Arsenal: Bernd Leno better get fighting

Bernd Leno has described himself as a ‘lone fighter’. Well, he better get fighting as he competes with Petr Cech to be Arsenal’s number one goalkeeper.

The goalkeeping position can be a tortuous one. While it may be easy to see yourself become the hero, it is as likely to witness the fall into becoming the villain. It takes just one mistake, just one errant hand, just one sliced clearance, just one dropped ball, and at any moment.

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Like when a batsman takes to the crease, readying himself for an arduous slog of persistence, resilience and determination, knowing that every ball that careers towards him could be his last, a goalkeeper must be perennially focused, everpresent in the moment, never complacent, always attentive.

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For Bernd Leno, the much-debated shot-stopper that Arsenal invested substantially in this summer, it is the role of a ‘lone fighter’ in a team game. Leno says, of his own perspective of himself and his position:

"“The lone fighter. That’s how I have always defined the role of a goalkeeper. You train separately, you warm up separately, you are fighting for just one spot and then if you make a mistake, you’re quickly the idiot. It does mean that you are a bit lonely sometimes, but I enjoy that challenge and I wouldn’t want to play anywhere else.”"

This fight, this inner-competition, with oneself and one’s teammates and one’s opposition, is what Leno will have to embark on as he looks to wrestle the number one shirt away from Petr Cech.

Cech is currently absent with a hamstring issue. His return is not yet fully known, but Leno is in line for at least one or two more starts in the Premier League, the most coveted of competitions to play in for a starting goalkeeper. In these limited opportunities, Leno must prove that he is worthy of displacing Cech and succeeding the long-time Arsenal and Chelsea keeper.

One of the key attributes that Leno must display is concentration and sound, smart decision-making. His biggest criticism at Bayer Leverkusen was his propensity for the stupid, foolish error. We have seen glimpses of this since his arrival — a dropped cross; a reported clanger in a behind-doors preseason friendly. But in the limited starts that he has made, Leno has proven himself capable. Can he now be consistent?

As Leno rightly proclaims, ‘if you make a mistake, you quickly become the idiot.’ For him, this has been especially true. He has been the idiot on many occasions and his acquisition was questioned by some as a result. As he grows and matures, in stature, self-belief and experience, he must prove that he has graduated from his more foolhardy days. He must, as he puts it, fight.

Leno has the chance to win the starting job that he so desperately covets. He has spoken of his desire to be the starter. He did not come to Arsenal to sit on the bench. He now has the opportunity to make that a reality. He better get fighting.