By Walter Broeckx
We all remember the story of Fabianski from the last years. The Polish keeper now plays for Swansea. And for the Polish national team. But in his Arsenal days his career got some bad moments.
Now bad moments happen to each keeper. His match against Porto where he made a mistake and fell over the line with the ball after cross was not well gathered, is an example. He later in that match was cheated by a referee who didn’t know the laws and the interpretation of the laws of the game and so looked bad for a second time. For those who don’t remember a free kick was given in the penalty area for picking up a back pass (it was more a defender stretching than a real pass) and then he gave the ball to Porto and the ref allowed Porto to take a quick restart against all rules and Porto could score in an empty net.
And so the moaners, the groaners then haters had a new object apart from Wenger to spill their hate on: Fabianski aka as they called him Flapihandski. Oh what fun they had with calling one of their own such names. We at Untold of course defended the keeper. We admitted the mistake but well that is it really. He is human as we all are (not the moaners of course… they never make mistakes or do anything wrong as they are perfect).
I must say that I was in Wembley when Fabianski took us to the FA cup final by stopping a few penalties from Wigan. I still remember the pride I felt inside for having supported him in the years before. As I was close to the goal where he stood when the players came rushing in to celebrate him after the win it felt as if I was amongst them. He had shown that he can do it. And I was in favour of having him playing the final. And so was Wenger and we won it. I was delighted for Arsenal but also for Fabianski. Even though by then it was clear that he would leave Arsenal I was very happy for him.
He had proven the doubters, moaners, groaners and haters wrong. He was good enough for Arsenal but as he saw his chances limited he went to Swansea and I still wish him all the best and hope he does well. Except against us. Which he rather does to be honest. Don’t push it to far Lukasz…
But we seem to have developed a second case of Flapihandski.
Of course Ospina made an error that lead to the second Olympiakos goal. He should have done better. His starting position was not what it should have been and as a result he spilled the ball and one of the assistant referees gave it over the line. If this was correct or not I still don’t know as I still haven’t seen any conclusive evidence of the ball passing the line completely. But that is irrelevant to the fact that David Ospina made an error.
And so the haters, moaners, groaners have come out again in full force. Because after all by beating Ospina they can also beat their favourite beating object: Wenger.
Now suddenly Wenger is clueless for having played Ospina. So Wenger should go and Ospina gets all the dirt and filth over him by some of the fools who claim to SUPPORT Arsenal.
I am disgusted by the number of messages I see popping up about Ospina being rubbish, useless and well all the names you can imagine. I don’t mind fans from other teams doing this. But from our own supporters? Scrap that word supporters in fact. Because they are no supporters.
One (1) error and suddenly Ospina is shit. But that is how it goes with the 5 seconds brain people. He made an error so he is shit. Always has been shit and always will be shit. And ‘I knew it all the way’.
But if those fools would be able to look further than their 5 second brain allows them they would see other things.
The simple fact that David Ospina kept 14 clean sheets or thereabouts in 19 matches for Arsenal last season. How on earth can a shit goalkeeper do this??? Well he has deceived a lot of us and has gone through an awful lot of trouble to hide that he is actually shit.
But those 14 clean sheets has long been erased from the 5 second brain memory mob. And if you dare to defend Ospina for the moment you get also a lot of filth throwing at you.
And right if they doubt Wenger and that is of course their main target when they try to destroy the confidence of Ospina. Wenger today defending Ospina and calling him world class is met with unbelief. Of course by those with 5 seconds’ brains. But let us for the sake of the argument say ok Wenger has lost it.
So how do these 5 seconds brains people then explain that Ospina has been named in the shortlist of the Ballon D’or. Of course they can’t so they just laugh if off and pretend that those who come up with this list are also a bunch of weirdo’s. But is for saves like the one in the link that they have picked him on the list.
Let me explain, so they could try to remember it for more than 5 seconds. That list is made based on all performances over the last year. And based on his performances he was performing excellent and the experts who made that list, completely agreed on that.
