Wilson: Why Szczesny won't be picked by Wenger

Former Arsenal goalkeeper and coach Bob Wilson says that the risk of failure in the modern game is one of the main reasons why manager Arsène Wenger won't take a chance with young keeper Wojciech Szczesny.

The young Pole had a very impressive loan spell with Brentford, but is struggling to get a game at the Emirates, even in the Carling Cup.

Arsenal fans are a bit perplexed as to why their manager is persevering with someone as error prone as Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski, who have been a bit, quite frankly, a bit rubbish.

But while the temptation to play the impressive Szczesny is great, Wilson says that should the gamble fail, then the buck stops with the manager.

Wilson said: "It takes a very brave manager to put a youngster in a first team.

"On the whole they don't risk it. In the 70s, an 18-year old called Peter Shilton forced Leicester City to sell England's World Cup winning goalie Gordon Banks and they got away with it!

"Shilton was brilliant and Banksy had to go to Stoke City. Pat Jennings was signed by Spurs from Watford at the age of 18 and was stuck straight in the first team.

"Because the price of failure is so high these days, the majority of teams just dare not risk throwing in a young goalie.

"Arsenal have a brilliant young goalie called Wojciech Szczęsny.

"He was absolutely brilliant on loan at Brentford and at this moment, Arsène Wenger is very reluctant to use him because of the enormous pressure that would be upon him with so much at stake: Champions League, FA Cup and the league."

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