Arsenal: Bernd Leno said a lot more than ‘frustrated’

Bernd Leno said that it is frustrating to sit behind Petr Cech. But he also said a lot more than that. Don’t read into the Arsenal goalkeeper’s comments too much.

‘Bernd Leno ‘frustrated’ at being Petr Cech understudy at Arsenal’. That’s how the ESPN headline read after the Germans’ comments to the media following the Gunners’ 4-2 win over FC Vorskla on Thursday night.

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In fairness to ESPN, that is what, to an extent, Bernd Leno said. But it’s not all the Arsenal goalkeeper said and it does somewhat take the rest of what he said and quieten it by pushing it down the back of the sofa and framing the ‘frustrated’ line in a photo frame on the front-and-centre mantelpiece.

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These are the full quotes, from the London Evening Standard, in which Leno discusses his time in north London and his current role as the understudy to Petr Cech:

"“I came to the club to play every game. But I think to move to a bigger club, another country, it needs maybe a little bit of time. It is a bit frustrating but I keep calm and work very hard to improve <…> We have fun together. We push each other and I think the competition with us is very good. I didn’t just come to learn from Petr. Of course, he is a big personality <…> He had a big career and is still a very good goalkeeper. I came because of the club. Of course, it is very good to work with him and for my development, it is very good to have the competition with him.”"

So yes, Leno does admit that ‘it is a bit frustrating’ to not be starting in the Premier League and sitting behind Cech. But he also prefaces that statement with the fact that it takes time to move to a bigger club in another country, while then proceeding to praise Cech, his personality, their friendly dynamic in training, and how Cech is good for his development.

I am sure that Leno is a little frustrated at his lack of playing time so far this season — Thursday night against FC Vorskla was his first start of the campaign. But I am also sure that he recognises that starting roles at clubs like Arsenal are not handed out lollipops and that he must earn his place.

Leno knows what he must do. Perform well in the Europa League and other domestic cups, work hard and impress in training, and wait patiently for his opportunity to start in the league, knowing that when it comes around, he must be ready to take it and not allow Cech to have the starting role back.

So Leno may be a little frustrated. But that is only half the story. Read the whole story, listen to all of the comments in context. Because we, the media, will happily contort it to what we want. This is yet another example.