Petr Cech put Arsenal hearts in mouths during the 3-2 win over Cardiff yesterday when he presented a glorious chance to Harry Arter, only for the Irishman to fire over the bar when he should have scored.
That followed a couple of somewhat unsure moments in the opening minutes with the ball at his feet, but after the game Unai Emery insisted he wants his keeper to keep playing the way he’s been instructed and that he believes the veteran can improve.
“He’s progressing,” said Emery when asked if he had doubts over Cech’s ability to play that particular way.
“He has experience and he is intelligent and he is doing what we want to do to win with our jobs and work on the pitch. It’s very important for me to continue doing this and improving.
“If you play every time long balls, you lose possession and momentum. We take risks in moments of the match, but when you break their pressing on the pitch you can find space for attacking the opposition.
“It is for that it’s clear you can maybe do one mistake like today and one action, but we need to continue with this personality.
“We need to continue also then to do the mix, to [play a] long ball with the space for the first action, and the second action to win possession on the pitch and then continue going forward to the opposition goal.”
We’ll have to just wait and see how long Emery will persist with a keeper who is uncomfortable with the ball at his feet so regularly, or if Cech can improve. Meanwhile, £22.5m summer signing Bernd Leno is yet to make his Arsenal debut.
oh shit……………
Feel a bit sorry for Cech.
Part of the problem is that the outfield players are not making themselves properly available and they also continually pass it back to him and put him under unnecessary pressure.
Just need to make sure we, as Emery puts it, ‘do the mix’
They need to adapt just as much as Cech, although I would love to see Leno.
Nitroglycerin mail order confirmed. The old ticker can´t take this excitement
When I read the first sentence, I expected you were going to build a bomb for Emery’s office …
To me this is less a Cech issue and more a Sokratis/Mustafi/where the fuck is everybody else problem. Cech gets the ball ON HIS RIGHT FOOT from an immobile and confused Sokratis (this guy has to go), with two attackers bearing down on him and everyone else either covered or absent, what is he supposed to do? Sadly, good soldier that he is, he follows orders, where his instinct is obviously clear it quick. Emery is misguided in thinking his current defenders have the ability to help the keeper out – their MO seems to be give a tepid ball… Read more »
Kick the ball is all he has to do not to an opposition bring on leno enough already
Lot of down votes but I agree. It’s not just Cech. The team have got to help each other and some of them are just not doing it correctly.
I want my shiny new Leno. Cech would be a more than decent back up. However, I’m willing to give him some leeway as long as we don’t concede a single goal through his back up play. We’ve seen others struggling, too (Lloris, Alisson)
I bet Leno is desperate to show his stuff. The few times I’ve been on the bench (heh), I get so wound up at not being on the pitch, constantly watching my replacement thinking “for fucks sake, if I was on the pitch etc. etc.”
Give him a go, I love cech, and think he’s a great shot stopper, but he was past his best when we bought him. Leno could make a real difference to how we transition and put our already skittish defenders under less pressure.
Cech is an old dog.
I feel this is very stubborn behaviour from Emery. It’s pretty obvious that Cech looks uncomfortable with the ball at his feet. Under pressure he looks like a nervous wreck. All this is doing is inviting pressure and giving the opponents a smell of blood. I’m not even sure what it achieves anyways, as under pressure Cech or the defenders boot it up field anyway. Let’s just stop with this and concentrate on what we are good at and not make our defence more uncomfortable.
