With Arsenal´s summer signing David Ospina still in impressive form and showing no real signs of giving up his new role as the starting keeper for the Gunners in the Premier League, Wojciech Szczesny will have been looking forward to the FA cup clash with Middlesborough today.
Arsene Wenger usually uses his reserve keeper for these domestic cup games anyway but he told the Poland international at the start of the week that he would be starting. So Shezzer will have been preparing all week to put in a really impressive performance in the hope of getting his number one status back at the club.
And if he ever needed a confidence boost it was right now. So the news reported a couple of days ago that Szczesny’s brilliant spell on loan with Brentford as a 19-year old has been recognised by their fans. They voted the Arsenal keeper as their best player of the last decade despite him only playing for them 28 times.
I’m sure that will have given the 24-year old stopper a nice lift and set him up perfectly for this game against the Championship table-toppers today. And just as well because he needs to play out of his skin to have a chance of ousting our Colombian international star. But can he do it Gooners?
Colney training ground Saturday morning/
scezher: boss, I’m a better keeper than that Rocky wannabe oooo00000Ospina! You should play me on Sunday instead of him..
Wenger: are you sure?
Scezher: definetly!
Wenger: ok then, your in. Now let me get on with trying to zip up this f@ckin coat..sacre bleu!
No placed in the first team is owned. You earn a place in the first team by working for it; consistently putting in performances that show you deserve it.
So far, Ospina has been very good. We are talking football, not ciggarrets.
Problem is (or was) that it was not like that in ARSENAL, WENGER played his favorites regardless of performance, and Zzzny, had this sense of entitlement of being our #1 keeper no matter what. WENGER did learn or at least seems so, and things changed in ARSENAL, nothing against Zzzzny but he will need to proof himself once again as the Boss is watching…the same should apply to all the other players.
Szczesny loses concentration too easily and he doesn’t do penalties
I get concerned for Ospina anytime he makes a dive
not a one day job
If you kick the ball towards Szczesny, it somehow finds its way into the net
If you kick the ball towards Ospina, he throws it back at you
Szczesny has to work very hard, and try to convince the manager that he can reclaim his no 1 starting position! He needs to stop the nonsense, and do his talking on the pitch, that is what matters most “performance” if he wants to get back the no1 jersey hard work work will be crucial towards him achieveing his! Coyg!
Off-Topic
Did you see Shay Given’s great save today?
Awesome athleticism and reflexes for a 39 year old.
On-Topic
I don’t know. Yes it will put him in a good mood, so it could help in that way. However, it all comes down to what he does today. Honestly, he has to have a great performance to help his cause to reclaim number 1. That should be enough motivation to perform well.
I like shez as a goalkeeper but he tends to get in some difficult situations due to either lack of concentration or overconfidence, i am not sure which. The problem shez has is that Ospina seems to be very consistent and based on his world cup performance, we have yet to see the awesome shot stopping ability of Ospina. If you go on youtube and look up the game against Argentina there is a double save which must be amongst the best ever saves. I would post the link but it seems to take forever to get past moderation.
Here is link to ospina save agaInst argentina https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BuVCQyOxe2k
wtf… why is Alexis starting? We’re risking having him out for months when we have Rosicky, Walcott instead??
Arsenal XI: Szczesny, Chambers, Gabriel, Koscielny, Gibbs, Flamini, Cazorla, Welbeck, Ozil, Alexis, Giroud.
Agree with @RSH about Sanchez starting hope he’s ready!
Schez, Chambers and Flamini today, hope that doesn’t backfire 🙁
COYG!!