The Gospel truth about Schwarzer to Arsenal?

Reading all the various versions of the story that Fulham have again rejected another offer from Arsenal for their Aussie goalie Mark Schwarzer, this morning, I came to one simple conclusion.



Wenger doesn’t want Schwarzer hard enough.


Quite unbelievable, isn’t it?


But that I’m sure, is the “gospel truth”.


I mean why would he come back three months after the first offer was turned down, with the same £2million price tag? In view of his penny-pinching reputation, this one just takes the biscuit.






Reading all the reactions and fallouts from this latest rejection by Fulham, you must feel for poor Mark.


He looked like he had burnt his bridges at the Cottage; refusing to lace boots (or gloves in this case) after handing in a transfer request in the belief that his path to Emirates was all but assured.


Now, apparently, it doesn’t look like Wenger wants him so badly. Or else what is a couple more millions to Le Professor, if he really, really wants to get his man?

Stewart Robson: At home both in surroundings and writings

Which all takes my mind back to comments I read a week back by ex-Gunner and ex-captain Stewart Robson about the whole goalkeeping conundrum.


Stewart is a dyed-in-the-wool Gunner having signed on at 16years of age and eventually went on to play between 1981 and 1986.


Last week, he categorically wrote that: "I don't see that Schwarzer, the player that everybody's talking about, is a better goalkeeper than Almunia," he told Sky Sports. "I think Almunia's a better goalkeeper than Schwarzer”.


Also on the Man City wantaway Given, he had this to say:


“Shay Given is a very good shot-stopper, but most of the criticism of Arsenal's goalkeepers is that they don't come for crosses or haven't been dominant in the air. Shay Given's not that goalkeeper. He's a very good goalkeeper, we all know that, but he's more of a shot-stopper than someone who's going to dominate his penalty area."


For someone who played the game long before the Sky transformed it into a glamourous, prima-donna infested Premier League, he ought to know what he’s saying. And I think he does.


More crucial is that I think Wenger is taking such comments seriously.


To get a better sense of what Stewart is saying, it is essential to know who the hell he is.


Stewart joined Arsenal as a 16year-old and debuted as the youngest player in the club’s history two years later. He played in the senior team from 1981 till 1986 when due to injuries, he was sold to London side, West Ham and later Coventry City. At all of these three clubs, he was named player of the year – which isn’t something to sniff at. Mention must be made as well that he captained England U-21s as well as Arsenal, when the likes of Tony Adams, Steve Bould were still in the reserves.


Currently, Stewart is a professional journalist who write football for notable publications such as the Sunday Telegraph and host of blogs. He is a regular face in the crowd at the Emirates and also runs coaching training workshops for various clubsides across England.


To be frank, I didn’t know about Stewart until some ten days ago. But the more I researched about him, his past and career, the more impressed I was. Not many ex-footballers would be able to combine writing and coaching with such effortless ease. Yes, so many take up media work and actually do well on the soap box. But that is the paparazzi part of journalism. The bread and butter bit.


Very few venture into writing, analysis and actually do well at it. Yes, Ian Wright, Alan Hansen have done well. Who else?


Now back to Stewart, Wenger and the goalkeeping merry-go-round.


It just strikes me that Wenger rates Almunia good enough not to think someone like Schwarzer can do any better. Which can only explain why he doesn’t believe the Aussie commands any cent above £2million.


The master of double-speak that he is, Wenger would never come out and condemn any of his players. He prefers to keep his opinions to himself, or behind locked, locker rooms.


Which also makes me want to go along with Stewart and give Almunia some benefit of the doubt. Yes, he has his hairy moments, but which goalkeeper doesn’t? Fans sometimes are a fickle lot. So soon, we all seem to have forgotten how Almunia stood between Manchester Utd and a goalfeast at Old Trafford in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal, April 2009. Even though all the good work eventually came undone in the second leg when Christiano Ronaldo led a 3-1 slaughter, Almunia got loads of deserved praise for the slim1-0 scoreline from the first leg.


Quite recently as well, we all seem to have forgotten how Almunia again stood between Barcelona and a basket of goals at Emirates in yet another Champions League showdown in March this year. That we cane back to tie the game 2-2 was due largely to Almunia’s heroic resistance in the first half.


Rather than keep hammering Manuel, Stewart identifies what he thinks is the real problem.


He opines: “Arsenal….need to improve a couple of defensive frailties that they've got. One is when balls get played over the top and they play too high an offside line - and the other is when they're defending set plays. That's where they've let goals in over the last three or four years and I see in pre-season that they're still doing those same things”.


Well said Stewart. Just that, where does it all leave poor Schwarzer now?

An alternative to Schwarzer...Wenger-style

On June 12 in Johannesburg during the just-ended World Cup finals, one of Africa's misguided hopefuls, Nigeria played the mighty Argentines led by 'father-and-son' alliance, Diego and Lionel.

I am not too sure if Arsene Wenger was at the Ellis Park stadium, venue of that game but I was dead certain he was in South Africa at the time.

After 90 minutes, the score stood at 1-0 to the Argentines. No surprise there.

The real surprise was that only one goal was recorded at the end of hostilities. Argentine paraded the unstoppable Messi, the hungry Tevez, the sleek Higuan and still had something left in the tank to roll out marauding Aguero as they pummelled the bemused Nigerians. Still for all their human weaponry, they only conjured one goal.

All eyes on you, son

The man responsible for that 'respectable defeat' was the Nigerian goalie, Vincent Enyeama, who faced up to all of the Argentine attackers and repelled them. Wave after wave of Argentine onslaught threatened to bury the Nigerians. Again and again, Vincent denied them.


