One Pole, two Pole
Hello there and I hope you’re having a fine Thursday. There is still no update to the Robin van Persie situation, so we’re in front of a stop sign at the intersection now. You look to your left and it’s just an empty road with not even a single tree in sight from where you stand, you can see that the rainbow ends at the end of the road. Then you look to you right and it’s filled with streetlights and billboards with loud music piercing your ears. One of those huge billboard states that “a big giant waterfall is at the end of this road”.
That is probably how I see things if I’m RvP standing at that intersection. Treacherous road on one side where you won’t know what you’ll get along the way. Maybe there were a fruit basket or two lying down that road. But at the end of it, you know you’ll be satisfied with the end result. The bright lights of the other road which could have a lot of fun along the way but you know there’s only doom waiting at the end. At this point, he has done neither and just sat at the intersection penning his next statement.
Given what we’ve done over this transfer window. That 2 new recruits in the striking department, it worries me a little that no action is done yet in the other departments/positions which I find to be of more crucial importance now. In particular the one where the player is generally required to stay within a rectangle box and has to wear a glove at all times during the match. In case that is not clear enough, I mean a goalkeeper.
We have in the squad, Wojciech Szczesny. At the moment, the undisputed number 1 with a very long career ahead of him. Yet, for every 8 times that we’ve been proven how good and imposing he really is, there’s the other 2 times where you realise he’s still got plenty to learn and not quite the finished article yet. One can’t help but worry that he could get complacent if there’s no one there to challenge him.
The closest we have in the current squad Lukasz Fabianksi. Though, we can’t go on without acknowledging the fact that this other Pole hasn’t been fit nor displayed consistency long enough to warrant a starting position. It’s true that he was at least close to what we hope of him 2 seasons ago, when he got a decent run of games in the first team. One can’t be mad to think that, had he not got injured, Szczesny might not have played as many games as he had now.
The popular notion is to get an experienced goalkeeper as back up. Someone who’s age is catching on but could still be count on to deliver in the odd match or two. Someone who’s of certain reputation who can still impart some knowledge to Szczesny. Which is all well and fine should Fabianski be allowed/wants to leave. However, in the scenario that Fabianski decides to stay and fight for his place, I’m more than happy for Arsene Wenger to throw the number spot up for grabs.
I only believe that whoever is the best in form, should get the nod. Whether that means Szczesny or Fabianski is irrelevant to me. If Szczesny is every bit as good that we hope he would be, then I’m sure he would be picked. What this way gives us, is competition. Something to keep the far more talented of the two on his toes and ensures he understands that the journey to be one of the world’s best is far from over.
If some how Fabianski is able to prove that his injury nightmare is over and that he’s better in training, then he should be the one who gets the nod. However, it is also understandable that sometimes the performance in training doesn’t translate to his performance in a match. In that case, I have no qualms about him being dropped back to the substitute bench either. It’s a tough world and we’re not in the business of handing out starts just because we can’t be too harsh to someone.
In the even that Fabianski wants to go, then I don’t object to us getting a good goalkeeper who’s not over the hill either. Hugo Lloris is one name that has been touted but I can’t see that happening. Not because of the negative message that it might send to Szczesny or because Lloris is not good enough for us. Simply because I don’t see Wenger taking out more than £10 million and spending it on a keeper.
If there’s someone else who’s on the market who’s of similar stature and cheaper, I don’t see the reason why not. I won’t insult your intelligence and knowledge of the game by giving you a specific name as I don’t know every keeper in the world. Let’s keep this in terms of qualities rather than specific names. The same theory applies as when/if Fabianski is kept on the payroll.
I just hope that we’re focus on this position as well as the other positions that we’re still looking to strengthen. It is no exaggeration that a good keeper wins you title. As good as we are going forward, it doesn’t help if we keep leaking goals at the back. Of course the defence also plays a vital role in ensuring that we don’t conceded to many goals either.
Can’t have only 1 decent pair of gloves in the squad.
Everyone does play an important role towards winning.
It is a team game after all