Squad Analysis 2013/14: Page 70 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Squad Analysis 2013/14

Bold Tone

Szczesny's stats are impressive but i never get that sense of confidence i had with Seaman or Lehmann that the odds were in his favour for any player through on goal or even a well hit shot/header on target.

http://www.manchesterlalala.com/best-goalkeepers-premier-league-2013-14/#.VHZyKGc7bMo

http://www.barriesview.com/2013/12/2013-14-premier-league-goalkeeper-stats

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2558448/Wojciech-Szczesny-starred-against-Manchester-United-keeper-Premier-League.html

Of course stats don't measure intangibles and he has an aura of confidence and presence in his box that helps the defence out tremendously but where i feel he needs improvement is in his covering of the far post on 1v1's, distribution and decision making so we minimise situations like the below.

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@Y'va/Rex, page 10!

Biggus

LUnfair Tone,, when a goalie is sent off for taking down an advancing opponent it's because he's been left cruelly exposed because the defence tactics hasn't worked or they haven't done their job.

Clrnc

He has alot alot of criticism this year which I feel some are harsh, but compared to the goalies around us we really suffer from some of his brainfarts.

For e.g. The Anderlecht 3rd goal, he was in total no man's land.

Biggus

We still don't know if was his fault or Gibbs for the Man U goal/injury double whammy, was there a clear loud call?

Bold Tone

Biggus wrote:
LUnfair Tone,, when a goalie is sent off for taking down an advancing opponent it's because he's been left cruelly exposed because the defence tactics hasn't worked or they haven't done their job.

Maybe i am being unfair but even after losing his place in the Polish team after being sent off in an important international match against a very poor Greece at Euro 2012, he has been sent off twice more in Champions League matches against Bayern a couple of years back and galabastaray this season with qualification at stake.
How come this doesn't happen as often to other keepers including our own (same coach/defenders)?

Biggus

Err because other clubs don't commit everyone to attack and have a half decent defence in place when the inevitable counter attack occurs.
Ospina and Martinez have hardly played, but Martinez has impressed me so far.

Klaus

The thing with Szczesny is that he's so bloody stupid in those situations. Always commits to a body challenge, which means that instead of just conceding we get a red card and a penalty - and then we're both a man and a goal down. He does this time and again and the gamble never pays off. No one would be annoyed with him if we conceded on a break. Shit happens; you can't blame the keeper for that.

Klaus

It would be interesting to see red card statistics for goalkeepers across club and national level. I'm sure Szczesny is close to the top of the list if you look at the last 3-5 years.

Rex

DeGea against Chambo was brilliant in the way he acted; came out to deny him a first touch finish with a clear look, didn't over commit, showed quick feet to push Chambo wide, then blocked the finish. Even if he doesn't get the block in there, he bought his defenders a bit of time to get back, which they did.

For my money I think Sneezey is a very good goalkeeper. He can certainly improve though! The way I see it, one on ones is one area, where I don't necessarily think he needs to go all in as he does now. I also think he gets his angles wrong when shots are coming from the side; he seems hell bent at not conceding at the near post, which is right of course, but I generally feel he leaves too big a gap for the far post finish instead.

Bold Tone

That's my issue with him. It seems like he has watched too many Almunia tapes and is determined to never be beaten at the near post. Surprise surprise all the opposition know this and always go far post.

Segway

Chesney has been bloody awful this season. I can't remember him making a significant contribution yet. If Ospina wasn't out I'd want him to have a chance. Maybe even give Emi a go over the Pole. He was better last night than Chesney has been all season.

Rex

Sneezey saved our bacon late in the game v Man City for instance by making a save he had no right to make. Chalk up a loss there with most other goalkeepers.

Biggus

Bold Tone wrote:
That's my issue with him. It seems like he has watched too many Almunia tapes and is determined to never be beaten at the near post. Surprise surprise all the opposition know this and always go far post.

Well thats just a basic rule, you've got to cover the near post- No one else sure as hell can.

Thats why Almunia was such a useless fucker.

Plus he never came off his line and commanded his box.

Bold Tone

That i accept and i have to contradict my previous post as i know i would be livid if he got beaten at the near post.

Rex

When he gets beaten on the far post time and again, I'd say that is problem to consider too. I am not advocating him to abandon the near post, far from it, but I think he has his angles a bit wrong. Something to develop and hone his game. Same with 1 v 1s - I much prefer a goalkeeper who is as brave as Sneezey is compared to those who never come out, but there is a middle ground he needs to aspire to find. Going all-in is not always the best approach.

Irishgunner

Chez is fine for me, other than his distribution. Which is terrible.

Rex

His distribution WAS terrible, but it certainly isn't any more.

Irishgunner

He's definitely improved, but it's still a glaring weakness. He gets us into trouble with poor distribution at least once per game.

I don't have any specific examples in mind, but this season I can vividly remember myself shouting "oh ffs chez" during games whilst my table cowered in fear before me.

Rex

Every goalkeeper has poor touches ones in a while, but my eyes tell me that Sneezey's distribution certainly isn't a problem. He certainly isn't great at it like Victor Valdez or Claudio Bravo, but it isn't a weakness either. In fact, I'm fairly certain he is in top 5 of all the goalkeepers for distribution stats. I think he is higher up than that too.

Your line of reasoning is a bit like saying that Cazorla has a poor first touch because I can vividly remember how he fucked up his first touch one time when he was put clean through be Wilshere. 🙂

Bold Tone

I understand Irish's point as it is not just about poor touches or circus stunts.
There are basic things which he doesn't do which Martinez, (a 3rd choice keeper), was doing in the last match.
Stuff like knowing when, where, how and to whom to release the ball.
The instance that stood out for me was an occassion when he threw the ball 30 or 40 metres up the right hand side to the correct foot of Chambers, i think, with Dortmund pressing our other ball playing defenders. Szczesny would have laid the ball to the unmarked Merte who would have messed up the clearance or given a midfielder or Szczesny himself a suicide pass

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