Nervy Manuel Gets Nervier
14 comments August 17th, 2010
Manuel Almunia is a man of a somewhat nervous disposition. Whilst he remains the most able goalkeeper on our books, his confidence is clearly a delicate, fragile thing. Which is why Arsenal’s apparent chase for Mark Schwarzer has left him feeling a little uneasy:
“To be honest, it is so difficult [to concentrate]. Arsenal is a big club and speculation is always in the news and everywhere. The only thing I can do is keep working because I have a contract here and I have to do what the manager wants from me. I have not spoken to him. If somebody comes in, I will have to talk about my future at Arsenal. That is it.
I don’t see anything else outside Arsenal. It will be very, very difficult to play for another team in England if it wasn’t Arsenal. Spain, also, would be difficult. But I am 33 years old and only have a few more years left in football. I would like to enjoy them. I am a keeper who enjoys playing – just playing. I have to work and if one day I am not good enough for Arsenal, I will talk. That is no problem.”
This is exactly why it’s essential that Arsene bites the £3m bullet and brings Schwarzer in. The speculation about a new signing, as well as Arsene’s clear indecision about who out of his current crop should be number one, has simply served to undermine what little self-belief Almunia and Fabianski had at the back end of last season.
It is comparable to the goalkeeping situation with England squad at the World Cup. In the absence of a clear number one, there emerged a confidence vacuum, in to which whatever ability Rob Green ever had was spectacularly sucked.
Almunia knows he is living on borrowed time. Fabianski knows he has proven himself to be not yet ready – he may never be. Arsene has to take the plunge and bring in someone who the side can have confidence in. Schwarzer may not be that much better than Almunia, but at this stage someone with a fresh, unblemished record would represent an improvement.
Arsene: we’re eagerly awaiting further developments.
