Arsenal: Petr Cech number change not close to number one worry

Petr Cech has a new number at Arsenal. It is the number one, suggesting that he will be the starting goalkeeper next year. It is hardly the biggest worry.

The Arsenal squad is bereft of quality in a number of vital areas. Unai Emery, when he arrives with the team this summer, will have a lot of work on his hands. Alongside the brain trust of Head of Recruitment Sven Mislintat, Head of Relations Raul Sanllehi, and Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis, there is much recruitment to be done if this team is to challenge for more than a top-six finish in the Premier League.

Catch the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal podcast right here

From the painful similarities of the midfield options to the lack of a commanding and domineering centre-half, there is a myriad of holes in this squad that need filling. Not all of them can be.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 observations from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park

And that brings me to the recent news that Petr Cech will take the number one shirt next season, vacating the number 33 shirt that he had been wearing since his signing in 2015. That has led many fans to believe that he will be at the club next season as Arsenal’s starting goalkeeper, a position that he has held for all three years that he has been with the team.

Obviously, what player wears what number does not have an impact on the decision made. But it does provide us mere fans and analysts with a possible window into the thinking of the coaches and the club. It confirms absolutely nothing, but Cech being handed the number one shirt, which is more significant for a goalkeeper than it is any other position on the pitch, does imply that he will be starting between the sticks next season.

But let’s be clear here, is that really such a bad thing?

Cech suffered a poor season last year, making several needless errors that a keeper of his experience and understanding should not be making. Add to that the fact that he lacks the physical attributes to make the outstanding saves that a David de Gea, Hugo Lloris, or even David Ospina can make, and it does call into question his efficacy.

That said, he is hardly the biggest worry of this team. Central midfield, centre-half, full-back and even winger could all stake a claim to being positions of a greater priority than goalkeeper. That does not mean that Arsenal do not need to strengthen their goalkeeping position. They absolutely do. But in an age of stretched resources and limited budgets, compromises must be made.

Next: Arsenal: 3 things that Unai Emery will offer

Perhaps, then, it would be wise of the Gunners to compromise investment in a Cech replacement and focus on bigger needs of the squad, like defensive midfield and centre-half. Is Cech starting next season, assuming that he does ideal? No. Far from it. But it’s hardly the most troubling development of this summer.