Wojciech Szczesny did lots of silly things while he was at Arsenal, but you have to remember that he is still very young for a goalkeeper. Now he has spent two season’s on loan at Roma and is considered one of the best in the League. Perhaps a comparison could be made with Thibault Courtois who grew in stature at Atletico Madrid before coming back to Chelsea?
Szczesny is now more accomplished, more confident, and probably much more settled after getting married last year as well. He currently has one year left on his Arsenal contract (like half the squad!) and this summer will be decision time on his future. He has made a long and frank interview and it is worth a read, so here it is….
“I came here after a terrible season,” Szczesny said. “I was in a bad moment. It was a good chance for me to re-launch my career.
“Coming here and having a fresh start, new challenges, new league helped me to mature a little bit as a player.
“My best season? I’d say so, yeah. In terms of consistency, it definitely is. In terms of quality, I feel at my best.
“Am I the best goalkeeper in Serie A at the moment? It’s a big statement to make. There are goalkeepers on an unbelievable level here.
“I wouldn’t dare compare myself to Buffon, not as a man and not as a keeper. I’d never make that statement, no.
“Roma’s season? It’s been a little bit up and down, but mostly up. In a few important moments we lost important games that we shouldn’t have lost.
“I wasn’t playing but we got knocked out of the Europa League in a way that shouldn’t happened.
“There were were some bad games, but when I look at the season overall we’ve been very consistent.
“Difference between Roma and Juve? I don’t ever want to say that my team is missing something.
“Roma can absolutely compete at the top level in Italy and win trophies. The size of their squad is a difference, they have 25 players that are ready to play every week and that makes a difference over a season.
“It looks like they always know they are going to win. They have a mentality of real winners.
“I really appreciate that as a professional and when things don’t go well, they still come out on top.
“That’s made a difference but in terms of quality, I don’t see anything that we’re missing.
“Playing with Totti? A little bit unreal. He’s a player that I watched as a little kid.
“As a young kid of eight or 10 years of age you never dreamed that you’ll share a dressing room with those kinds of players.
“It was the same with Buffon when I first played against him. I never thought I’d get the chance to play such a legend. It’s been unreal.
“Staying at Roma? I’m happy here. I feel I’ve grown as a goalkeeper but for me the time to make a decision will come in the summer.
“For now I’m an Arsenal player, as soon as my loan finishes, I have to come back [to London]. I’ve always said I’d love to be back there.
“Like I said, what will happen definitely won’t be decided now but in a month or two months’ time.”
Maybe he is now ready to be the replacement for Petr Cech? He is only 27 years old and could still have many, many years at the top ahead of him.
What do you think?