Fabianski Should Be Dropped For The Final

By Daniel Cowan
In Arsenal
May 12th, 2014
4 Comments

The league season has finished with Arsenal in fourth place and 7 points off the top. Whilst many believe this season to have been one of progress tempered with a huge rise of “what if?” due, in part, to injuries – despite it not being the progress so many had hoped for – there are many who see it as very much plus ça change.

What is different this end of season is we actually have one more game to look forward to. Arsenal are in the FA Cup final for the first time since 2005 and face an opposition they have comfortably despatched of twice – though after Birmingham in 2011 they will be especially cautious of complacency.

Arsenal booked their place in the final thanks, in the main, to the heroics of Lukas Fabianski in the penalty shootout against Wigan.

His stellar performances in the Cup this season plus the fact he is a genuinely nice guy who turned around his early misfortunes at the club amongst other things are the reasons given for him to start the FA Cup final.

I believe he should be dropped in favour of Wojciech Szczesny.

I completely understand the argument that Fabianski got us to the final so surely deserves to play but as he is leaving the club in the summer I think it would be of greater benefit to Arsenal Football Club to have a cup winning goalkeeper in the squad next season. Szczesny isn’t short on confidence but that taste of silverware is a boost like no other.

Some have argued the other side of it with me and believe that Szczesny will get a medal no matter what but considering the club only get 30 medals to hand out to whom ever they choose – if my information is correct – I cannot see him getting one but even if he did wouldn’t it be a bit empty?

Do we want a player in our team so easily ready to accept glories that he took no significant part in? Thankfully Szczesny isn’t that kind of player.

There is also the argument that Szczesny could be subbed on with the game already won but that too is an empty win.

Fabianski is leaving the club and neither party owes the other anything. Lukas will still get a medal and maybe he could be subbed on for a final farewell.

For many years supporters have argued the value of winning a trophy over finishing fourth for the catalyst effect and surely we want as many of our players to be a part of that?

Sagna is also likely to leave the club and has been used as a counterargument to my thoughts on the goalkeeper but I don’t think it is the same situation. If the gulf in class was much smaller I would be championing Jenkinson to start and thinking on it, given the opposition, I don’t think playing Carl would be such a bad thing. However, Sagna is far superior and a regular starter so makes it into our best eleven.

The difference between Szczesny and Fabianski isn’t that great and either could make a best eleven but because Szczesny is our current and long-term number one he should play as it is better for the club in the long-term.

Fabianski certainly deserves his place but there is no added benefit to us starting him. It would be honourable but it serves no-one but Lukas and we have to think about what is best for Arsenal on Saturday and beyond and apart from the accounting perspective, Fabianski won’t be a part of the club next week.

Sentiment and fairness shouldn’t come into it and for that reason I would want to see Szczesny playing and earning a medal should we win.

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About "" - 509 Posts

I am a South London born Gooner now living in Leigh-On-Sea, Essex. I'm a husband, daddy, podcaster, trainer enthusiast and aspiring author. My work is my passion and for that I will always be grateful. Here is where I write my thoughts and views on Arsenal Football Club, the greatest team the world has ever seen.

4 Responses to “Fabianski Should Be Dropped For The Final”

  1. Vinay says:

    I Would not agree on this Dan.He leaves or not is secondary,Fab has got us this far and it is fair to have him lead us on to the win. Woj is good but it is not that Fab is any lesser. Fab leaving even if it is a certainty should not prevent him from starting a cup final he has played a huge part is getting the team to.

    • Daniel Cowan says:

      Sorry Vinay but I prefer Daniel.

      Like I said, fair should not come into it. Szczesny deserves to win a trophy as much as anyone else and without playing when something was at stake he will not have earned it.

      Fabianski has done well and no-one is saying he doesn’t deserve to play. I’m just saying it’s better for AFC to have a trophy winning GK still in the squad.

  2. Borntobeagunner-btbag says:

    With your points in view, even if Szczesny starts and we won the cup, the goal keeping Fa cup hero still remain Fabianski and not Szczesny. This is because i don’t think Hull City can match our play at all not to talk of making Szczesny a hero by the number of saves he made on the final day, compare to saves Fabianski has to his name as far as fa cup this season is concerned.
    The argument of Szczesny having the taste of the Fa cup medal, maybe both halves of the match should be shared between both of them irrespective of the outcome of the match at both halves. Having said so, who should starts or end the match? Should fabianski starts and the match is been won from first half it will make Szczesny irellevant second half. Should Szczesny starts and the match is won first half, it looks as if Fabianski is not trusted for a cup final that he has taken us to. Fabianski has done it twice at Munich.
    To me, Wenger should sit both keepers down before the match, put out the importance of all things, ask for their opinion and make his final decision on who keeps both halves. Or better still tell both of them that they have to share both halves come what may, so both of them should decide who is to be in pole either halves. I dont think they will both disagree with each other on this, for the fact that its crystal clear that Hull City is not a threat here but just for the honour of both keepers based on the situation on ground.
    In one route decision, i will want Fabianski in post whether he is outgoing or not, for he has brought us this far and considering our final opponent who even up to yesterday lost 0-2.
    Finally, had Fabianski put into perspetive his outgoing just like you had done, he wouldn’t have bordered taking us to the Fa cup final like he had done. COYG!!!

    • Daniel Cowan says:

      Of course Fabianski will have been our hero regardless which is why starting will be of such significance to Szczesny.

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