We’ve all heard about Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini and how they were badly injured at Saturday’s game at Reading, and the Walrus has even offered to loan Chelski a keeper on loan while they are struggling in that position.
And Jens has aired his views, saying:
“First of all let me say that I hope both Carlo Cudicini and Petr Cech recover quickly. When it happened I really felt sorry for both keepers. It made me really, really angry too. We’re here two days later and I’m still upset because it happened to Schwarzer and Shay Given. Now it’s happened to Peter Cech and Carlo Cudicini. All of them are great keepers, very brave, they never went to challenge or harm the striker but all four of them got knocked out due to ‘clumsy’ challenges.
“This word clumsy makes me really angry as well because these stupid pundits on TV they say sometimes ‘it’s clumsy’ and ‘it’s a man’s game’. Yes it is a man’s game but what you have to consider as well is these men have children and wives and their children don’t want to see their fathers end up with lifelong damage, driven around in a wheelchair or not being able to work anymore.
“I’m worried because my game is based on coming off the line so I’m a potential target. I know that people sometimes laugh about me when I make them aware ahead of corners or prior to free-kicks when people only come into challenge me, to push me or to elbow me but now you see that for these keepers it was a really bad outcome.”
What Jens said made me think – do goalkeepers get enough protection?
Yes, people (me included) always laugh when Lehmann is causing a fuss in his penalty area – even resorting to pushing over the oppostion if they get too close – but does he have a point?
Cech and Cudicini suffered serious head injuries, Shay Given was involved in an incident with Harewood which was ‘likened to a car crash’ by his doctor and Mark Schwarzer has to wear a protective mask over his face.
Goalkeepers will always go for the ball with their hands in a 50/50 situation but inevitably the outfield players will attack the ball with their studs, legs and sometimes if the ball is in the air with their elbows.
The question is what is acceptable and what is not.
Obviously if outfield players go for the ball in the 50/50 then they are entitled to slide or use their arms if the ball is in the air – but the goalkeepers usually go in with their hand and face.
Maybe ‘Crazy Jens’ is making a big deal about nothing – but then again he might just have a valid point…
It’s just a shame (or a bonus! whatever way you want to look at it! ha ha), that all these injuries have come about, at the same time.
I don’t think there’s an element of “going in harder” on keepers now! There’s occasions when a goalkeeper comes out to catch the ball and a striker jumps with him and it’s an instant foul against the striker, which is bollocks!
But maybe the should outlaw players putting their foot/feet in, on a keeper when he’s on the ground to smother the ball, whether it’s 50-50 or not…? Just a thought!
UP THE ARSE TONIGHT! 2-0 THE BOYS!!!
Its a hard thing to set rules for to be honest. Sometimes i think keepers are nannied to much by refs. Other times im thinking when the keeper goes for a ball its with his hands where the player uses his feet, maybe like you say that is the thing to be looking at.
Id take a 2 nil win alright. It wont be an easy game and a draw would be a good result in my opinion but if we can nick a win then yeah.
Ill go for a goal from Rosicky to seal a 1 nil win for the Arsenal
Any sort of result would be great tonight – it’s usually so difficult to get anything in Moscow because of the conditions! I can see it being 1-0 or 2-0 tonight.
The keepers debate is hard to solve really, and people will be arguing about it for years to come. I think it’s just a sad co-incidence that a few top flight keepers have got seriously injured at once.
I do have to say that I’m not devastated Cech and Cudicini are out injured for the scum!
ha ha! well said Wenger’s immortal’s!
Although I do wish pain & agony to a select few, of the Chelsea players & staff, Cech & Cudicini ain’t 2 of them.
Cechs absence from the Chavski all-stars, make no mistake about it, will be a massive blow to them. Remember what they were like at the beginning of the season, when Cech was out?
Remember Boro doing them…?
So as sick at it sounds, we can only gain from these 2 injuries to both keepers… although I do wish them both well!
Shame it couldn’t have been ol’ Cashley though, hey?
FUCKING PRAT!!!
Yeah a big loss. Imagine if Mad Jens was out for 6 months and Manuel out for a spell too, man we would be screwed big time.
hi iam an arsenal supporter i am a ugandan but our biggest problem is that we need somestrong strikers like two at least we know that king Henry has got a sucessor but not only that i would request that if we could at least give long shoots at the goal wiil make us may be score more goals like in times of VIERA PIRES Begkhamp among others but i cannot forget to thank Wenger fof the good score he has brought to arsenal i hope my request will be put into consideration thanks for listerning to me i cannot forget to thank some players like Toure fabergas Eboue Gilberto Hnry van persie Clicky among others