Arsene Wenger has given his backing to David Ospina as he prepares to the give the Colombian just his fourth start of the season in tomorrow’s FA Cup clash with Sunderland.
Ospina had a bit of a nightmare against Olympiacos in the Champions League, dropping a corner over the line and into the net, and Petr Cech has been chosen for every game since.
However, the Arsenal manager praised the 25 year old for his quality and said that he might even replace Cech one day.
“I believe that Ospina is not treated fairly,” he said. “If you look at the whole of 2015, everybody neglects he played six months. I personally think he is world class. I did not take Petr Cech based on the performances of Ospina. Petr Cech was just an exceptional opportunity where it was difficult to say no.
“It was not because I was unhappy with Ospina. I was very happy with Ospina.
“Unfortunately, Ospina has been punished by that decision. I rate him highly. True, he had a bad season because he has that mistake and when you do not have many opportunities and you have one bad catch, everyone is after you.
“If you look at his performances from January to the end of the season, he saved us in many games.”
Wenger stated his belief that Ospina could be the Arsenal number 1 at some point in the future, after Cech retires, but it feels a bit as if he’s trying to boost his confidence ahead of the Sunderland game.
““We are lucky because he has a top attitude, is very intelligent, very brave, very quick. The difference with Cech is he has less experience and his size. Cech is so tall that when he stretches he covers more surface.
“I think he [Ospina] can be the goalkeeper of the future here as well. With Petr Cech getting older year after year, he may get more games.”
The bigger question is if Ospina wants to hang around that long playing second fiddle. As first choice for his country, he’ll want to play regularly, so we’ll have to see how this one plays out.
Oooooooooooooooooooooooospina!
Still better than Wojciech. Underrated. Quietly goes about his job. One bad game doesn’t mean he should be thrown under the bus. Everyone has off days. Consistently good over the 2nd half of last season. No drama Ospina!
Was that not the exact same thing that happen to Wojciech last year
No, Wojciech had brain fart after brain fart until he eventually went into meltdown at Southampton. Ospina was rock solid for us last season, made one mistake, and deserves some game time.
Agree with that. I talked with number of my friends about him (I’m from Poland) over the pas, and I said huge thing about him. That his gonna be new Neuer and stuff (since his Brandford loan), as I saw enormous potential in him. I belived also that he is very confident as for his age, and very witty (I mean in the inteviews). Therefore I thought that he is very mature for his age and that assured me even more that he will be among the very best. But years goes by and It becomes obvious that what I… Read more »
That’s what your black and white cat claims?
we’ve been spoiled by having Cech in goal and seeing what a ‘keeper of genuine world class can do for the side. which is good, of course. but it does rather expose our other goalies a bit…
I like ospina, some saves he makes you do have to wonder have he managed it and we never felt that way with szezcny in goal
I know it was a while ago, but this sprang to mind when I saw your comment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq3TqqkJIHU
I’ll never forget against Everton when he rushed out of the penalty area to make a clean, authoritative tackle on Lukaku!
Hopeful line up tomorrow
Ospina
Debuchy BFG Gabriel gibbs
AOC Chambers
Campbell the Jeff
Iowbi
Giroud
Subs: macey flamini willox Walcott arteta Ramsey Kos
I doubt this will be the team that’s picked but I’d love this team to go out there tomorrow because each one of these players has something to prove except giroud. Let’s piss off fat sam one more time COYG
But, Cech isn’t our number 1 😉
Is Petr Cech really “getting older year after year”?
Poor chap. I feel for him, I’ve been suffering from the same complaint for 41 years.
That’s kind of how age works
I guess something got past Gandalf after all. 😉
It’s a much overused phrase, but I did laugh out loud at that one!
hope he gets a warm reception should he indeed starts later today.
the pic above just indicates how outfield players like ox get at least opportunities of minutes here and there to make amends for below-par performances and rediscover their form, while ospina was mercilessly slaughtered for one error and had to live with it since.
he may not be at Cech’s level but was dependable for us last season, and deserves to be more fairly treated.
Ooooooooooooopportunity!
He can do the job. Hattrick of FA Cups please.
She wore
Wait, what did she wear?
A yellow ribbon.
Unrelated (sorry blogs) but Yaya Toure throwing a tantrum after missing out on the African player of the year award? Such a spoilt diva!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/12089801/Yaya-Toure-blasts-decision-not-to-make-him-African-Player-of-the-Year.html
My opinion on that yaya rant is that it’s a shame elneny misses his debut but ospina should be fine
Frankly, he isn’t a bad goalie. His terrible mistake cost us the ECL match but all GK’s have such moments. He definitely is more composed than Wojciech which is important for the defense. Hope he has a good game today. C’mon gunners! Lets go for the FA cup.
cech is better
Ospina is a good goalkeeper. But a club of Arsenal’s stature requires a great goalkeeper. He is maybe the best we’ve had since Lehmann – apart from Cech.
David Seaman, Cech, Jens Lehmann and Petr Cech are the benchmark though. Ospina is a decent option on the bench and fine for the cups. Never a number one for me though for a big club like Arsenal.
Cech is so good you named him twice!
And don’t forget Petr Cech…
David Ospina has two big problems at Arsenal. He isn’t Wojciech Szczesny and he isn’t Petr Cech. If you can get over those two problems you realise he’s actually a very good goalkeeper who did well for us until that game where the whole team were pretty awful and he’s carried the blame ever since. He’s been dignified and not complained about his situation and I hope the crowd gets behind him today because he deserves our support.