Almunia - Dropped or Injured?

[Biggus]

Well we all have our favourite/non favourite players, I agree that it's annoying that certain players are somewhat "overblamed" by people for things that may not be their faults but that the nature of being a footballer in an unsuccessful team. As I was a goalkeeper I know more about the defensive than the attacking side of the game so I focus my criticism more in that area.
Btw Swish it's good to see you posting more in this area as you're a worthy poster who brings a refreshing approach.

 

[truth_hurts]

I think Almunia was very good last season but he made costly mistakes at critical times which is perhaps many think he was average or worse last year. Almunia is definately still number 1 but mannone has done very well since coming in. We still have 3 keepers who are suspect however.

 

[Swish]

Perhaps, but I never played amateur football during my teens but I do have a good understanding of the game. Does that mean my opinion isn't worth half of yours?

 

[Swish]

I think Almunia was very good last season but he made costly mistakes at critical times which is perhaps many think he was average or worse last year. Almunia is definately still number 1 but mannone has done very well since coming in. We still have 3 keepers who are suspect however.

Vito is having a great run, just like Almunia is having a piss poor run.

Swings and roundabouts.

 

[truth_hurts]

I think Almunia was very good last season but he made costly mistakes at critical times which is perhaps many think he was average or worse last year. Almunia is definately still number 1 but mannone has done very well since coming in. We still have 3 keepers who are suspect however.

Vito is having a great run, just like Almunia is having a piss poor run.

Swings and roundabouts.

To be fair bar perhaps Buffon there are very few keepers who are consistenty consistent (if that makes sense!) - it's the nature of the position. My doubt over Almunia is his big game tempermant and this is what puts him clearly below the likes of Cech, Reina, Casilas, VDS and Frey as these keepers have proved they can be relied on in the big games even though they make just as many if not more errors than Manuel. However other than that he is a very decent keeper bar the united game I don't even think Almunia has been bad this year just average.

Guess we will never know whether Almunia was dropped or injured.

 

[Biggus]

Perhaps, but I never played amateur football during my teens but I do have a good understanding of the game. Does that mean my opinion isn't worth half of yours?

Certainly not, everyone has an opinion and everyone brings a different experience and perspective to the game.
This is more so true for the team and this site, as Arsenal is a global club supported worldwide and this forum contains contributors from all countries and walks of life.
Nobody knows everything about everything everyone has their own opinion and it is pointless trying to change or convince people- only changing circumstances can do that then they change themselves, the only thing you can hope to achieve is to learn something that you didn't know before or find another way of looking at things.

 

[Del Boy]

Hold on a minute, "Almunia has won us numerous games and was brilliant last season". The only game Almunia kept us in it was the first leg of the CL semi final last year. Which we lost 1-0 and he managed to ruin all his good work in the first leg by losing us the 2nd leg.

Lets not forget his nightmare against Sp**s. Almunia is a bottler in big games and now he is starting to make numerous clangers in normal matches.

Now this my friends is high quality, grade A bullshit. I'm taking it you did actally watch us last season? Doesn't look like it. How about a quick scan through last years game threads? Or rains threads? No match winning games eh? How about fenerbache? And that's just the start . Lost us the 2nd leg? Strange, I remember a pathetic showing by the outfield players being far more a problem than Manny. The tie was over when gibbsy slipped. Way you have it, the other ten players were amazing and almunia single handedly damned us. Fact remains of the keepers at the other top 4 , i'd only put Reina ahead of him.

And you claim my post is bullshit....

Fenerbache was a match winning performance? What match is this then the 0-0 or the 5-2 in Turkey? I suggest you find out what a match winning performance actually is instead of running down other peoples posts with aload of nonsense.

So Almunia letting in THE game changing goal from a free kick over 40 yards out was not a clanger? When did I say the other 10 players were amazing, another case of you putting words in my mouth... :roll:

The fact you think he is better than VDS and Cech speaks for itself.

 

[Del Boy]

Check out irishgunnerz post above then Mak, will help blow away some cobwebs in your memory cortex of the brain. It's also a bit ridiculous to suggest that Almunia has never put in a performance like Vito did as well, unless you really can't remember anything.

It would help if instead of praising these secret performances to the high heavens, you actually pointed out the games in question because they certainly are not very obvious.

 

[Swish]

So did Vito score the match winning goal against Fulham?

 

[Del Boy]

So did Vito score the match winning goal against Fulham?

No but Almunia did score the match changing goal for City a while back.

 

[Swish]

So did Vito score the match winning goal against Fulham?

No but Almunia did score the match changing goal for City a while back.

Ah, I see where you're going Del Boy :wink: i see your example and I raise you a ... 'When was the last time Almunia conceeded 2 goals in 5 minutes against a club of Leige's stature?' statement.

 

[Klaus Daimler]

Check out irishgunnerz post above then Mak, will help blow away some cobwebs in your memory cortex of the brain. It's also a bit ridiculous to suggest that Almunia has never put in a performance like Vito did as well, unless you really can't remember anything.

It would help if instead of praising these secret performances to the high heavens, you actually pointed out the games in question because they certainly are not very obvious.

