Emery will not sweep out Cech yet
PETR CECH has been given the nod to remain as Arsenal’s No1 despite widespread criticism of his ability to play as a ‘sweeper-keeper’.
The 36-year-old made a series of saves against Manchester City on Sunday to keep the scoreline to a respectable 2-0 but was pilloried for his clear panic whenever Arsenal tried to play their way across the back to escape trouble.
Arsenal legend Ian Wright said Cech looked “petrified” every time the ball went back to him and former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton described picking Cech in that position as a “risk”.
The Gunners’ next game is at Stamford Bridge on Saturday and there had been speculation that Bernd Leno, the Germany international Arsenal signed from Bayer Leverkusen for £20million in the summer, would make his Premier League bow.
Even the official Twitter feed of Leno’s former club intimated as much in a post Cech subsequently labelled as “sad”.
And yet Unai Emery insisted yesterday that as far as he is concerned, the coveted Premier League jersey remains Cech’s – for now.
“I am very happy with his performance,” said the new Arsenal head coach. “He has experience, he has quality, he has the capacity.
“The same is true with Bernd Leno. They are two keepers who are important for us. They have different qualities but for us in the way we want to play, they can both play.
“For Saturday, the decision for me is easy. Petr Cech can continue to start the match, I believe in him. If, in the future, Bernd starts, I believe in him also.”
Such was the mess Cech and his defence got themselves into on Sunday that as well as nearly kicking the ball into his own net, Arsenal fans actually cheered when he finally decided to boot a kick long just before half-time. Emery, though, is adamant that Arsenal will continue to stick to the principles he used with some success at Sevilla and PSG and Cech simply needs to judge better when to make exceptions, despite the disappointment of the opening game against City. “We didn’t lose because of our personality, our idea, our style,” he said. “We didn’t lose for that. We lost on other things. Football is very challenging. Goalkeepers can play like a player, to start short with the centre-back or the right or left-back. But it is not compulsory to start each action with that. “Maybe if the opposition is doing high pressing against us, then we need also to find another option and to play the ball long. I want in each moment for players to know what is our best action. This is our creative style and idea.
“We need to play with security, with confidence, to build in each match and training session.
“We are building our style to have the control on each match, to find the best way to win. The personality is very important, we are working every day to build our ideal.”
It is over 100 years since a permanent Arsenal manager has lost his first two games in charge but Emery is focusing on the positives as he begins the task of transforming Arsenal following the 22-year Arsene Wenger era.
“I am looking at positivity inside even if we can’t always transmit positive things outside,” he said. “But when you win and when you lose, it must be consistent. You must stay regulated, keep thinking positively every day.”
He has the quality and experience