There has been one interesting footnote to Arsenal’s win over Watford on Saturday that has not really been discussed by the JustArsenal readers, which is the fact that the 21 year-old Matt Macey was named as the substitute keeper ahead of David Ospina, apparently because the Colombian Number One suffered a “sore shoulder” on international duty.
This raises an interesting question as to whether Ospina will still be “injured” on Tuesday night when Arsenal face Bayern Munich. Arsene Wenger was soundly citicised for playing David Ospina ahead of Petr Cech in the game against Olympiakos, and for his second game in the Champions League we were beaten yet again.
Now it is obvious that Wenger persuaded Ospina to stay in the summer with the promise that he would be the regular cup keeper, which included the Champions League. After the blunder, Wenger got very annoyed with his continual questioning over why he hadn’t played the far more experienced Petr Cech in such a must-win game. Wenger was still angry last week when he said: “To kill a player like Ospina, he has been voted the best goalkeeper of the Copa America, he is on the Ballon d’Or list, he was by far the best goalkeeper of the Premier League in the second part of the season last year; I find that just sensationalism, it is not analysis of football.”
Even Petr Cech this week tried to play down any controversy by saying that he would also appreciate a rest. He said: “At any point of your career you want to play in every game.
“But in the modern game that’s almost impossible to do because you play so many matches in a season.
“There are days when you do need to be rested and get yourself mentally refreshed. That goes for everybody.”
But despite this, there are obviously hopes among Arsenal fans that Wenger will re-instate Cech for the must-win Bayern Munich game, but if he DOES, and he goes back on the assumed deal with Ospina, then where will that leave the Colombian star? The Mirror reckons that he is becoming frustrated and looking to be sold or go out on loan in January as he will be too unhappy if he just plays in the League Cup and the FA Cup.
As Wenger keeps pointing out, and all our fans know, Ospina was absolutely brilliant in our winning run last season, and it is extremely harsh on him to be dropped in favour of Cech anyway. But now Le Prof must make a massive decision on whether to stick with Ospina against Munich, or should he reinstate Cech against one of the best teams in the world?
Will Wenger stick to his guns and play Ospina? Or listen to reason and play his most experienced keeper?
I dont care who he uses. Anybody he choose to use is okay. Ospina is also world class so you guys should stop being worried bout matches he plays or not. Mistakes are bound to happen, he made a mistake and would’ve learnt from it. anytime Cech can make a mistake too so lets just stop questioning who to play or not, Personally I’ll stick with Ospina cus this is when he’ll be willing to prove himself back and not to mention it’ll be a big lift for him for him, Benching him will do more harm than good trust me. you don’t just kill your players confidence cus of one mistake. Besides, its not like we fans want the UCL anyway this season,we’ve been crying to step out of it so to focus on the league, so please lets stop making it look like Ospina is a terrible goalkeeper
Ospina is a very good GK but not world class … I don’t mind him against BM …
Well write up,from the news,Ospina have shoulder injury so he will miss the match, I would have be happy to see him correct his mistake by making good saves…
ONE LOVE GUNNERS
wenger must play Cech if he wants even a draw against Bayern. Ospina has had his chances.. he will sit on the bench now till Cech gets injured.
I love Ospina. I wanted him to stay. Mainly because he can really be the guy when cech really gets tired.
I think all decisions from wenger have to be based on the best team we have. Why fix it if ain’t broken.
Imo it wasn’t Ospina fault our defeats. ..it was wenger focusing on the other games and making way too many changes thinking of those game and not the ones we had to actually play.
Put the best XI out there.
Listen Baby Please
Ospina has an injury
So Cech is playing
Unless Wenger wants to play Macey
Can you stop doing that dumb asss listen baby please thing
Is he asking himself to listen? I don’t get it…. Tag-lines are never good.
He’s talking from a perspective of having falling into his misses bad book. When your caught out in a lie or cheating it always starts listen baby please, or you want to get into her good book again ..listen baby please. Maybe he was a wob who is coming round to the truth so he’s asking us listen baby please.
Or he’s letting us know he’s a player.
He dare not start Ospina..no oo; this is a world class match against world class players, let’s play our world class please…
if ospina is fit,play him if not then of cus we chec it out with ceck
In the abundance of water the fool is thirsty! Cech or not are beating bayern. COYG! Hope Ox starts.
*we are beating bayern!
Ospina has been instructed to feign injury to Justify Wengers decision to pick Cech so it doesn’t look like he picked Cech because we and the rest of the World demanded it demanded … although it is the reason he picked Cech.
If Ospina has a howler of a performance against Bayern, where can Arsene Wenger hide? Also Ospina will become a hate figure to drive him out the club to prevent Wenger picking the guy again before Petr Cech.
A manager who does not pick a team with all his best available players is a clown. He is not deserving of titles like ‘Le Professeur’, he deserves only criticism.
he said after Ospina’s poor outing last time in the CL that he was RESTING Cech?
Who the f… has ever seen seen a manager resting a no.1 goalkeeper before? Geeeez.