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Arsenal: Be careful what you wish for with Petr Cech

By Andrew Dowdeswell

Arsenal's Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech makes a save during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at White Hart Lane in London, on April 30, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALL / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)
Arsenal's Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech makes a save during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at White Hart Lane in London, on April 30, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALL / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images) /
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Some Arsenal fans have called for Petr Cech to be replaced this summer. As Jens Lehman points out, people should be careful what they wish for.

Ever since the departure of Jens Lehman in 2008, Arsenal have toiled through at the goalkeeping position. Manuel Almunia, Lukasz Fabianski, Wojciech Szczesny. They all had a go, all failing to offer any semblance of consistency and reliability between the sticks.

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All three do boast sensational athletic traits. They are excellent shot stoppers with sharp reflexes and a subtlety and flexibility in contorting their body, such that they can save shots at awkward angles with difficult trajectories. And then, in 2015, Arsene Wenger suddenly addressed all of those fears in one sweeping move: he signed Petr Cech for £12 million from Chelsea after he had lost his starting job to Thibault Courtois.

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But Cech does not make the blockbuster saves of his predecessors. He does not boast the cat-like reflexes or the athletic skill to smother one-on-ones and turn rocketing shots around the post at full stretch. He is, though, a player that brings far more to the pitch than mere shot-stopping ability. And that is a sentiment echoed by Lehman, who stated that he has ‘always rated him as one of the best goalkeepers ever’:

"“I’ve always rated him as one of the best goalkeepers ever. It’s good to see that he’s doing even better this season than last season. He’s calm so he calms people down, he’s got a presence. He’s a fantastic guy and a big, big benefit and asset for Arsenal now. He’s credible in what he says and what he does.”"

Some Arsenal fans have suggested that an improvement over Cech could be made in the upcoming summer transfer window. But, while he does not make the flashy saves that make the YouTube highlight reels, he does bring a confidence and assuredness to his play, in turn, reassuring his defenders with a command of his penalty area.

Solid, reliable, dependable goalkeepers are a rare beast. They are difficult to find and even harder to keep hold of. Cech is one of the most consistent, experienced keepers in the Premier League, having anchored Chelsea’s stifling difference for a number of years.

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Fans who want Wenger to invest in a new goalkeeper should be careful what they wish for. While the new may be exciting and intriguing, the old and sturdy Cech is the best option for an Arsenal defence that can be worryingly soft and exposed.

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