Arsenal: Petr Cech may not have safe hands anymore

Petr Cech has come under fire by Arsenal fans and for just cause. Is it to the point now where he needs to be replaced as soon as possible?

Arsenal and Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech may no longer have the safe hands he once had. He has been a stalwart at this club since his transfer in 2014 from Chelsea, where he solidified himself as one of the best keepers of all time.

The Gunners have able to rely on him in the past to help bail the club out from their mistakes, but this season something seems off. His hands don’t seem so safe anymore.

Of course looking at his resume, one would say he’s a legend and rightfully so, he has had one hell of a career. He has won everything in sight, from European cups to domestic cups. This all puts him in consideration as one of the best keepers in world football.

Since his move to North London, he has saved Arsenal on more than one occasion. He was someone you could depend on when the going got tough. When Petr Cech wants to move on to either another club or just retirement, he should choose when and where to move on. He has earned that right.

This season, something has changed in Cech. He can no longer be relied upon. He makes uncharacteristically silly mistakes and has poor distribution. His passing out from the back has me worried all the time. He rarely looks comfortable with the ball at his feet. His throws and long-range kicking have become a problem as they never seem to be on target.

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Maybe this is all a confidence thing. When you have the shotty back line of Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi ahead of you, I’d be worried too. With recent performances as poor as those maybe it’s time to evaluate the goalkeeping position at Arsenal.

The potential in-house back-ups are David Ospina and Matt Macey. Both don’t seem quite capable of being Premier League quality, though Macey could still grow into the role. Emi Martinez has to be counted as well, though his time of reckoning should be on the docket in the near future. With Ospina looking for a move away does this signal time for Cech to move to back-up or even as goalkeeping coach?

Aging goalkeepers

Goalkeepers never age, or so they say. Great examples of those are Gianluigi Buffon and Tim Howard. Two goalkeepers who showed very little decline as they aged and neared their 40s. With age comes experience and that is invaluable to any team.

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He may be a legend for his exploits, but this season has lost the plot, maybe it’s time to find a solution.

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