Yes, Wenger tried and failed to prise Mark Schwarzer from the unyielding jaws of Fulham. So? Life, as we all Gunners know it, surely hasn’t screeched to a finite halt.
Some commentators are even dismissing our efforts in the transfer market all summer as a failure – conveniently of course disregarding the arrivals of Chamakh, Koscielny and Squillaci. All on account of the 37 year-old Australian, Schwarzer.
Reading through the blogs and websites that profess love and affection for Arsenal, it is shocking to see the amount of vitriol and bile poured on Wenger and his team - all because we couldn’t sign a new goalkeeper.
Yes, it hasn’t all gone to plan both for Wenger and Schwarzer. Granted that Fulham are just a run-of-the-mill side barely surviving in the premiership. Yes, they exceeded all expectations and went all the way to the Europa League final last season and promptly lost to Athletico Madrid. Does anyone recollect another average side, Middlesbrough blazing a similar trail two seasons ago, before succumbing 0-4 to Sevilla? Where are they now? Marooned in the championship!
What exactly is my point?
It is that all the naysayers and doom merchants seem to have missed the point about Schwarzer’s truncated dream of playing for us. It all had to do with Mark Hughes’ deep and bitter dislike for Wenger. I have very little doubt that if Roy Hodgson had remained coach at Fulham, (the gentleman that he is) he would have realised that Schwarzer had done his utmost for the club and the club in turn ought to grant him his wish of joining us and thus playing in the Champions League before drawing the curtains on his glittering career.
But sadly Hodgson had left and in came the brooding, petulant bogeyman Hughes who had endured humiliation after humiliation at the hands of Wenger and his side in his Blackburn days. His only wins against Arsenal were during his short stint with Manchester City, early last season.
For him now, it was payback time.
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| No sweetness here...Schwarzer (left) contemplating life on the Fulham bench |
Which makes me wonder why all the name-calling and rage directed at Wenger.
Have all the naysayers stopped for a sec to consider that, the psychologist that he is, Wenger could as well have given Almunia a much-needed wake-up call? Everyone admits that Almunia was deserving the Number 1 shirt three seasons ago when he usurped Lehmann. He took his chance and did quite well between the sticks.
I still rate him as one of the best penalty stoppers in the league. For the records, Arsenal have never lost a penalty shootout with Almunia between the sticks. Cue against Sheffield United, FA Cup replay, January 2006; against Roma, Champions League second round, March 2009. Not counting his penalty save against Robbie Keane at the Emirates in December, 2007 with the scores at 1-1, moments before Bendtner went up the other end to nod in the winner.
Yes, his standards dropped last season for various reasons, but no player suddenly becomes bad overnight for no apparent cause.
The real problem, if you ask me is the lack of a decent back-up for him. That is the real danger in our goalkeeping situation. Fabianski is just a horror show to put it mildly. At his age, Iker Casillas was already both Real Madrid and Spain Number one. Even currently younger than him, is 19 year-old Atletico’s David de Gea who has consistently defied his youth and limited experience to remain the undisputed top goalie there.
It is the Pole actually that needs replacing, not Almunia.
So now, Fulham have a seriously-damaged goalie on their hands because I can’t see the Aussie delivering 100% anymore for them after watching them stand between him and his ambition. Point of correction; after watching Hughes stand in the way of his dream. The Welshman may have won Round One for now, but as the season unfolds, he may quietly come to that realization that perhaps, he should have granted his namesake his wish.
With or without both Marks anyway, Arsenal would still go on and finish the season above Fulham.
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