Wojciech Szczesny admits being dropped last season was exactly the kick up the arse his game needed after letting his standards drop.
The Polish international was usurped in favour of Lukasz Fabianski for five games following a downturn in form and only regained his place after a rib injury ruled out his compatriot.
Having kept four clean sheets in the final six games of last and seen that consistency roll over to this season, the 23-year-old believes he’s found a new level of focus which he hopes will stand him in good stead for the future.
“Looking back now it was a good lesson for me, one that I needed at the time,” Szczesny told press ahead of Tuesday’s game with Borussia Dortmund.
“I definitely have got sharper since then, I have worked harder in training. It worked back then for me and I have carried on doing it.
“I am feeling like I am a bit more consistent at the moment. I am trying to do the same thing all over again and it seems to be getting the best out of me.”
Strangely, despite the fact he and the defence have earned praise for providing the solid foundations on which Arsene Wenger’s side have risen to the top of the Premier League and their Champions League group, clean sheets have been few and far between.
Indeed, in his 13 appearances so far Szczesny has conceded a total of 11 goals denying only Fenerbahce (twice), Spurs and Napoli.
Analysing the figures, the Pole, who in fairness hasn’t been responsible for most of the goals, noted:
“I would have preferred a few more clean sheets, but I am just delighted with the team’s form, how we have been playing and getting the results.”
Szczesny also took the time to praise Polish teammate Robert Lewandowski underlining how much he’s relishing the prospect of facing one of Europe’s top strikers for the second time in three years.
“Certainly Lewandowski is one of the best you can find in Europe so he will be dangerous, but we played against them before [in 2011] and we’ve handled him quite well so I hope we can do that again.
“Me and Robert [Lewandowski] are very good friends, we speak on a daily basis and he’s excited to come here, I’m excited to play against him and it will be a good challenge. We will forget the friendship for now and I’m sure it will be fine after the game.”
Well in Chesney! I thought the flack he was getting was way over the top.
Take a look at his saves from last season and you’ll realise that some of the saves he made were outstanding.
Fair play he let a few “simple” shots in, but he also made some saves and blocks that he had no right making, and prevented a definite goal on numerous occasions.
I disagree,Wenger was right to drop him.The reason he is playing so well now is because of this and the quality he has looking to replace him.
I’d like to see him grow a beard, it would make me more comfortable.
Fancy persuading Lewandowski to join us? I’d still have Giroud starting – but be nice to have another world-class striker on the bench.
You have clearly forgotten that we have TGSTEL on the bench!
Can’t get any better than that, can it? The Greatest Striker That Ever Lived. On the bench. Our bench.
How could I have forgotten?!
Madness
Szczesny is undoubtedly a top keeper and it looks very much as if the mistakes he was making were a product of being a young ‘un rather than there being any fundamental flaws in his ability between the sticks. So, he should continue to get better. Which is fantastic news. Particularly now it looks like we’re out of the situation in which we were forced to sell our best players to fund the stadium I’m looking forward to the day he learns to boss the back four like Flamini bosses his colleagues in the middle of the park. that’ll tighten… Read more »
“and he’s excited to come here” does he mean with Dortmund or in January?
I’m sure that quote will stir up some back page stories about how he has signed some agreement to come to Arsenal next season.
Lehmann mentality (minus the self-destructive nutcaseness) and genuinely reliable. Wonder why Lloris is the media darling when he’s a lot more shakey. Lloris is more of a Barthez it seems.
Lloris’s escapades will even out in the season, there will be a few instances where people get the ball first and he will be made to look silly. It is abnormal that with the number of times their defenders leak balls through they have conceded so few.
As for media darling, do we need any further proof of believing in the exact opposite of what the media says or projects.
To be fair, Lloris kept Spurs in the game when they played us, and made some brilliant runs to deny Theo.
I feel a bit dirty now. 🙁
After the first game of the season, many thumbed me down when I said szczesny would be world class. Look at him now. Continue this form and he will become one of the best keepers in the world. This lad’s got it!
For whinging about the thumbs down… have a thumbs down
And one for you too, for no particular reason
That look on Vermaelen’s face. He is seeing into SZCZ’S soul, and the probably going to kill him.
I don’t understand why during the time we have a great centre back partnership and some defenders playing the best game of their lives, we don’t keep a clean sheet. Its not like we are conceding a lot of goals but we concede 1 every match.
With the patches of brilliance , our team sometimes also shows patches of madness( obviously much less then those of brilliance). But still……
But maybe we need to forget that and enjoy the masterpieces the team is painting right now on the field
Its more fun to beat teams when they still have hope left 😉
it is surprising, but wether its coincidental or not, that’s usually how wenger’s best team have played… play attacking football, score more than the other team… during time of and around the invincibles, we often came back from 1 goal, 2 goals and sometimes even 3 goals down to win a match…
this even maybe, just maybe, the reason that in the whole history of awesome players of arsenal, that haven’t been that many greatly renowned goalkeepers…
Could the upturn in form, confidence and consistency be in part to the arrival of Viviano? He seems like he’s a better ‘keeper than Fabianski, so Szczesny might realise he’d be harder to usurp (unless injury struck again).
no, because wenger himsef said that at the moment szczesny is number one, fabianski is number two, viviano number three.
wenger: “At the moment Szczesny is number one, Fabianski is number two, with Viviano number three, but I might rotate the second and third goalies because they will need time to practice which you don’t get when you have games every three days. I rate Szczesny and Fabianski very highly, but there is a competition to play in goal, and if Viviano is better than everyone else he will play.”
http://www.arsenal.com/news/features/-ozil-knew-i-wanted-him-for-a-long-time-
you guys seem to have missed the small tweaks Arsene has made to the team. last season we focussed on clean sheets after having gone ahead as we were not as prolific upfront and as we were ciuldnr afford to let our goal difference slip. This season were look like we can unlock any defence so we can afford to let up some possession and break on the counter in a more clinical fashion. We seem to see less of the slow passing around the opposition’s defense waiting for something to happen and seem more direct and slick in our… Read more »
your point is vaid, but keep in mind that last season never truly represented the way we played… due to the nagging injuries to wilshere and podolski and on top of that lack of quality squad depth and the fact that three of our front four were new signings, meant that when a win was very important(like the time of the run-in), we tomporarily ditched our philosophy in favour of the win…
Gonna be in the UK for a couple of weeks and looking for tickets to either: Arsenal vs Chelski ; Arsenal vs Liverpoo or ManUre vs Arsenal.
Any recommendations on how to get em would be greatly appreciated.
there are always loads of “touts” around the ground but you will be paying 4 x the face value & also sometimes they sell fake tickets, so very risky.
I hope Viviano starts against Chelsea
Never seen him play
Never followed the Italian league
But viviano starting seems hardly possible
Very good for his age. I think he needed to be dropped to develop his character too.
We’ve only won 22 of our last 26 games. #WengerOut
“I know it was you who farted Wojciech, either admit it or i will kill you while you sleep”
Brilliant 😀
Come on Agent Szczesny, convince Lewandowski to join us.