wenger is purportedly on the hunt for some real quality; for players with the ability to guide the Gunner’s to success next season. Could Kevin Doyle be just the man that Arsenal are looking for?
It’s clear that the Gunners need somebody who can partner Robin Van Persie upfront. Nicklas Bendtner and Marouane Chamakh have both underwhelmed and there has been rumours that the big Dane will leave the club this summer. If Van Persie had a world-class strike-partner beside him, the Gunner’s frontline would truly be a terrifying prospect. The question remains however: is Kevin Doyle a world class striker?
Nobody rates Kevin Doyle more than Wolves boss Mick McCarthy, who has previously claimed that it would take a bid of around £50m to seriously convince him to part services with Doyle. Realistically though, Doyle is only worth around £10-12m and is likely to jump at the opportunity to play for a big side.
For too long now Arsenal have relied on players like Nicklas Bendtner: players who just don’t have the ability to guide the Gunners towards trophies. In my opinion, Doyle would be another of these players. There’s a reason why he has spent most of his career playing for clubs towards the bottom of the Premier League. He’s a workhorse and he grabs a fair few goals, but in terms of talent he remains some way off the likes of Robin Van Persie.
According to @Orbinho, he’s also someway behind Bendtner in terms of ability. Between 2008-11, Bendtner grabbed 17 goals, whilst Doyle picked up 14. Bendtner scored a goal every 205 minutes, whilst Doyle only scored every 363 minutes. What’s more Bendtner also picked up an assist every 435 minutes, whilst Doyle only earned an assist every 1017 minutes, making the Danish striker the better all round player.
Why should Arsenal send one striker packing to bring in another striker who isn’t as good statistically? The only answer can be that Doyle is a hard-worker who will chase down lost causes. Not every player in a team needs to have the technical ability of men like Robin Van Persie. Dirk Kuyt has carved out a niche for himself at Liverpool because of the sheer amount of effort that he puts in on a weekly basis.
But that isn’t the kind of signing that Arsenal need at the moment. Sure you can always use people who work hard on your team, but it’s important to counterbalance all this effort with a certain degree of effectiveness. It’s clear to me that Kevin Doyle isn’t Arsenal quality and that he’d be better served at a mid-table side. I for one hope that this is a rumour that doesn’t have any grounding.
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I fully understand your argument here, but have to disagree when it comes to stats. Between 2008-2011, Doyle has scored 35 goals, 18 at Reading (Championship) and 17 at Wolves (Premiership). I’m not sure about Bendtner, but lets be honest it is a little easier to score at Arsenal than it is at Wolves. While Arsenal have the passing skills of their midfield, Wolves have really struggled for supply. Similarly, you are comparing assists between two teams who score a massively different amount of goals. Last season Arsenal got 72, Wolves 46 and Doyle was injured for 8 games at the end of the season as well. You are selling someone short who you know little about. Bendtner has been given numerous chances at Arsenal and has generally been poor, lots of effort, lack of class. Doyle has never had a chance to prove himself at the top level, so who are you to judge that he’s not good enough? He has scored a decent amount wherever he has been as a second striker, and provided many more, even with poor players around him. I actually think you’d be surprised how good he is! Perhaps Arsenal’s problem is that for too long they’ve been buying pretty boy Europeans and North Africans with good statistics but no bottle, instead of grittier homegrown players.
“Between 2008-11, Bendtner grabbed 17 goals, whilst Doyle picked up 14.”
That’s not strictly true, maybe premier league goals but in 08-09 Doyle scored 18 goals in the championship, so it’s not a fair comparison.
Doyle is much better than bendtner, and chamakh. He’s good in the air, he holds it up, bring sothers into the game and is a tidy finisher. He’d be a perfectly good back up for RVP.
His only problem is that he wouldn’t fit in with the Arsenal player’s culture of being a moaning, diving, whinghing little w*nker.
I especially like the diving, whingeing little w*nker” comment. SPOT ON!!
Why does he have to be “World Class” to play for a side who have won f**k all for 6 years and are regularly the 4th best team in England? You don’t have any “World Class” players. Fabregas is probably the closest you have, and he’ll be warming the bench at his next club. The sooner you clowns get a dose of reality the better. How many “big sides” have won nothing for 6-years? Let’s see if he does “jump at the chance.” I somehow doubt it. Wolves win as much as you, so he may as well stay there – at least the Wolves fans will appreciate him.
your just jealous…
I agree Doyle isnt the signing we would be looking for but your statistics are falwed.
I’d consider Doyle’s 14 goals between 2008-11 playing for Wolves, a better return than Bendtner’s 17 goals playing for Arsenal.
Bendtner plays for a better team with world class players around him, that’s why his score rate is higher and why he has more assists.
He is a work horse? Yes, in Wolves, but that’s just a role. Wolves hasn’t exactly played attacking, entertaining football the two seasons, at least not consistently. In Arsenal I believe he’s gonna play another role, as a center for their attacking play with lot of movement around him, players rushing forth towards the oppositions box. In Wolves he’s too often alone and lacks support.
