So Petr Cech is set to join Arsenal in a matter of days, with reports suggesting a £10 million deal is in place and the Gunners prepared to offer him £100,000-a-week, which would make him the highest paid goalkeeper in the club’s history.
Now while this is a great piece of business which has delighted Arsenal fans around the country, will it not stall Wojciech Szczesny’s development? Let me explain what I mean by this.
Szczesny played second fiddle to David Ospina at the start of the year, which the Pole was not happy about. His is lack of playing time cast doubt over his future, with reports linking him with a move away from the Emirates. However, Szczesny has committed himself to Arsenal and is prepared to fight for his place in the starting line-up, which is admirable and what you want to hear as a fan, someone who is not prepared to quit when the going gets tough.
But knowing Cech is on his way to the Emirates and going to get paid the salary mentioned above, surely Szczesny knows he will not be Arsene Wenger’s first-choice goalkeeper next season?
Ospina is set to join Fenerbahce, leaving Cech and Szczesny to fight it out for a starting position. But let’s face it, Cech is going to be ahead of the Pole in the pecking order, which doesn’t make a great deal of sense from this fans point of view. Szczesny needs to play regularly in order to develop and improve his game – he won’t be doing this next season in my opinion. So why didn’t Wenger keep Ospina as a back-up to Cech and loan out Szczesny instead? Wouldn’t this have worked out for everyone involved? Cech would be the first-choice shot-stopper and Ospina would play in the lesser games and in the minor cup competitions, while Szczesny (out on loan) would also feature regularly for another club, thus not sit on the bench and stunt his development.
Don’t get me wrong, it is pleasing to see that we have two very capable goalkeepers at the club for Wenger to choose from, but I fear it will be a wasted season for Szczesny as he will be warming the bench for the majority of it.
i won’t take chelsea reject for szen
Thanks very much Tony. Mr Wenger why not loan Szczesny and keep the savior OSPINA?
I really appreciate ur sense of reasoning which goes down well wit my submission…. Hw I wish Wenger could c Ospina’s part in bringin our darling team 2 third on d table last season….He far has szczescy taken us 2 eva since he’s been made d 1st choice,may cech & Ospina could give us d right cover 2 win d league ds coming season
As a professional football coach,I know what it feels like for club fans to have say their opinions. Sincerely speaking, the internal scenario at the club is well known to the coach/manager. And following Arsene Wenger for 17years now, with all his careers Ups and downs, he had gained enough and an accountable deal of years of experience.
In my own opinion, I believe Sir Arsene Wenger is not only taking decisions or rather acting on his own, but rather based on past experiences. Whatever the decision is it that he takes now were based on a solid ground of past experiences. Let us give our opinions but not condemn him of his ideas.
This is the best platform for Szczesny to improve. He need to develop and understand the style of pls of the team, while working together with a superior icon such as Cech. He will get to learn an extra knowledge from his brain, play alongside him as well. While getting all lower matches to keep up with among others.
I am sure that after 2years of playing 2 choice and learning from Peter Cech, he would have been completely ready to match it up for Arsenal’s main team in the coming years probably 10years to come. Because he is already a good goalkeeper on his own.
So lets sit back , relax and enjoy the best season ever in 2015-16.