This season, Arsenal have been linked to just about every keeper under the sun.
The papers have got a whiff of the situation over at the Emirates and are content to churn out rumour-after-rumour, all of them dressed up as ‘solutions’.
That’s Arsenal’s, or more specifically, Wojciech Szczesny’s crutch to bare. The young Polish keeper has had a season to forget and may well feel his Arsenal future is in doubt.
The Pole was once one of the game’s most promising young talents. But he also had an ego to back this up. Soon enough, however, it got to a point where his fan-baiting interviews were better value than his on-pitch performances.
Perhaps he began to believe his own legend. Perhaps he just got sloppy. Either way, errors have worked their way into his game and have proven costly to Arsenal on more than one occasion.
Whether it’s flapping at the ball, running out when he should stay in position, or failing to collect the ball when he should, Szczesny has been guilty of it all this season.
I’m not sure his future is in doubt. But I do feel he needs a mentor-type figure to help guide him through a tough phase. Arsenal, on the other hand, need a safe pair of hands. That’s why Arsenal are getting linked to a different keeper every other day.
Just look at this list courtesy of The Mirror: Victor Valdes, Costel Pantilimon (really?) and Michel Vorm. Victor Valdes has always been inconsistent. Pantilimon hasn’t had regular football for a while. Vorm has suffered a serious dip in form this season. None of them are exactly prime transfer targets.
But The Mirror also links Arsenal to QPR’s star brazilian keeper, Julio Cesar. Now I admit, he’s had a mixed bag of a season, but he’s also been trapped behind one of the most inconsistent back-fours in the Premier League. His centre-backs offer him little protection and he’s had to face a lot more than most other keepers this year.
We know from his time at Inter Milan, that Cesar is the real deal. And at 33-years-old, he has the experience to guide Szczesny out of his slump whilst improving Arsenal’s defensive record. If QPR go down, he should also be fairly easy to pry from their grip.
He’s seen everything football has to offer and with a proper back-four in front of him, may well get back to his best. Of all the keepers Arsenal have been linked to, I think I’d favour Cesar most of all.
What’s your take, would Julio Cesar fit in nicely at the Emirates?
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I was hoping last summer for him to join us, it’s like i could c what happened to us coming (keepers wise) this season, well as they say better late than never. remember he was morinho 1st choice keeper when they won the CL, and he was inter num 1 when they dominated the italian football for a while. he is without a doubt the best thing that could happen to woycek and AFC.
Forget about the keeper. Just sort out the defence, defensive Middie plus a complete finisher and you will see how good Szczney is. Bac and Munich Yesterday, which keeper is beeter among the two and how many saves did he make?
People are talking of Valdes yet he concieved 4 in semis. Should we buy that? Appreciated a young talented keeper who has a heart of a club than minimising him with others who can’t even save QPR going down
Szczney is and will be one of the best goal keepers in the world. we need to trust in him, he is a big Arsenal fan and he will do anything to keep his place at Arsenal.
SZCZNEY NUMBER 1.