But of course the fools on twitter and facebook and blogs know much better than Wenger (who they usually hate and really want to hurt) and the people who make such lists.
For me it is simple. David Ospina made an error. A costly error. But each keeper does this from time to time. And I will never hack in on a player of our own for making an honest mistake. You could see the pain on his face when going in to the dressing room and I felt his pain. And that is for me the sign as a SUPPORTER to give my 100% of support to David Ospina.
And that is what each of us who really calls himself a supporter should do. Support him. Stay behind him. To make sure that he comes back even stronger.
This is not the time to call Ospina names. This is the time to support him. As I will do. And as Untold has done with every player that has come in the line of fire.
One mistake doesn’t make a bad goalkeeper. But not supporting him after that mistake is what can make a great keeper in to a doubting one. And every Gooner has the responsibility to prevent this from happening.
So don’t ridicule David Ospina. SUPPORT HIM!!! That is what we should do!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSPINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
Come on David, I know you can!
think AW might play Oooooospina against Man utd to boost his confidence and to show that the team is behind him. He is a good goalkeeper. As with the media I believe that if one wants to beat a dog they will easily find a stick.
An excellent post Walter, but please don’t restrict your plea for support, to Ospina alone.
Now is the time for all supporters to come to the aid of the whole team.
On Sunday at the Emirates, the lads need 100% backing from all loyal followers of our great Club there present.
From start to finish. 😉
He is a incredible GK. We witnessed this in the WC. My only grudge against him, if you call it that, is that he is very very quiet. I really wish he would be local. As a CD myself the best GK I played was very loud and giving instructions to the defence and midfield. Later we had a very quite one and I would have to keep looking behind to make sure that he was still there. A vocal GK tells the CD his own position, when he is coming for the ball when to leave, or if his view is obstructed. He keeps the back 4 in line and focused.
GREAT post…you know you just won my heart over i didn’t call ospina names but i was disappointed now i knw all i have to do is give him my utmost support….love you david…OOOOOOOOOOSSSSSPPPPPIIIIIIIIIIINNAAAAAAAAA!!!!
Well said Walter – spot on.Even Cech made errors in the first match this season against West Ham.Seaman – Nayim from the half way line. Jack Kelsey, one particular slip against Chelsea comes to mind. ‘Fingers’ Furnell, where do I start? Dan Lewis (I must stress this was before my time!) Mistakes have always happened and always will.
True supporters get behind the whole team through good times and bad.
HUNDRED PER CENT RIGHT, Walter!
Sorry, I just had to put it in capital letters.
By the way, someone is pressing the dislikes button. Some ill intentioned person. And when I try to press the likes button it doesn’t work. So let me say like, like, like, like, like, like.
I think we should by now be done with Ospina’s purported mistake saga of allowing the ball to crossed his goal line. Which after I watched the video on Arsenal.com, I had a second thought to soft pedal on my criticism of Ospina. I watched the same episode unfolded in the game between Borrusia Monchenglabash and Man City which was glaring the Man City shot had initially crossed the goal line, but the goal was not given by the referee assistant. Had Man City was not lucky on the 2nd attempt to have followed the rebounded ball with another shot that eventually hit the back of the net, that’s how the goal that first crossed the goal line would painfully not have been given to Man City. But in the case of the ball wholly crossing the goal line of Ospina, the goal is argumentative as no valid evidence has shown that the ball had crossed over the line 100%. I think that referee assistant intentionally rigged the goal for Olympiacos as there is no goal line technology to ascertain the genueity of goal scored in Ucl games. What has Platini been doing? Let’s keep that Ospina’s episode behind us now and focus on our big home game against Man Utd. Chris Smalling, Michael Carrick, Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Anthony Martial, are all the dangerous 5 RedDevils the Gunners MUST totally bound and cast them out of the match in it’s entirety.
on another vein…the heat is being turned up on Blatter!
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/sepp-blatter-not-resign-fifa-boss-despite-calls-from-sponsors-1.3254890
Now the sponsors have had enough!!
