A mix bag for our stars at the Euros may affect them for the season!
Bernd Leno had a waste of a tournament and what a shame it has been for him as a player and for us as his club.
Joachim Low must have had a brain block as for the whole of the tournament he chose to go with Manuel Neuer for all of their matches and low and behold, they have been knocked out.
Neuer failed to keep a clean sheet in all four matches he played in and I am not saying it is all down to him, but why would you not switch up to see if any other goalkeeper can maybe do better.
Although it is disappointing for Germany and Leno, it is no doubt good for Arsenal because Leno comes back early, maybe has a few weeks off and then is back for preseason. That is if he remains an Arsenal player next season.
But his lack of football at a big competitive tournament will not do any good for his confidence, and he is no better off than what he was before he left for the tournament.
Now this is something that really grates on me and I know not every player can or will play at tournaments when they are called up but if you are 100% not going to play a player then do not take him to a tournament. SIMPLE!
Leno was criticised many times last season, quite often by myself, but you can’t help but feel for him having sat on the bench for all four games, where, who knows, had he taken part he may have made a difference to Germany and they may not have been knocked out at this stage!
Thank god, we still have two players who are in the tournament and are actually taking part.
Bukayo Saka has done well for England in his last two appearances and has now been part of the team that downed Germany after so long. And Granit Xhaka, although he misses out playing in the quarterfinal stage because he has racked up too many cards (not a surprise but at least he hasn’t been sent off!), he was part of the Swiss team who downed favourites and current World Cup champions France.
Now we don’t know if Xhaka will be an Arsenal player next year, but he has been a stand out player for his country and if he does come back to us we can hope he takes that form in to the season and helps us produce what we know we can.
As for Leno let’s hope if he remains too, that this disappointment only spurs him on to become better and stronger, to show the incoming Germany boss that he has what it takes to be number one for club and country!
Shenel Osman