They have been pointed out already, but just to make it obvious: both Roma games, West Ham away, Fenerbahce away, Dynamo Kyiv at home and Sp**s away. In each and every one of those games he made match-defining saves. For further reference, do a youtube search on "Almunia 08/09". It doesn't prove conclusively that he's won us a lot of games but it does show that he made a ****load of saves last season that no keeper has a right to make.

 

[General]

I've counted it twice, Soccernet are missing a goal on their front page (which I presume is where your search ended?). Are you seriously trying to discredit my stats that went a long way to disprove your comment by haggling over one goal? Even if it was either 42, Almunia still came up trumps.

Yes, I am unless you're Archimedes in disguise.

I don't think you're naive enough to feel that counting twice is sufficient verification for those stats.I'm sure you understand that stats go through far more rigorous checks than that. By the way I counted 4 times and accumulated even less in the last. Now maketh of that as you wish. As I said the stats were printed in the Guardian and he was inferior to his top our competitors. In the end it doesn't matter and we can debate this all day (count several times in equal measure) but you'd be hard pressed in finding a Gooner who'd witnessed our rich selection of quality goal keepers over the years agreeing with the notion that Almunia is a top keeper. Without sounding condescending, I realise this seemingly progressive decline in quality at this club over the past few years means some people don't fully appreciate what real quality looks like. You will know when we have a top keeper between the sticks and certainly wouldn't need to be in here defending him to the hilt. A little anecdote for you - One of my first away games as kid was at Derby and I think it was Lukic's last game. I remember the deafening sound of "Don't go Johny don't go Johny" like it was yesterday. Makes you realise how much we valued and were passionate about our goalies then. We always had the best in the class, not second, third or fourth. Almunia is decent,has the odd spectacular save in his locker, but he's quite simply not good enough!

 

[Del Boy]

So did Vito score the match winning goal against Fulham?

No but Almunia did score the match changing goal for City a while back.

Ah, I see where you're going Del Boy :wink: i see your example and I raise you a ... 'When was the last time Almunia conceeded 2 goals in 5 minutes against a club of Leige's stature?' statement.

Hmm I'll see your 5 minutes and raise you losses to Stoke and Hull City... :wink:

 

[Swish]

Ah, I see where you're going Del Boy :wink: i see your example and I raise you a ... 'When was the last time Almunia conceeded 2 goals in 5 minutes against a club of Leige's stature?' statement.

Hmm I'll see your 5 minutes and raise you losses to Stoke and Hull City... :wink:

I fold.

Seriously though, I'm already disadvantaged because theres only 3 games to choose from with Vito whereas Almunia has a vast number of games to choose from, so there's more to pick fault from.

 

[Del Boy]

Ah, I see where you're going Del Boy :wink: i see your example and I raise you a ... 'When was the last time Almunia conceeded 2 goals in 5 minutes against a club of Leige's stature?' statement.

Hmm I'll see your 5 minutes and raise you losses to Stoke and Hull City... :wink:

I fold.

Seriously though, I'm already disadvantaged because theres only 3 games to choose from with Vito whereas Almunia has a vast number of games to choose from, so there's more to pick fault from.

I suppose if you had your poker face on, you could point out his two howlers while on loan to Barnsley where he was subsequently dropped after 3 games.

Since you already folded though, it appears I may have won...

 

[Proof]

The keeper is getting close to a return but, in all probability, it will not happen this weekend.

"Manuel Almunia is not far," said Wenger. "I will assess him Friday or Saturday but he looks unlikely to be ready."

 

[arsmile]

My thoughts exactly. Good post arsemile (crikey, missed you as well, lol)

yeah, sorry for leaving all the arguing to you in this one! i wish i had your tenacity!

 

[irishgunnerz]

in fairness Klaus has listed some of the games where Manny was one of the best players on the pitch. some people though are beyond helping though, they made up their mind about Manny in Paris and nothing will change it.

Some have sneered at why swish, Klaus and I pointed out the Fenerbache game last season, laughing how did he be a match winner in a 5-2 win? Comments like that make me despair, its like people who haven't bothered watching the game decide they know best. Manny was exceptional that game as our defence was all over the place that night. The shoreline doesn't reflect it but anyone who watched the match knew.

In the Roma game he was also immense, made one incredible save from Motta (?) when the player had wheeled away in celebration.

In the Cl semi first leg both Ronaldo and Ferguson moaned about how he kept us in the tie, that he was the best player on the pitch by some distance.

The penalty save against the spuds just before nik's winner.

The reflex stop against Bolton to keep us in the game...we went on to win 3-2.

They're just from memory. The guy was voted our third best player by arse.com last season and came what? 2nd? In the a-m poll? The match rating and match reports threads are there to read from last year, why not go through them?

Last season he was far better than Cech or Vds. I'd only put Given and Reina ahead of him last season, and even then not by much.

but I guess there's people you can't and never will convince. *shrug* to them he'll always be a clown. I guess there's comfort in burying your head in the sand

 

[Biggus]

The keeper is getting close to a return but, in all probability, it will not happen this weekend.

"Manuel Almunia is not far," said Wenger. "I will assess him Friday or Saturday but he looks unlikely to be ready."

Could you leave it till Monday Arsène?