Bedtner is a far superior player? Stop drinking your big club koolaid son. If you watch football outside your little bubble. You would know Kevin Doyle is perhaps the best player upfront on his own outside the top 4. Theres a reason wolves beat all the big sides last season bar arsenal. William Gallas said “Kevin Doyle is the best player i have played against” i’ll trust his opinion. Its academic anyways as Wolves dont need the money and he wont be going anywhere.
As a Wolves fan I hope Doyle doesn’t go to Arsenal (or anywhere else), but to say Bendtnar is better just because of a couple of stats is wrong. You can make up any argument with stats. Strangley enough Arsenal spend more time attacking and create more chances than most other teams. Harry Rednapp’s mum would score for Arsenal (and probably more often than Bendtnar). Doyle plays on his own up front at Wolves and so doesn’t get many chances or goals, but he brings so much more to the team – as Arsene Wenger has apparently noticed.
Sack this writer. Doyle aint for sale so keep playing your Euro crocks at Arsenal. lol” WotNoTeam
I hope you are right and that this is just a rumour because Kevin Doyle is highly valued by the Wolves supporters and we don`t want to lose him not even for 50 million thanks, he`s the sort of player we love to watch at the molineux which is why we turned over Chelsea, Man U and Man City here last season (it`s your turn this season by the way) so please …dont sign him!!!
i think it is unfair to compair bentner and doyle bentner has played alongside much better players than doyle and wolves stle of play is very defensive so he is never going to get many goals like all there strikers, but when he was with reading he got somthing like seventeen goals in a season he is always man of the match in international games for ireland he works so hard he would get goals and lots of assists with the arsenal style of play because unlike a lot of arsenals current squad he isnt afraid to get into the box plus he would be a great help defending set pieces
What a load of rubbish. Clearly you have never seen the lad play. What world are you living in? At least he knows what to do with a ball – other than look for someone to pass it to. Enjoy selling off your assets to pay for your white elephant stadium. You should renaim the Emirates something like White Elephant Lane.
Please use meaningful measurements like shots on target and shots per goal then tell me Bender is a better player. Common sense says that if you are playing for a better team you will get more shots on goal / asists etc…
What a rubbish article Doyle is 50x the player Bendter is Doyle’s overall game is something we lack someone who can run the channels and drag defenders out of position his hold up play is 1st class too.
Doyle is certainly good enough for Arsenal.
You do remember some important facts:
1. Doyle is playing for Wolves, so obviously he’ll have fewer assists than the likes of Bendtner as Arsenal create a lot more chances.
In fact, the amount of goals and assist from Doyle is quite impressive, considering he plays for a team in the bottom half.
2. If Doyle was only hardworking he wouldnt play for a Premiership team. He has really good skills on the ball as well and almost never loses the ball. You need a good balance in your team, and for too long Arsenal has been very one-dimensional up front.
What a stupid article, of course Bendtner is going to get more goals and assists, playing in a team that scores nearly twice as many goals!
Doyle is ALOT better than Bendtner is every possible way, Only 4 players have scored more goals with their head than Doyle in the last 5 years in the prem, despite him missing a year or 2in the championship! and whats Bendtner, 6-7inches taller and hes also got better players supplying him the ball!
Really, learn to football, id score 5 a season in the Arsenal team, probs wouldnt get a chance to score in the Wolves team!
Well, you called it a rumour…and it is a big one as Arsenal has not said a thing. Nothing to get all riled up about; it just won’t happen!
What a stupid comparison of goals to mins between Doyle and Bendtner. How many goals would Doyle have scored if he had been playing with the quality of players throughout the Arsenal team is the real question?
My answer after seeing him play week in, week out is many more than that big time charlie.
The issue is that Doyle is more valuable to the Wolves side than £12m in the bank, as who else of his quality could a team like ours sign to replace him?
I hope all Arsenal fans have the same attitude as this and you dont come knocking on our door to sign him.
I personally hope this is just a story being put out by his agent as he is in discussions about a new contract.
Typical ars-enal supporter thinks there club is bigger than everybody else, for Doyler to go to ars-enal would be a backward move, he is farto good for a club that are struggling to win anything – lets face it when a club like B’ham beat you, then you know you are no longer a “big” club.
If I was Doyler I would tell tell them to …. OFF! and I will wait for a big club to come in for me.
lol
and by the way Doyler is at a club were the dressing room are together – not a jumped up load of prima donnas who are in it for the money, he should wait for Spurs to come in for him – now they are a “big” club with real fans!!!!!
nice stats mate but my nan could score more goals than doyle if she was upfront for the arse. 3 kinds of lies remember? how many would bender have scored if he was playing for a lowly club at the foot of the table? (who were too strong for liverpool, vile, chelsea and both manchesters by the way).
if you had more grafters in your team instead of shirkers maybe you’d have beaten the blouse in the league cup final and had a half decent season. you don’t deserve to get to watch doyler play every week. enjoy your prawn sandwiches in your leather padded seats and leave the real football to us lot.