Arsenal Football Club and injury problems have almost become synonymous with each other in recent years, so I suppose we should not have been too surprised to see our first choice goalkeeper pick up an injury in our last Premier League match, the damaging defeat away to West Brom.
According to the injury page here on Just Arsenal that calf strain is likely to keep Petr Cech out of action for about a month, so the fact that there was a two week break for international games scheduled after the injury is certainly helpful. But before we get the veteran stopper back between the sticks there are some big games for Arsenal to face.
That is why this international break could prove to be very handy indeed, as it gives our second choice keeper David Ospina the chance to play his way into some form. He kept a clean sheet against Bolivia the other day to help Colombia rise to fourth in the South American World Cup qualifying table, which would be enough for a place at the tournament in Russia next year.
Ospina will play again against Ecuador on Tuesday and we can only hope that this helps him because he has not been great for Arsenal when called upon of late. Maybe the shipping of 10 goals to Bayern Munich hurt his confidence so another clean sheet could be just what Ospina needs. And what Arsenal need right now is for our second choice keeper to step up until Cech is fit again.
Bob.
Ospina is a professional goalkeeper with 76 caps for Colombia. He will do just fine if called upon. It’s not like Cech’s been at his best this season..
Has Ospina been that bad for us this season? I think he is a pretty good keeper and doubt we will can find a better one in the transfer market that we can afford.
Yes Arsenal needed the break.
Ospina just one of many needing
to get his mind back on the job.
Mess this one up and he might as well start looking for a new club.
The City game is huge.
Win it and top 4 immediately becomes possible again,
confidence returns fans come back onside.
Lose and the criticism will ratchet right up.
Turning point game.
I hope you are wrong David. And I hope fans deserve more credit. In fact, you sound the way I think Wenger and the lot think of fans but this time hopefully mistakenly.
We understand the problems at the club run deeper than 1 good result. We know Wenger, Kroenke, and Gazidas think we will accept and other two years if we finish 4th or get one or two wins under our belt. But that is wrong.
We are sick and tired of the same cycle repeating and we want the cycle broken. If Wenger stays in charge the cycle of mediocracy will also remain.
This time is different (hopefully), this time a win over City will not pull the wool over fans eyes. Hopefully, a top 4 finish will also not pacify the fans.
Ospina is not the first player to shine on international stage, and under-perform at club level. It could be due to the fact that the games are not as physical as they are in EPL. Or it could just be a mental thing where playing for your country brings the best in you. Whatever the case, he’s been extremely poor this season, and I’m afraid he doesn’t have much time to prove his case anymore. Another poor game or two, and I’d start shopping for a new keeper in the summer.
personally, i believe it is wenger who is affecting david. it is the wenger curse all over again . that frenchman could not manage an under tens side.
Ospina was fantastic for us in his first season, his stats per 90 minutes played in the premier league 2014/15 season were
Name/ games played/ goals conceded/saves per goal/clean sheets
Ospina/18/0.61/3.18/0.44
Courtois/32/0.96/2.10/0.38
Hart/36/0.94/2.38/0.39
De Gea/37/0.98/2.17/0.3
In other words, Ospina conceded less goals, made more saves per goal conceded and had more clean sheets than the others. Goals conceded were awsome, the otheirs conceded 50% more goals than him.
Lets hope he can do the same again, but it will need our defense to improve dramatically. Against west brom they were pathetic.
I don’t blame Ospina too much here. We talk about confidence particularly as a gk who cannot hide.
Would you currently be confident with these 19 in front of you?
No coincidence Cech has been a bit wobbly as well.
International break was an opportunity for players to gain confidence and enjoy football again, giroud did it but Ox for England? An opportunity to shine playing in the middle but the guy played slowly, sideways and with his head and shoulders drooped.
He’s mentally crushed and it shows.