crap goalkeeping !!

By Myles Palmer

Wenger touted Almunia for England !

Until Capello swiftly booted that suggestion into touch.

Wenger joked that, "Almunia had no CV before he came to Arsenal."

He had no CV, monsieur, because he wasn't good enough to get a game for Celta Vigo reserves.

When Almunia was made available in the January transfer window, there were no takers.

Last week I was amazed when Stewart Robson said, "Almunia is a much better goalkeeper than people give him credit for."

In the very next match after Stewart said that, three minues into the game, Almunia was staggering around under his crossbar, moving backwards, as Steven Reid headed in West Brom's first corner of the game.

 Everything about what Almunia and his defenders did there was wrong, wrong, wrong. I can't find words for it. And I've never said that before. For the first time since 1998, I can't find the words to describe what happened on that goal. Maybe it's a failure of vocabulary. Or maybe it's a paralysis of the spirit

It was 1-0 at half-time. Then when Molumbu hit a probing 50-yard punt downfield, and the ball bounced with a lot of backspin, deceiving Squillaci, the defender found to his horror that Almunia had raced ridiculously out of his penalty area to confuse a dangerous situation, and as the ball broke for striker Peter Obemwingie, Almunia pushed Squillaci in the back, just to make sure he could not catch the striker, who then rolled the ball into the net with his left foot from 17 yards.

Then Arshavin scored with a phenomenal left-foot strike that was  almost as thrilling some of the four goals he once scored at Anfield. Arsenal drew that game 4-4, as you will recall.

When Arshavin managed to hang up a good cross to the far post in 78, Bendtner knocked the ball across the goalmouth with his arm. He couldn’t head the ball or kick it, and it might have even been out of play, but Bendtner kept the ball in play by knocking it across the goal with his right arm.

And the ball went in off centreback Meite, who stumbled as he tried to clear as Robin van Persie tackled him.

Goals On Sunday said that RVP's foot caught the defender's ankle as the ball was already trickling over the line for 2-2. Arsenal were lucky to get away with the handball but that’s OK, as they’ve not had much luck of late.

Wenger said : We did well to come back from 2-0 down.

For me, a goalkeeper is vital.

Goalkeeper is the most important position on the pitch.

When Nottingham Forest signed Peter Shilton, everything became possible.

When Manchester United signed Peter Schmeichel, they won trophies. When he saved Bergkamp’s penalty in 1999, they won a legendary treble.

When George Graham signed David Seaman, Ray Wilkins said, "He'll, win them the league." Don Howe, then coaching at QPR, said, "Seaman will win them the league." Ray and Don were right.

Seaman replaced John Lukic. who was far better than Almunia. If Arsenal had Lukic in goal now, they would win the title.

Look at the international goalkeepers employed by Champions League clubs.

Manchester United have Edwin van der Sar, a proven winner.

Chelsea have Peter Cech, a proven winner. Liverpool have Pepe Reina. Real Madrid have Casillas, and Inter still have Julio Cesar, Brazil's World Cup keeper, who is past his best now.

Clearly, Wenger needs to buy experience and quality, needs to stop selling us the future, needs to be less fundamentalist in his approach, a lot more pragmatic.

But he won't do that because he 's a developmental manager who regards buying the finished article as cheating.

He was told to win a trophy this year but, despite Manchester United's more challenging fixture list, he won't.

The future for Arsenal FC is more empty seats that have been paid for.

If you haven't read it already, please check out An email from Japan : The spirit of Tendai

Mar 20, 2011