Arsène Wenger has issued the bold statement that goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny will ‘certainly’ be an Arsenal number one, but he stopped short of confirming he will install the Pole as first choice for next season. The 20-year-old will complete his loan spell at League One Brentford at the end of the season and has already talked up his chances of succeeding Manuel Almunia.
The talented and uber confident stopper has been subject of mass hype and speculation following a largely successful spell at the third tier of English football. His return to North London will come at a time where many believe the Gunners are facing their biggest goalkeeper crisis in recent history. Wenger has always maintained his belief in Szczęsny, but would he take the risk of installing such a young glovesman in his first team?
“It is reasonable to have the ambition that he has. He is doing extremely well and he will one day certainly be the number one. Next season? we’ll see.”
Wojciech’s determination to reach the top has struck all. At 17 he requested a loan move and although it took two years to come to fruition, he’s made the most of it. Now, unlike many Arsenal loanees, the full Poland international is unwilling to accept a period on the bench. Temporary switches to Italy and Spain have already been mooted in the quest for further match time. Next season he will be playing first-team football, but whether it’s for Arsenal, it remains to be seen.
Yeh Wenger should know, as he is an expert on GK talent.
Another bullshit myth about one of the best managers in Arsenals history
name another manager who has bought a keeper that has set the best joint champs lg defense and clean sheet record(2006) and has gone a whole season unbeaten.
I hate the myth that peddled as fact by some that wenger cant buy defenders, goal keepers, doesnt practice corners or is shit at tactics.
Try going a season unbeaten without kmowing tactics or knowing how to defend!!
I like him alot i watched the press conference but he also said at arsenal you need experience in goal.
If i was wenger i would give him a go i think he can handle 38 games and can deal with the pressure
Yes, I spoke to Ray and Dan through the online chat during a recent match and asked them the question who are your favorite AFC prospects? Ray picked Szczesny and Dan picked my fav in the JET which should of been playing first team action ahead of Diaby/Eduardo?
WS we need to be patient with and just(we need) to buy Joe Hart he shows great character!
Peace, AFC 3 to MCFC 1 !
Is that a serious comment? Jet should be playing over Diaby>>>>>>>>REALLY? LOL. I have faith that the combination of Song, Diaby and Fabregas will be the best midfield in the epl next year. This is there first season in the 4-3-3 and you can see the progress. 2-3 years from now we will have the best center midfield in the real world and yes I include Barca.
I doubt it. I think he will either join a premier league club, championship or european club next season. It is highly unlikely wenger will throw him in the deep end so quickly. H eis currently 4th keeper. 4th!!! I say sell alumina and fabianski, delete all record of them either being here and move on.
The most likely scenario will be: Fabianski going on loan, with alumunia still no.1 (Fuck’s sake) and scezney breathing down alumia’s back for any mistake he makes as no.2.
There are rumours going around saying we are after Joe Hart. Aint gonna happen!! WHY?
Because wenger has too much faith and rescpect for his players to dump them. He believes that the players he has are good enough to play for arsenal. He treats every player like family. Thats why he ALWAYS defends them even when they have done wrong!!! Playing football is a JOB at the end of the day and if someone is not performing to the level required that person to lose their job. There are at least 4 players that should be sacked from their jobs for not performing to the required level. Try and Guess??
Well after the Birmingham match where Almunia scored an own goal (well it was literally) Wenger refused to defend Almunia and said something along the lines of “He was never my long term first choice goalkeeper anyway”.
Wrote an in-depth article about our goalkeeping problem take a look if you can
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/383121-is-wojciech-szczesny-ready-to-be-arsenal-no1-next-season?just_published=1
There is extremely little chance of Szczeny will be number one. As allways Wenger will keep faith in tha spaniard and Fabianski and the 20 year old pole will be stuck in reserves or on the bench. I haven’t seen him, but I refuse to believe that he is some kind of superkeeper the media points him out as. If he at 19 was on the bench for reserves, there is no way his improvement is so huge that he is good enough as first choice for one of the biggest teams in europe. He has to accept a year or two on the bench or seek loan options. What I think will happend is that Wenger will be stubborn and sell him because he won’t loan him out, and won’t give him a chance to become nr 1. In a couple of years he’ll be one of the best in the world, plyaing for a rival team, being sold from Arsenal for free to a crappy club, where he will be brilliant, then sold for 30mill pounds to Barca or Manu or some other douche club…
first of all he’s 20
and read any match report you want of the brentford game they will tell you how good he is
I will give you stats of the 14 clean sheets brentford has had this season he has kept 11 of them. He is a great talent and if casillas and become No.1 for madrid when he was 19 then why not him when he’s 20 with a good loan spell
I dont get it
Why don’t you just go and support some other team if u r such a pessimist?
I say Wenger should send him on loan to Championship next season and then send him on loan in the premier league the next after next..or just keep him here and make him the keeper for FA cup and Carling Cup
he wont stay with arsenal then he will not renew his contract or will want a move out
a keeper who knows he’s good and wants to play at the highest level wont want to wait in the wings he will want action and if he’s capable then why not
A move to the Championship is the most likely scenario. Szczesny says Watford and Leeds (if they’re promoted) would like to take him on loan next season. If he gets an assurance of regular playing time, I think he’ll choose the loan move over vegetating at Arsenal. A few cup games is not enough for a young keeper to keep developing properly, they just lose confidence and we’ve seen how that affected Fabianski.
