As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Galasso wrote:And that was my very question on my almunia/lehamnn thread. If you believe that almunia is not good enough then we need a replacement.
You go for the top guys but they are just not available. Do we then say - ok then, we stay with almunia. That is crazy! We should, AT THE VERY LEAST, be getting someone in (Jaskalainen) that is better than what we have.
Go for the top boy but if not - then at least improve on what we've got.
Lehmann IS good enough, and given the impossibility of getting the best in January, I say we put him back in, then sell him in the summer and get the best replacement we can. And bugger the cost.
Almunia is acceptable as the back-up keeper but he absolutely is not good enough to be the main man.
Galasso wrote:And that was my very question on my almunia/lehamnn thread. If you believe that almunia is not good enough then we need a replacement.
You go for the top guys but they are just not available. Do we then say - ok then, we stay with almunia. That is crazy! We should, AT THE VERY LEAST, be getting someone in (Jaskalainen) that is better than what we have.
Go for the top boy but if not - then at least improve on what we've got.
Lehmann IS good enough, and given the impossibility of getting the best in January, I say we put him back in, then sell him in the summer and get the best replacement we can. And bugger the cost.
Almunia is acceptable as the back-up keeper but he absolutely is not good enough to be the main man.
Yes, Lehmann is good enough but I am working on the assumption that Lehmann is out of the picture as far as getting picked.
I think Aluminia is wonderful. He is much more solid than Jens, he seem to have a very good one on one and the most imprtant thing (not his haircut, don't worry), all of our defenders LOVE him. You can see that everything is quiet at the back now.
Almunia is patient, loyal and seemingly a decent guy. He's also a reasonable back-up keeper. But he has big problems in his game, most obviously his vulnerability at the near post (think, for example, of the two goals in the Champs' League Final, Sunderland's 2nd the other week and Man U's 1st recently). His decision-making is also dodgy (e.g., rushing out when Man U scored their 2nd).
Lehmann had one of his crises in form earlier in the season, but he'll have got over that now. He might be a wanker for saying so publicly, but he's right that he has better goalkeeping skills than Almunia - he deals with pressure better and he has better reactions. Had he been in the side vs Man U, he would probably have saved the 1st goal and wouldn't have made the mistake of rushing out for the 2nd, and we would have had a chance of winning the game, rather than scraping a draw. Given his attitude problems, we should get rid of Lehmann at the end of the season but we need him for now.
I too would rather have almunia replaced with mad jens IF we are not going to buy a top keeper in Jan. I think buffon wouldnt be cup tied for europe so that wouldnt hinder our plans but whether juve would be prepared to sell him or whether we would be prepared to spend the necessary cash (as if ) to obtain a player of that quality is another thing. Almunia may be a nice guy but he isnt top quality and everybody knows it - you cannot get away from the fact that he is near to getting a place in the spanish squad as I am and that tells you everything. Both of our other 2 keepers are in international squads and if you look around at some of our rivals you will see international keepers in their teams. Again no other huge club that I know would have a coco cola championship level keeper in their team but then again keeping the clubs accounts tip top may not be their priority
augie wrote:I think buffon wouldnt be cup tied for europe so that wouldnt hinder our plans but whether juve would be prepared to sell him or whether we would be prepared to spend the necessary cash (as if ) to obtain a player of that quality is another thing.
Yes, of course, I forgot the Juve players aren't playing Euro football this year, so no cup-tied problems there.... IF AW is willing to spend the cash to get (which I think we all know he isn't). Remember, Juve paid Parma over £30mil for him in 2001. Assuming we can't get him, I reckon Casillas may be gettable next summer.
augie wrote:Almunia may be a nice guy but he isnt top quality and everybody knows it - you cannot get away from the fact that he is near to getting a place in the spanish squad as I am and that tells you everything. Both of our other 2 keepers are in international squads and if you look around at some of our rivals you will see international keepers in their teams.
I take your point that Almunia's never been near getting into the squad but Spain are very well served with keepers at the moment - even Valdes and Caniazares can't get in the squad, with Reina, Polop and Casillas ahead of them.
Congrats 26/5/89 u have just made my confidence in almunia drop even lower - before your response I could have fooled myself into thinking that he is maybe 4th in line for spanish keepers spot but now he is 6th at best We're fcuked..fcuked I tell you
I like Green - shaven gay is class although not on top form
can't see buffon leavin juve
and kaka and quaresma won't leave whilst their clubs are in europe
(although I'd love either of them 2sign)
Where can we play Kaka? Do we want a "big star" name like him that can wreck all the balance this team built?
Anyway, both Kaka and Quaresma won't come just for the reason that the Boss doesn't have the DNA to spend big cash like these guys will require.
The goalkeeper situation is pretty complex. Our best kepper at the moment is Almunia, but with all due respect, i think there's a lot of room for improvment there and if we can sign a new quality goalkeeper (in that, we have to release Jens, of course), we should do it.
Well it won't happen this January but if Sunderland go down I would not mind nicking Craig Gordon off them......I doubt he will wanna stay there and then there is the question of whether they could afford to keep him. It is well known that Wenger rates him, but then again he obviously rates Manuel Fawlty so that's that arguement fucked!
Nope it Robert Green for me if we are being realistic....not the finished article granted but neither was Seaman when he came to us!
I must say I do always feel safer with a British goalkeeper between the sticks although I have just remembered George Wood and now I am scared! Basically I don't want a clown like the one Man Yoo landed themselves with called Massimo Taibi! Remember that doughnut! wasn't he excellent!
gus ceasar is a legend wrote:I must say I do always feel safer with a British goalkeeper between the sticks although I have just remembered George Wood and now I am scared!
Very old school, 1970s comment, that Gus. It's been a while since John Bull could legitimately sneer at the flaky goalkeepers of Jonny Foreigner. Cech is pretty obviously the best around at the moment, and there are fine collections of Spanish, Italian and American keepers. British keepers just haven't cut it for a while.
Just ask yourself this: ignoring his current employers, would you really feel safe having Paul Robinson in goal??
Some interesting ideas and opinions. I think we should give Fabianski a chance. Or maybe we could get that Catweazle guy that was mentioned in the other thread.(He's not cup tied)
Totally 100% true 26/5/89. The only english keeper I would take is a fully fit ben foster and there is zero chance of that happening. I'm amazed that people rate green - fcuk all difference between him and almunia in my opinion so that gives you a fair idea of my confidence in the guy
) to obtain a player of that quality is another thing. Almunia may be a nice guy but he isnt top quality and everybody knows it - you cannot get away from the fact that he is near to getting a place in the spanish squad as I am and that tells you everything. Both of our other 2 keepers are in international squads and if you look around at some of our rivals you will see international keepers in their teams. Again no other huge club that I know would have a coco cola championship level keeper in their team but then again keeping the clubs accounts tip top may not be their priority 
We're fcuked..fcuked I tell you 
