The Situation:
As Arsenal lined up against their foes from Bavaria, it came as no surprise that Lukasz Fabianski was opposite Neuer in Arsenal’s goal. With number-1 Wojciech Szczeny serving a one-game ban for his poor attempt at a rugby tackle in the home leg of the Champions League quarter finals with the same Bayern side, Emiliano Viviano having seen as much playing time as Swedish sensation Kim Kallstrom in midfield, and Damian Martinez still not ready, Fabianski was really the only option. But the question is should he be AN option or THE option? With rumour swirling about clubs such as FC Basel interested in the Polish keeper, it begs the question – “how important is Lukasz Fabianski to Arsenal?”
The Decision:
Lukasz Fabianski was brought into the club with very high aspirations, both on his part and the club’s. He has been lauded for his fine goalkeeping in certain situations, while in others he has been the victim of his own misfortunes. The nickname Luckasz Flappyhandski, while somewhat understandable for some very cheap goals scored against him, is a bit harsh given his flashes of brilliance – as was his performance yesterday in Germany.
As it sits, Arsenal’s #2 keeper is 28 years old – not young, but far from old. He is in the final year of a contract, and according to Arsene Wenger himself, he expects the keeper to leave in the summer. As far as we are aware, no formal offer has been made to the keeper to retain his services as it seems the club is content to let him leave.
The Verdict:
Let me start with yet another question: Do you, Gooners, feel comfortable when Fabianski is in goal? But also, do you feel comfortable when Szczeny is called into duty?
For me, each has had his moments of brain freeze in very costly situations. It is virtually impossible for us to decidedly determine who is a better keeper, Fabianski or Szczeny as the latter has started the lion’s share of matches. What we can say with reasonable certainty is that lately Lukasz Fabianski has played well, at least as well as his compatriot. The fact that we can virtually use them interchangeably is a blessing, a godsend that can’t be understated. Some clubs haven’t that luxury but the best ones do, and that’s something we’ve done right.
For my money, because Fabianski isn’t necessarily “better” than Szcz it’s not enough to usurp the younger Pole. Forced into a corner and faced with the decision to listen to Michael Owen spew for an hour or make a decision between the two Arsenal keepers, I would hesitatingly determine Szczeny remain the starter. The problem that forces is that there is no way he is going to want to re-sign only to wear a #2 again as he has the skills necessary to do well. It’s a shame though as we have had a luxury that we didn’t give enough attention to beforehand.
Now, as the lesser vultures are lining up for the feast, we might be saying good-bye to a wonderful keeper. It may very well come back to kick us in the arse. I’d love to see Arsenal offer a short contract to Fabianski as Wojciech has looked a bit shaky, and judging by both last year’s and this year’s performances against arguably the best side in football, we know he has the capability. Let’s at the very least try to retain his services, though I wouldn’t begrudge him leaving for guaranteed playing time.
Your Verdict:
We regularly pose the same question to our @AFCModiOperandi followers and include some replies in our articles – if you are interested in having your comments in our articles, follow our account and reply to our questions marked with #AFCMO. We asked what you thought about the prospects of Fabianski leaving:
@MuminAhmed6 – “Too good to let go but not good enough to displace Szczesny. More compromise between the two for game time “
@Gooner_Bez – “probably 1 of our best 2nd choice keepers. Sad to see him go but we have Damian Martinez who is up n cumin”
@AbbaMaiAbba – “Thanks for his services at the club, I don’t encourage him to stay but so sad to see him leave.”
@GK_Nelly – “He is extremely important as he has kept Szczensny on his edge to give his best.”
@Mozak91 – “fabianski deserves to start in games, good goalie no doubt but moving to basel, better a 2nd choice at Arsenal. :)”
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