Maybe so, but consider this is probably a decision that will play out in the long-term of the club. Emery noted that two of his biggest mistakes at PSG was both trying to drop favourite senior players to play his system, then reverting away from his system to cater to the spoiltbrats of PSG (Neymar and chums). Painful as it may be, I suspect this a decision made because during this early phase, it’s absolutely paramount he has the senior leaders in the lockerroom on his side and supporting his changes, and it’s been clear from Wenger than Cech is… Read more »
I can’t believe that the board will be thinking this season will be a write off. We’re one of the biggest clubs in the world and should be at least challenging for the top 4, not writing a whole season off. We have 2 of the best strikers around and good midfielders to supply the ammunition. Our defence needs prioritising. It is early I admit, but we’ve looked terrible at the back for some years now without making it more vulnerable. If Arter or Ward had scored from Cechs floundering early on and we’d lost that game, everyone would be… Read more »
Who’s everyone? You mean you? I suspect/hope the board will be more reasonable and rational and less emotional like you, particularly as dithering to move Wenger on when they rot was clearly setting is exactly why we’re in this mess. All this “we’re one of the greatest” crap is what got United in the mess they’re in, and how Liverpool ended up being left drifting for years, moving from manager to manager spending oodles of cash (and like Spurs constantly chasing the pack). Your cries and recommendations to prevent is EXACTLY what will lead us into that path. So quit… Read more »
What are you going on about? I’m providing a rational reflection on our goalkeeping this season and you have gone off on one. Saying I’m emotional is pot calling the kettle black and where exactly did I say we’re one of the greatest? I said biggest and we are. Why are you bringing Wenger into this now? We have moved on, but I said trying to make Cech do something he is clearly uncomfortable doing is just stubborn. Stop misquoting me and watch the games again if you think I’m wrong.
I get behind the wheel of my car everyday, that doesn’t mean I have to write it off. Even if you are ‘Big Tone’ and mount the pavement.
I agree with what you said except the idea that the season is a write-off. I don’t think a challenge for top-four, nor a Europe League run, is unrealistic. (If you meant a challenge for the title, yes, of course that is not on.)
Maybe it’s just me, but I expect us to certainly challenge for Top 4 (which we are), but I get a sense a lot of fans are expecting Top 4 minimum. I’m hoping it sinks in to some that regardless of how much “quality” we have (in truth, the only real quality are Auba and Lacca with Ozil on his day), that our squad was always a fair bit behind (I think too many just assumed the team was great but lacking tactics from Wenger). Out squad really isn’t as good as people think, we finished 12 points behind 4th… Read more »
Agree with Faisal on this. Top 4 challenge is definitely to he expected this season, but guaranteed top four is wishful thinking. There are 5 good teams with either higher quality players/more effective systems. As much as it hurts to say, spurs have more of a shot at top 4 than we do. We need to beat them and united. City, Liverpool and Chelsea look solid right now. Hopefully one of them will have a crisis moment sometime soon.
Nothing is guaranteed in a highly competitive Premier League these days, except how much we love our Arsenal FC. Please do not concede anything to Spurs, for they are Spurs after all, and I don’t think they will coast along this year as they have been the past few seasons. We’ll find our way again soon, and though Emery has brought us a high-risk system I think the more we play it and understand it and make it instinctual, the harder we will be to beat and that does not bode well for our rivals.
Agree emery is getting on my nerves cech 4 games he has made atleast 4 critical errors being genorous to the guy has to be dropped tought any new manager would see through xhaka we go extending his contract XHAKA out +cech+bellerin
No-oo! This is not the only game in which Cech has looked befuddled with the ball at his feet. I think this is one dog who is too old to learn new tricks.
This is driving me nuts. Leno can’t possibly be so far behind Cech that we have to put up with being scared shitless in every match.
I think there’s a case to be made for breaking Leno in slowly. Confidence is a big thing for a keeper. Let’s keep our faith in Unai, surely he had a say in the transfer. He will give the nod when he thinks Leno is ready. Maybe there are weaknesses Bernd is working on? We know he didn’t have the best of seasons last year.
Emery is confused. Starts Cech instead of Leno who is a much better fit to his style(probably didn’t want Leno who isn’t that good outside of his passing), INSISTS on playing Guendouzi – Xhaka instead of starting Torreira.
I’m honestly starting to get frustrated with him. I can not for the love of God understand why he’ll play with two 6s against mid – lower table teams.
Honestly we might as well have kept Wenger if this is what Emery is going to give us
Really who cares right now. You’re getting all worked up about things and the guy is four games into his tenure. Dial your football analytic knob down a few notches for a season you might enjoy it more.
Why does everyone insist that Leno is better than Cech at this and would fit Emery’s style? He is yet to play a proper game for us. Emery sees him every day in training. If it were true that he was miles more suited than Cech, Emery would pick him.
