Hello everyone.
Though it seems like only yesterday that we've played the last game (cup-winning final against Hull, wasn't it?), news is already on the thin. True, the transfer mill is churning out new names every day, but I'll spare you these rumours. We'll have a full summer to speculate on potential new arrivals, for now I'll just try to put this off for as long as possible.
And this can mean one thing only: season review. I've decided to start with how well individual players did. This review will be broken in four parts, and today I'll concentrate on the first. Which is:
Goalkeepers
Our number one goalie was, of course, Wojciech Szczesny. He's made 46 appearances (2 qualifiers included) and kept 21 clean sheets, 16 of these in the league. This achievement of his was marked with a Golden Glove, thoroughly deserved, in my opinion. Sure, the younger Pole started between the sticks in our big away defeats, but, realistically speaking, he could do little to avert the crisis. Wojciech did his best even then, though.
Speaking of his performances, the Pole came across as calm and composed, commanding in the box when it mattered, coming out of the goal to sweep up (not in the way Fabianski did on Saturday) and was consistently brilliant overall. Made some important saves that ensured we got the points in a number of games. All in all, my pick for player of the year.
Our number featured less, but proved his worth when called upon. Fabianski made only one league appearance, in which he duly kept the clean sheet by stringing together a couple of late saves.
However, Fab cut a much more impressive figure in the cups, where he's made a total 10 appearances, two of these against Bayern in the Champions League.
He could do little to prevent Bayern from winning the tie, but he at least ensured we remained in it till the very end by putting in two decent performances.
I cannot say, how good Fab was in the League Cup (didn't watch West Brom game and he definitely wasn't at fault during our loss to Chelsea), but he was the definite FA Cup hero for me.
Not troubled enough against Spurs (ha) and Coventry (understandable), he emerged as the saviour in the 5th round, denying Suarez and Sturridge time and again. Mind you, it was also a psychologically challenging game, as we've been torn to pieces a week before courtesy to the same Mugmashers. Fab's early second-half stop is, perhaps, the most vital of them all, when the scores were level and suddenly Suarez found space for a shot in our box. The elder Pole ensured we then kept our lead, his save from one-on-one with Sturridge standing out.
Fabianski then was relatively comfortable in the quarter-final, as Arsenal cruised past Everton, but became MoM against Latics in the semi, by palming away two penalties.
He was then played in the final itself, and, while I've stressed a number of times it wasn't his greatest game ever, did his part and got the medal. I still hope the Pole will stay, with that win turning things around, but it's unlikely at this stage.
Oh, we also have Viviano. I would have laughed him off, and raised my eyebrows at the signing, but thing is, I know for a fact the Italian is a great goalie. The fact he didn't feature at all just shows how good those higher in the pecking order are.
When we signed him, everyone was happy, weren't they? We all bemoaned the lack of a proper third-choice shot-stopper and, though it wasn't our most problematic position, greeted the Italian with open arms. There seems to be a buy-out clause in his contact, but something tells me, Viviano won't stay, after going through the season with no games under his belt. On a happier note, he did provide the most hilarious moment of the season for me, after someone took a photo of the hungover Italian after the Cup final. See it below.
So, that's it for today. Check back on Saturday, I'll be back with the second part.
Until then
