No such thing as a great team without a great keeper

As I expected, it was not really worth following transfer deadline day with any sort of urgency or even fleeting interest, as the worst fears of many were confirmed: Arsène Wenger will make do with what he's got. And with that we will have to make do with Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski for yet another season!

Another season of possibilities and a crack at glory so scrupulously dashed. Seemingly, anyway.

Now I am not one for writing people or things off right from the off, but we really have been here before. Many times before, in fact, as the two men have so ably cost us a number of points on our travels over the past three seasons.

It is for this very reason that the manager's lack of activity, or at least lack of real effort, which beggared my belief as the clock ticked past 6 and no mutterings surfaced past midnight.

It is also for this reason that I am highly anxious about our fortunes for this season. Being the typically passionate and over-zealous supporter whom you all know me to be, I have us down as first (and/or European champions) in every pre-season prediction, whilst acknowledging deep down that our chances aren't particularly great. This summer I was convinced that we could indeed reach such heights. Provided we strengthened in the key areas that we all know about. Including goalkeeper.

Unfortunately, the most important man concerned had other ideas.

And despite links to various names in world football, we wake up to the fact that a Spaniard who began playing professional football at 26 and thinks he is good enough for England (he probably is but for the presence of one Joe Hart) is, STILL, our number 1, with backup more than capable of screwing up at an average of once per game.

Cause for concern? Most probably.

A sense of déjà vu? Most definitely!

The problems simply extend beyond failing to spot our obvious Achilles heal, especially in light of the fact that we have had at least a couple of bids for Mark Schwarzer turned down. To me that smacks of several possibilities: Wenger did acknowledge the need for a new goalkeeper, tried to sign one, yet failed to make the full required effort in order to secure a deal. We have of course been here before, with Le Boss facing such an accusation from Bordeaux in his pursuit of Marouane Chamakh last summer. Now forgive me for saying this out loud, but you'd really have to question your motives and negotiation skills if you fail to sign a keen 37 year-old goalkeeper from a mid-table club!

So not only are we stuck with what we've got, but we have also managed to shake their confidence by showing the world that we were willing to dump them, and yet failed to do so in spectacular fashion. Double whammy or what!?

It may sound harsh on Messrs Almunia and Fabianski, but it really is not. They are not youngsters to whom we can give a chance. They have had ample opportunities, and whilst Almunia can quite easily perform on a consistently solid basis for a number of matches in a row (he was impressive at Blackburn last weekend), you just fear that stage fright on the big occasion is his ultimate undoing (the tale of two halves against Barcelona in April being a case-in-point). Meanwhile, the less said about Fabianski the better, but the words "disaster waiting to happen" spring to mind.

We cannot afford any such slips, and the fact our goalkeeping department is the weakest amongst the top eight smacks me of a failure to act on obvious shortcomings; in essence it smacks of irresponsibility.

I really hope Manuel Almunia reads this. Who knows, it might just provide him with the proverbial kick up the backside needed having known what a humble supporter speaking his mind thinks of him and his team's subsequent chances with him between the sticks.

And as a key and obviously entrusted member of the mighty Arsenal, I (and suspect most) will most definitely support him every time he dons the jersey, cheer him on when his name is announced on the team sheet, and chant his name when he makes a great save. But this time there are no excuses; he must be up to the task.

For now though, and as the transfer window slammed shut last night, it was very much a case of no news is anything but good news.

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