It’s not to say that I think Cech should improve (and get a bit more consideration from the passer to him, say in passing to his left side!) but I think the critics here should see that Emery has a closer view than them. Respect that too.
New signings are always better than current players, because they cost more, duh!
Because anyone who has watched Leno knows his strongest strengths are shot stopping and ball playing skills. He’s not too far behind the likes of Allison and Ederson when it comes to having the ball at his feet.
And I’m guessing you were a regular watcher of the Bundesliga, right?
Yeah I have watched Leno for years. He’s VERY good with the ball at his feet.
Not a fan of us signing him – but he has a quality needed to play how Emery wants us to.
Either Emery plays him or he ditches this passing out from the back (which he can’t because we don’t have a target man).
Leno’s distribution is top class. The stats show it
Same people who were crying their eyes when Xhaka first came and was on the bench. “Why is our new midfielder on the bench? Wenger needs to start him, he’s what we need” they said.
Same people now asking for him to be benched for the new toy.
Heaven forbid Torreira has a difficult spell isn’t the coming of Cazorla+Coquelin combined.
Uh, if this were September 2019 instead of 2018, I’d see your point. But couple things: 1) This is Cech’s last year, and 2) Leno will be our Europa League guy. One other point that might factor into it is that Cech was named a captain by Emery. Of course Ramsey and Ozil have been dropped from staring lineups but…point being that Cech just impresses him, and let’s not forget Cech is winding down an illustrious career. Beyond that, we don’t see what happens in practice. Leno is mistake-prone, is the word on the street. Why we signed a guy… Read more »
For me Leno is a kind of Mignolet. Fantastics saves followed by awfull mistakes. Not a good buy at all.
Maybe Cech wouldn’t be so nervous playing out from the back if Sokratis wasn’t constantly putting him under pressure. Every time the Greek gets the ball his first instinct is to immediately go backwards to Cech.
Emery has told Soks to pass it back to Cech.
The idea is to draw the high press stretch the pitch long and create space further forward. Which is fine. As long as the keeper has the necessary skills.
Why do we keep talking like we broke the bank to sign Leno? Promotion teams are paying that kind of money for players.
Blogs is overplaying this “22m keeper” thing tbh.
It’s not that much at all.
Why waste time (and possibly points) on waiting for a 36 year old to change his game? I would understand it with a young keeper.
Early days. Cech has struggled at his feet, but made vital saves. Playing short makes the occasional long ball more effective, as does playing Lacazette. Time will tell, and we need to stop being so impatient.
Cech and xhaka have to be dropped why cant emery see this
There have been a lot of this comment, and I’ve wondered what the future with it is too. I’m just another anonymous person with internet access, but here’s my guess: TLDR; we’re only 4 matches in with a lot of changes and faces so you keep a few more familiar ones in there through a transition period. Xhaka and Cech both seem to be players who have a set way of playing, and they adapt more slowly than other players. But they both have. A certain set of qualities that are very good when used properly. Emery might be giving… Read more »
the Leno no show
Seems like our new manager is just as stubborn as the last one. With Lacazette playing so well and putting their defenders under pressure playing long made sense. And please play Torreria as his class and intelligence are obvious.
We’ve seen four games with the new guy. Wenger was proven stubbornly set in his ways from one season to the next. I do think Emery needs full season before we start damning him with the word “stubborn”.
People are overreacting to this.
It’s not even our biggest problem.
Let’s not lay all the blame at Cech’s feet, if the defenders and midfielders aren’t making themselves available for a pass then it doesn’t matter who’s in goal – they’re going to struggle. Of course Cech should recognise when it’s just not on and go long instead, regardless of instructions – no player should be made to make a fool of themselves. One thing that stands out with Man City / Barca / any team that is actually good at this, is that when there’s no short option, there’s normally a medium length option out wide – either a full… Read more »
About Leno’s price tag: The point is that keepers usually don’t go for that much, so it’s a big deal. He was the 6th most expensive goalie ever signed in the history of international soccer. Of course times have changed since late spring.
It’s now an achilles heel that is being targeted by teams. Cardiff did that and would have gotten goals from the tactic had they finished more efficiently. I worry going into games against better teams with such an obvious and exploitable weakness.