Also, keep in mind that Poland’s coach Smuda rates Szczesny very highly. He thinks he has the potential to become Poland’s number one in a year or two, if he continues on the right path of course. To avoid damaging his Poland chances, Szczesny will likely push for the loan move, seeing as Wenger doesn’t think he’s ready just yet.
sound likes AW will buy 1 “old” GK and call Chesney back for No.1 late :)
I reckon that he should be given a shot. He is miles better than Mannone, who is as indecisive as Fabianski and Almunia in the box. I have watched him a few times and he just needs to bulk up a little, but I’d like to see Wenger get an older pro and install this guy as the backup.
this is 1 talent wenger should not let go. he’s just that good. im sure he’ll settled for no. 2 next season. i think its fabianski who should go out on loan to get regular first team actions and his confident back. let almunia go, buy a reliable veteran gk, make szczesny no 2, mannone no 3, that should settle our gk problem for the time being.
If Shez is not #1 next season, we’ll have a new keeper.
Genius dilly. I would have to agree that goalkeeping talent is not wenger’s strongpoint. Do you guys remeber we paid loads for Richard Wright – useless. I’ll be happy if he goes and buys Joe Hart or Hugo LLoris
I’d like to see Almunia sold and Fabianski either sold or loaned for a season as I think they have proved they are not quite the standard they need to be. We then need to buy an experienced world class goalkeeper like Buffon to fill the next few years until Szczesny comes through. I know Buffon sounds unlikely but we need to sort the goalkeeping position and he would be great as a player and a mentor to Manonne and Szczesny so would be worth the cash.
Selling Almunia would be foolish he is a very good backup keeper. Send Shez on loan a bundesliga, Ligue 1 or Championship team for another season. Schwarzer would do for one year.
Doing well in the third teer of english football is not that different from doing well in the EPL. If you can make good saves in any match it makes no difference. If anything, keeping in a lower league is harder as the defense is less assured and he is constantly being tested.
yeah but there are more intelligent players in epl and they know where to slot the ball and where to head the ball
There’s also more pressure on your shoulders.
u r right James, that better players know where to slot the ball, but then we do see great strikes in the championship also.. now you may consider them flukes but actully are difficult for the keeper whether they are flukes or purposely slotted….
As a matter of fact, Fabianski is still Poland’s No 2. He didn’t receive any loan spells that I thought could have helped him with the rigours of the BPL. Sad to see such talent going the way it is now.
I’m not so sure about that. Based on recent interviews, it doesn’t sound like Smuda is planning to call up Fabianski for the upcoming friendlies. He suggested that he may call up Szczesny as temporary No. 2. Poland’s goalkeeping rankings change every other month and with only friendlies for the next couple years anything’s possible.
i hope he isnt no1 next season because
1) hes not good enough yet
2) hes not experienced enough yet (can see him crumbling on the big stage)
3) shows 0 ambition from wenger to promote a youth team player and not invest in the squad, especailly a position that is vital.
Wenger will have a good look at all four ‘keepers in pre-season, that’s when he can compare them all close-up against one another and make his decision on who is no.1, no.2, who goes out on loan, etc.
If Szczesny out performs all other ‘keepers in pre-season, I believe Wenger will make him No.1
I assume a 30+ short term option will be brought in, (James/Sorensen) ans Chesney given his oppurtunity in 2011/12 depending on how he performs next season.
can people stop with Llloris.He will be too expensive to get.Short term and experience GK should be the answer if Chesnay is really that good.Loan him next year to a team where he will feel more pressure like on of the favorite in the championhip or one of the promoted team
i agree. every season arsenal fans get deluded into thinking we will buy world class players. When will they learn? The only experienced keeper we should get is jaskelenen. He has been consistent for many years and bolton would be relegated every seaon if it wasnt for him. Although, even buying this keeper will be a BIG task for Arsenal.
If we dont buy him i bet United will.
Wenger will buy world class players or he has to go. Simple as that as with only youth and average players you dont win anything!!!
Personally I’d love to see him do it this season. It would make a great story. I do expect our investment in youth to pay off spectacularly at some stage.
jaaskelainen is going back to finland
why the fuck would we want calamity james ? al and fab piss all over him
come on think a little
Wenger always says “age doesn’t matter its quality” now szczesny from what I’ve seen of him againts burnly in the carling cup plus his latest heroics at brentford and getting a full international call up looks to be a better keeper than what we have!! And under wengers rule of not KILLING he’s young stars he’s showed more than enough to get a chance!!
I’d love to see joe hart and him fight it out but I don’t think wenger will pay so much for a keeper! Or get rid of almunia or fabianski! Coz he’s stubburn and this would prove that maybe he made a mistake!
Realisticly wenger will buy chamankh, let 2 centre backs go silvestre and gallas and replace one! Djrourou will be said 2b “like a new signing” bartley/Ayling/Norviet have all been out on loan so wenger may choose to promote 1 of them.
Check the arsenal website he’s already said there’s not much room in the squad for new players!!
We definitely aint winning champions league next year! Probably be very close again in winning the league! Wenger always insist the other cups aint true measures for sucess! But in my eyes the FA cup has helped build his god like status at arsenal and probably all fans would love to see us win an FA Cup!
With rule changes in the league next year, more youth players will get a chance which i feel is a good thing considering our young talent. Players that were thrown in to the 1st team and stayed there is incredible. Cesc, A.cole, Clichy to name a few. We got a lot of good young talent who can compete as the carling cup has shown with consistent upsets. I would like to see more young players giving a chance.
discussion about what lineup should wenger go with next season?
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/383742-what-lineup-will-wenger-go-with-next-season
JET scored for Dons today…
where & what happen to smicheal junior?