Archive for August 13th, 2010

Arsenal and Schwarzer need each other

536 comments August 13th, 2010

Aussie goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has spoken up for the first time on his possible move to Arsenal:

“I need it to happen.

I’ve had a couple of chats with Mark [Hughes]. It’s delicately poised.

Who wouldn’t be keen to go to Arsenal? At this stage in my career it’s an amazing opportunity to play at that level and one I really want to take.

It’s taken a long time and the season’s very close. On one hand you understand them not wanting to disrupt too many things but I want things resolved as quickly as possible.

Only time will tell whether that happens or not.”

It’s clear why Schwarzer is so keen for the move to go through. He’s had something of a journeyman European career, moving from Dynamo Dresden then Kaiserslauten to Bradford City, on to Middlesbrough and finally Fulham. At 37 years of age, this is the first and last time the opportunity to be number one at a Champions League club has presented itself. He simply has to take this chance.

The truth is, however, that Arsenal need Schwarzer just as much as he needs them. Our goalkeeping situation is an embarrassment – the most able of the four we have on the books, Manuel Almunia, appears to be frozen out of the first-team picture. The man edging ahead of him in the queue, Lukasz Fabianski, is becoming the most ridiculed thing to come out of Poland since their toilet paper made of crepe. Signing Schwarzer would put a seal on things: he’d be the undisputed number one, probably for the next two years.

I do have an underlying concern, however: I hope Schwarzer has clarified that Arsenal are still interested before making those statements about his future. Early in the summer we made an enquiry to Fulham and were swiftly rebuffed. Since then, Arsene has persisted with Fabianski and publicly talked up the abilities of the four goalkeepers on the books. There is a dark, demonic part of me that suspects the manager may no longer feel Schwarzer’s signing is necessary. I cannot tell you how wrong I think he’d be, were that the case.

On to the weekend’s opening fixture at Anfield. The latest team news is not particularly promising: Johan Djourou is out, meaning we have no choice but to throw Laurent Koscielny in to a Premier League debut.  Our lack of depth at centre-half is exposed by the fact that the inexperienced Havard Nordtveit is now next in line.

In midfield, Alex Song is out of contention, whilst Denilson and Diaby require fitness tests.  Of that pair, Diaby seems more likely to be involved, having taken a full part in training for most of the week.  A decision is still to be made on Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie.

To hear who I think will start at Anfield, as well as a bunch of other Arsenally stuff, check out the first arsecast of a shiny new season.


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