Ted Grant
When Wojciech Szczesny first appeared in the first team in late 2010, most Gooners witnessed a goalkeeper that was clearly a little rough around the edges but had undoubted raw talent. He was a fine shot-stopper and looked ideal physically. He’d had a successful loan spell at Brentford and emerged very highly regarded. Despite his tender years, he was plunged into the first team and it was largely accepted that here was a talent worth persevering with - even if the odd mistake might yield the ultimate price, being the last line in defence. Surely over time he would eradicate the initial rashness from his game and secure the number-one jersey, a problem position for us in recent times, for potentially the next fifteen years? His unwavering confidence would eventually bear fruit and we could relax and build a team from where all great teams are built – from the back. I was actually excited that we just might have our first world-class goalkeeper since David Seaman.
He battled intermittently with Lukasz Fabianski for the number-one shirt and eventually saw him off, and for a time it seemed that early promise might be realised as the Pole began to look a calmer, more assured presence. His distribution and decision-making improved, and the erraticism that dogged his early games began to dissipate. The beginning of the 2013-14 season seemed to be a turning-point and he was rewarded with a long-term contract with the defence also appearing to respond to his improved form. Incredibly, signs of a cohesive defensive unit began to take shape with Mertesacker and Koscielny forming a decent partnership ahead of him. While we shipped goals in the big games away from home, it was generally accepted he was largely blameless for those horror shows and he ended the 2013-14 season sharing the golden glove (for the most clean sheets) and with his reputation enhanced, if not quite cemented.
But the mistakes have crept back in again. With or without first-choice defenders in front of him, his propensity to involve himself in the game when it is simply not required has blighted his season so far. Too often he finds himself in areas on the pitch that make fans watch through the gaps between their fingers. If he’s not attempting a drag-back against an on-rushing attacker then it’s a madcap dash like the one to confront Mane of Southampton, resulting in an avoidable goal. An impulsiveness that seems innate, a by-product of a runaway ego and a desire to be the star attraction, and unfortunately, it now appears, something that probably can’t be coached out of him. His reaction to drink from his water bottle whilst slumped in the goal following his second error seemed an almost child-like response. The flap from a rudimentary cross against Manchester United that led to Gibbs' own goal changed the course of a winnable game.
A genuine lack of competition for his shirt has only perpetuated his over-confidence, but it should not be an excuse for his continued narcissism. It’s as though he’s been sucked back in to a vortex of those error-strewn early games. At 24 years of age, and in his fourth full season as the seemingly undisputed number one, we should be witnessing a no-frills, reliable and commanding stopper akin to his contemporaries Hugo Lloris, Thibaut Courtois and David De Gea. Most, if not all, Gooners would take any of these goalkeepers ahead of Szczesny, not just on current form but going forward.
The latest stories that have emerged about his smoking in the toilets after the Southampton game have yet to be verified but it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they were true and they are symptomatic of a general contemptuousness he exhibits. There have been rumours about Petr Cech being signed from Chelsea for around £7m. At 32, some might say that’s excessive, but goalkeepers have greater longevity than outfield players and, really, what price a solid, reliable and proven Premier League goalkeeper? That said, I am highly dubious Jose Mourinho would allow the player to leave for a rival Premier League club.
In conclusion, and whatever the upshot of the post-match incident at Southampton, Szczesny has surely lost his place to David Ospina for the foreseeable future and his future at the club hangs in the balance. I was once a great believer in Szczesny’s ability, and often defended him in discussions with other Arsenal fans. For a time I genuinely believed there were few better goalkeepers in Europe, but to be the number one for a big club you have to show you are infallible for a sustained period of time. It must be conceded he hasn’t done so, and Ospina should be given a run in the team. Gooners will be hoping the Colombian shows the form that brought him great admiration during the World Cup. Despite no Premier League experience, at 26 and with 50 international caps to his name, Ospina is no novice and with a run of form it’s not inconceivable he could spell the end of Szczesny’s Arsenal career. Szczesny only has himself to blame.
