Morning all, just a day away from an FA Cup semi-final and, perhaps because I’ve been away for most of the week, I’m still not quite feeling the excitement. I’m sure that’ll change by tomorrow evening though.
The manager’s press conference took place yesterday with the only bits of team news confirmation that Mikel Arteta and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would miss the game. Other than that we have a clean bill of health and that gives the manager something to think about in terms of his team selection.
He’s confirmed that Wojciech Szczesny will start in goal but aside from that he was giving little away. I think there might be a few changes to the team that beat Burnley, and which has been on such a good run, but the fact that we’ve had a week since that game and it’ll be 8 days before we face Chelsea means that he doesn’t have to worry about tiredness or fatigue. Form will be the main factor.
On Szczesny, the manager was obviously playing up his faith in the Pole ahead of what’s a crucial game, saying:
As I told you many times it is our job to fight for our places. No matter how difficult it is, it is part of your job. I still think he is a great goalkeeper and I want him as well to have the opportunity to show that.
But when pressed on his long-term future, he said:
At the moment, it is very difficult to answer that question you know. What is important is Saturday.
What I’d like to see is Szczesny play at least two more games this season and come out on the winning side in both. Then, I’d love for him to take on board the lessons of the last few months and really work hard to win his place back at Arsenal.
It remains a highly divisive issue this one. Even a measured look at our goalkeeping situation, as I tried to do the other day, provokes wrath and ire from people, but I still think Szczesny is potentially a really good goalkeeper. However, the self-confidence you want your keeper to have crossed the line into arrogance and egotism.
Any player can have a bad game, and every keeper makes mistakes, but there’s simply no way to defend his behaviour in the dressing room afterwards. Even if you don’t think smoking is the worst thing in the world, to do it then and there was beyond ill-judged. It was almost a two fingers to the authority of the manager and he’s rightly been punished for it.
The real life consequence of that is the loss of his place at a club he’s been part of his since he was 15. He grew up with Wilshere and others in the youth team, he has a genuine affection and connection to Arsenal, and to my mind it would be a real shame if he were to blow his career here without, at least, trying his utmost to win his place back.
Perhaps the manager has already decided to do something else in the summer. Perhaps Szczesny himself feels like the situation means he’ll have to move on to play somewhere else on a regular basis, but it would be great if he could genuinely focus on his footballing talent and provide the competitive environment for the goalkeeping position that there is for almost every other in the squad right now.
I remain unconvinced that Cech is a significant step up on either of the keepers we have right now and certainly not for the kind of money Chelsea would be demanding for him. I mean, if there’s a chance to buy a brilliant goalkeeper who is obviously streets ahead of what we have, then we should do that, but I’m not sure Cech is that player.
Anyway, let’s hope Szczesny can go some way towards redemption with a good display tomorrow and, if we get there, he’ll probably have the chance to play in a final unlike last year.
In other news the manager discussed Theo Walcott’s speed and the possibility of a new contract, Alexis has been nominated for PFA Player of the Year, while Mesut Ozil talks about his love of dogs.
Right then, time for this week’s Arsecast and to help me look ahead to tomorrow’s FA Cup semi-final I’m joined by Goonerholic and Andrew Allen. We chat about the game, what changes the manager might make to the team, and loads more, as well as discussing Alexis Sanchez’s nomination for player of the year. There’s all the usual waffle in there too until the final bit when my brain almost stops working so I have to stop talking.
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And there you go. Whatever happens throughout the day you’ll find it on Arseblog News. The Gent will be here later, and tomorrow we’ll have all the build-up and coverage of the Reading semi-final.
Until then.
