For 10 years: South Korea have allowed the Arsenal striker, Park Chu-young, to delay his compulsory military service for 10 years. South Korea's Military Manpower Administration said on Friday that Park's 10-year residency visa from Monaco means he can put off his service until 2022. Park joined Monaco in 2009 and played for the French club for two seasons before joining the Gunners at the start of the season. The 26-year-old was expected to begin his service either this year or next year. All South Korean men are required to serve two to three years in the military. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/mar/16/arsenal-park-chuyoung-military-service === That means that a) his resale value has just shot up, and b) it might take a weight off his mind and improve his performances. He's a bit of an enigma. I've no idea why he was bought really, it doesn't seem to have worked out very well so far. I didn't see the reserve game the other day, how did he do? How do you guys feel about him?
Worth keeping imo. Saw him score a good goal in the carling cup and thought his movement was good that night. However wenger then said he was ready for premier league matches and then hasnt played him hardly at all. Very strange. I feel our system destroys strikers because we only play 1 up front and that has to be rvp. In future I suggest wenger buys strikers who can play wide (like the pod) instead of buying people like chamakh or park.
I don't see the harm in keeping him, if we get Podolski we will have 2 top strikers, plus the returning Joel Campbell, so there wouldn't really be a harm in him staying as back up. You always do need at least 4-5 strikers in you're squad.
It's good to have options of course, but the other night against AC Milan, taking nothing away from everyone who played that night, but our bench looked lightweight. We need quality down the ranks, and with our Chamack, Park, .... gang we don't have game changers. I feel these players are just making up the numbers, and they play like it too.
The problem is we never win matches comfortably, it is always nail biting last minute fight. This is why we can not give RVP any rest and Park as well as Chamack have no chance to play. Honestly i still have no idea what kind of a striker Park is, which is weird. Wenger definitely saw something in him otherwise he would not buy even in a panic. It would be nice to lead comfortably in some games for a change to give the guy a chance. But, yeah - there are two news - good and bad. Bad one - Podolski is thinking about Lazio. Good one - we have Park for another 10 years. COYG!!
I saw this earlier, didn't really mean anything to me. I want Park to play more games though, it feels like he hasn't been given a chance.
I think Park is a good player and could do a job for us similar to his cousin and namesake at Utd. Not a regular starter but rarely lets the team down. He will need more time to settle in and now he has it.
He has been decent in the reserves when I have watched those games. Maybe that's just his level or maybe if given a run he could actually be decent. Agree with the earlier point, players like Park struggle in our system. This is what happened to Eduardo. He could not play on the wings and he could not play as a lone front man. I think we need start being more flexible with the system.
We have to pay an additional 3 million Euros to Monaco because of that: http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Arsenal-doit-3-millions-a-monaco/271407
I was going to ask about this. ie has anyone seen him play in the reserves and how's he done. He was a stand out player last season but that was for a relegation bound poor French side. The cynic in me says we signed him on a cheap for marketting purposes. Happily his footballing career has just been extended so we can either try and use him or, failing that, flog him for a bit more money (hopefully enough to cover the extra 3m mentioned!).
He's done well in the reserves - including a very well taken goal. If you have access, you can watch highlights of the reserve games on Arsenal Player
