Why Nicklas Bendtner will be a success at Arsenal if fans get off his back

As a former striker myself who worked his way up the leagues, I can recognise a rough diamond when I see one.

And I will predict Nicklas Bendtner, just 21, will be among the top five goalscorers in the Premier League in five years' time if he stays at Arsenal.

Yet his future at the club must be in doubt while Gunners' fans continue to give the youngster such a hard time.

I was at the Emirates to see Arsenal destroy Blackburn 4-0 but the striker was substituted in the 79th minute to ironic applause.

I thought it was out of order and I have been in the game long enough to know how supporters can affect a player's confidence.

Arsenal fans were booing Emmanuel Eboue a few months back but they certainly cheered his two goals.

Bendtner is a potential future superstar if Arsenal keep him until he is 25, 26 or 27 when he will be a very handy Premier League footballer indeed.

He missed five gilt-edged chances to score against Blackburn and I then saw fans baying to get him off and shouting towards the dugout.

How can these supporters really think they are helping the team barracking their own players? The design of the Emirates is similar to Celtic Park but the atmosphere is about as far apart in the footballing spectrum as you can get.

Sometimes Arsenal's 60,000- seater stadium sounds more like a 15,000 crowd so I think they would be better off getting behind their team more.

With their crowd's help, the Gunners may just be able to pip Aston Villa to fourth in the Premier League.

The return of speedy England winger Theo Walcott has given them a turbo injection.

And new £15million signing Andrey Arshavin from Zenit St Petersburg is off and running in an Arsenal shirt after scoring.

It was a fantastic team performance and they have set the benchmark.

They have Tomas Rosicky, Emmanuel Adebayor and Cesc Fabregas to return soon which will be a huge boost.

So while I think my old boyhood idols Villa will finish fourth, they'll do it the hard way.

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