Ooooooooooooooooooospinaaaaah!! 🙂
I believe that barring any injury , Cech will play all the EPL games , totaling 38 , while Ospina was probably slated to play in the FA Cup , most of the CL ,and the League Cup games , so as to keep both fit , fresh , ready and happy.
I still think that we will continue to do the same ,unless there is a dramatic loss of form or loss of confidence from one or the other .
The same applies with the rest of the team ,so that there will be no burn outs and to minimise injuries .
This and the post a few back about the swell of emotion we feel in the heat of the moment when one of our own makes a mistake made me squirm. I certainly cannot deny the stamp of my lowly origin, nor will I try.
Ospina is an interesting case however because I have always felt better with a big keeper between the sticks, even knowing this is a bias. I mean to date he’s made just one REAL howler for us, and if you thought he was good in the WC, in Copa America he was godly. I’ve always had a sneaky hope that he was the one to dispel my bias someday, and I will allow that hope to linger in the shadows a bit longer.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOSPINAAAAAAA!
A striker misses an open goal. It is a mistake but usually not a disaster.
A goalkeeper gives away a goal and it is usually a disastrous mistake. It doesn’t mean he is a bad goalkeeper.
Lets face it our wonderful English commentators and reporters and journalists think they never make a mistake and if and when they do admit to making a mistake they declare its Ok ‘so what I made a mistake’ is their general attitude. Savage is good at this type of comment on his ‘expert mouth.’
I feel for OOOOOOOOOpina.I am in pain for him. True to form Arsene has given him his full sport and rightly so.
OOOOOOOOspine deserves our gratitude because once it was announced that Petr Cech was coming he could have demanded a transfer or a loan deal where he would have been first choice and not Cech’s number 2.
Important today, is the Manu match.
The whole team, supporters, fans and Manu haters will all be pushing for Arsenal to win. All this energy needs to be channeled for the fight and let’s hope we channel it properly, are focused and determined to win.
We know Manu, and ghosts of past(Fergie) are still big(hanging around) in the say at Manu, so concentration and discipline are the order of the day tomorrow.
Lets rock them by beating them well.
COYG.
Me being a goal keeper can understand what Ospina must’ve felt like.
Once I misjudged the flight of the ball (and my position) and let it fly by for a goal kick only to turn around to see the ball inside the net…. That sinking feeling.
Ospina is a good keeper. A rare mistake by him. We should support him instead of calling him names.
PS: How come Rooney gets into that list. Ballon d’or longlist..
I have always supported our keepers against this unfair criticism. Almunia and Fabianski got more than most, but Lehmann and even Seaman did not escape it.
Now, I have seen press references to Ospina as “error-prone”. This is not only unfair and disgusting, it is wildly inaccurate.
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooospina!
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooospina!
Well said Walter, criticism as has been levelled at David Ospina is completely over the top and certainly just an opportunistic ploy to criticise Arsene. True Arsenal fans and indeed anybody who knows anything about the game can see through such nonsense and will ignore it.
David has proved his value many many times both to his country and to Arsenal. He is worthy of wearing the Arsenal shirt and should have the full confidence of intelligent Gooners everywhere.
Wouldn’t be the slightest bit worried if he was named to play against ManU.
We have two class goalkeepers.
Always happy too to see Fabianski do well. He was a decent keeper for us and behaved honourably and in the true Arsenal tradition throughout his time and since his departure. Swansea got a real bargain and good luck to them. Another well run club with a very very promising manager.
Allez les Gunners.
Yet another article pointing out how the supporters (AAA) are in the wrong. Later today it’ll be Mourinho or PGMOB or the media. But while on the subject I’d like to thank The Irreplaceable once again for making the odd mistake for about 100 times. Talking bout Almunia, obviously enough.
Sorry for the negativity. I’m just preparing myself for a bad day at the office. Please thumb me down to make everyone feel better.
Walter
You’ve made quite a case for Yourself being a proven referee. Amongst the thousands of questions I’d like to ask You I will settle for Your view on why on earth Olympiacos’ second goal should not have been given?