We’ve had a fairly decent start to the season.
A handful of players have been brilliant for us so far and look to be trying to tell Arsene Wenger they deserve a starting role.
One such claim comes from our Italian goalkeeper Vito Mannone, who has been covering for Wojciech Szczesny due to the Pole being sidelined through injury. However the confident stopper is expected to return next week for the game against Southampton.
Mannone has recently warned Szczesny to expect a fight for the number one spot after his displays during his team-mates absence.
He was quoted as saying:
‘When you are number one, you feel important and like the happiest man in the world, that sort of feeling gives me the chance to go onto the pitch with confidence.’
The 24-year-old says he has improved a lot ever since his disastrous display in the Champions League game against Olympiacos last December. He says his improvement is all due to a confidence-building and productive four-month loan spell at a familiar stomping ground with Hull in the npower Championship, a time in which he kept a club record six consecutive clean sheets, which, the Italian claims, has given him an extra edge:
‘I had some good games [at Hull] and it was a great experience for me. The best thing was playing senior football and playing consecutive games and getting the mentality of the number one.’
Mannone then went on to explain how and what had led to his improvement:
‘I have improved in every part of the goalkeeper position. In my mind as well, I came back stronger and stronger.
‘Especially after the mistake at Olympiacos – it is never easy to come back, but when I have got my back against the wall, I don’t mind.
‘I just roll up my sleeves and try to work because I know I can do well.
‘It is a good fight between the keepers because we know the level is quite high and you need to keep working and improve yourself to get the first spot.’
No chance. Mannone flaps at basically EVERYTHING that comes into the box. Never seen a more uncomfortable keeper when it comes to collecting high balls. Good shotstopper though and isn’t too bad with his kicking. Might be better then Fabianski.
scznenzny 1
vito mannone 2
james shea 3
fuck flappyhandski
Absolutely agree Mannone does not inspire confidence in the defence. We panicked at the back a little against Liverpool because of his hesitancy and the defence suffered because of it. He talks a good game but nowhere ready yet to challenge Schez
No.
No Way.
Never.
But rather Mannione than Flapianski.
The big RVP merchandise throw away day
The man has obviously no respect for us so why should we have any for him.No gooner surely still wears his shirt or drinks from his cup or wears his scarf or waves his flag or whatever you bought to support his one great year for us,so why not on that fatefull day he returns to our club playing against us dont you just throw it onto the pitch before the Kick off so he actually realises how he has left us feeling.AFC has to know how this unbelievable event has affected the fans.This transfer cant just be brushed under the carpet…….can it.
we need this kind of competition so that szcesny will not think the goal keeping spot is his for keeps. This will make him improve his game and become a better keeper and when their is no competition there will be no improvement.
szcesny is still no 1 you don:t become that wit just one game.
I don’t think he is that bad, Italian keepers are well known slow developers. Gigi Buffon didn’t become a top draw keeper til he was 25 then by the time he was 28 he was the best in the world. I’m not saying Vito will be the worlds best but think he needs a run of games not 3 then dropped for the season after 3 clean sheets
I think mannone should keep the #1 jersey until he does something wrong and deserves to be dropped…it’s always annoyed me that as soon as szceney started playing everyone said he was brilliant…but in reality he’s not, his kicking is awful, he’s not a dominating goalkeeper like Lehman or seaman were, he’s also very prone to almunia like brain snaps which see’s him make stupid decisions & get heavily punished for it!! I think there’s been too much hype about szceney because bob Wilson said he was a great young keeper when he was starting out at arsenal…he said stuart Taylor was the best English keeper since David seaman & taylor was never any good for us or any club he played for either!!
I think mannone needs a run of games to find his feet & build some confidence, I’m not saying he’s better than szceney…I’m merely saying that szceney isn’t as good as everyone thinks so maybe a spell on the bench for the big headed pole might get him refocused because if he walks back into the team then it has a double negative affect…first on mannone who after keeping 2 clean sheets in 2 very tricky away ties & not making any mistakes gets dropped for no real reason & also on szceney who will realise that he’s got no competition because once he’s fit he walks back into the team!!