Ironically, the lone Argentine goal that evaded him and found the net was a diving, kamikaze-type header from defender Gabriel Heinze.


I remember reading it somewhere that if Wenger was watching, Vincent was the answer to his goalkeeping problems at Arsenal. I remember nodding my head in agreement with that suggestion.


Almost two months on, with all the hoo-haa over flapping Almunia and his seriously-undewhelmed understudy, Fabianski; along with the clamour for either Schwarzer and Given, my view has not changed.


Not because Vincent is a Nigerian like me. Far from it.


Anyone who has cared to study Wenger closely in all his 16years at Arsenal, will notice that he hardly, hardly ever goes with popular opinion. With the whole-world-and-its-mother calling for the signing of either Schwarzer, or Given, or both, it won't surprise me one bit if Le Professor doesn't sign any of them.


He enjoys playing the media and ambushing everyone.


27 year-old Vincent, who plays for Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel is the sort of rabbit that Mr Wenger would enjoy pulling out of the hat. He is brave; relatively unknown; steady; commands his area well; out of the limelight and yes, cheap.

Furthermore, since 2003 when he helped Nigerian side, Enyimba to the African Champions league title and successfully defended it a year later, Vincent has remained consistently in form. It is such ability to maintain his reflexes and agility year-in, year out that may prick the interest of Wenger.
Mr Wenger thrives on such surprise packages. He gets a huge thrill out of them. He delights in them cos they maintain the Wenger-mystique and forever keeps everyone guessing. And more importantly, in most cases, he gets them right.


So, it's a little over a week before the much-trumpeted transfer window slams shut.


Trust Le Professor to be sitting, waiting and rubbing his hands in devious anticipation.


Trust him to be watching the clock and waiting for some last-minute, penny-wise deal that he will be sure to strike.


A deal that brings a very handy, little-known goalie like Vincent to the Emirates won't be out of place at all.


He may or may not go for either Schwarzer of Given. But whatever he does, trust him to yet again catch us all on the backfoot.


Watch this space.

Liverpool v Arsenal ratings

Well what a game of two halves indeed!
The first half was so clearly Arsenal's with their good movements, passing, break-up play and all the nice little things that make them Arsenal.
The second half belonged marginally to the Kop especialy after they set the place alight with that early, early goal. It was just what they needed to retreat and park the bus in front of their goalmouth and see out the rest of the game.
Until Reina intervened and let the Gunners back in.
Talking of which however, despite all the focus on Reina, credit must go to Marouane Chamakh for his persistence and never-say-die-attitude that forced Reina into the mistake that brought the equaliser.

Below are my Arsenal ratings for the game.
* Almunia (6/10) - Did well to deal with all that came his way. Yes he flapped a couple of balls in the first half, but he redeemed himself with good saves from Glen Johnson and a Steven Gerrard howitzer in the second half.
* Sagna (6/10) - Dealt with all that came his way and linked up quite well with Eboue on the right.Same old tenacious Bacary
* Vermaelen (7/10) - My favourite Arsenal player anyday, anytime. Mr Confident as always. Picked up from he left last season and shackled Gerrard and Ngog (at least until the 46th minute). Fired a fierce freekick in the 3rd minute that Reina did well to push away
* Koscieny (7/10) - Top marks for the Polish-French new boy. Developed a good understanding with TV and dealt with everything that came his way. One particular incident in the 76th minute when he took on the fresh legs of Fernando Torres and still outpaced the Spaniard, stuck out as an epitome of what he is all about. Unlucky to be sent off.
* Clichy (6/10) - New season, same determined Gael. Didnt do much wrong and was his usual overlapping self. Got caught out a couple of times by the marauding Johnson but also saved our blushes in the first half by clearing off the line with Almunia beaten.
*Eboue (6/10) - Did well in the first half as most of our play went via the right flank. Troubled the Kop defence with his trickery, pace, change of direction and positive movement. Will have a big season, hopefully.
* Diaby (6/10) - Surprisingly played the DM role and didn't do badly at all. He used his physical presence alot but couldn't resist the temptation to roma forward which is his natural game.
* Nasri (7/10) - Played the Fabregas role very well. Very crafty and confident on the ball. Starved the Kop of possession in the first half but wilted as the game progressed in the second half. A promising season lies ahead of him as well. Looks much more matured.
* Wilshere (5/10) - A bit harsh on the teenage sensation but he wasn't fazed by the initmdating atmosphere of Anfield. Got into the mix of things and linked very well with Nasri and Diaby. He even showed his tough side by picking up a card in the first half. We'll see more of him surely as the season unfolds.
* Arshavin (5/10) - Mr Anonymous. I think Wenger left him on the pitch for 90 minutes cos of his outstanding record at Anfield. The Kop defence were aware of the record as well and stuck to him like a leech. Failed to impose himself at all.
* Chamkh (7/10) - Grafted very well despite the close attentions of Carrager, and Skrtel. A very good targetman and it is becoming obvious why Wenger waited a whole for him. He was worth the wait. Should be credited for forcing the mistake that led to the equaliser. It is a sign of a good striker that he didn't switch off despite the clock winding down. Good buy indeed.

Subs
* Walcott (7/10) - Did well in the short time he was on the pitch. Hassled the Kop defence with his pace and determination. Looked hungry.
* Rosicky (7/10) - Also did very well soon as he came on. He took over from Nasri soon as he stepped on the pitch and it was his cross that led to the equaliser. No wonder Chamakh smothered him with an almighty hug after the equaliser.
* Van Persie (6/10) - Also threw himself around. Kop's crowded area didn't afford him time and space to weave his magic but surely looked like another hungry one.