Starfish Two or three years ago, I was met with laughter here when I claimed that Shay Given would make the English team.
Rightfully so. He's Irish.
Manuel Almunia England keeper?
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Thomas L'Heureux
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Rightfully so. He's Irish.
No Thanks
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From Despair To Where?
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TBMGeekins Scored a good freekick though from just outside his box!
I remember when he was younger he had a spell at Leeds that was superb and even kept Nigel Martyn out of the side.....shame he didn't really build on that.
So being first choice for England for a couple of years isn't building on keeping an aging Nigel Martyn out of the Leeds side?
Although fair enough, the highlight of any keeper's career would be scoring a header that knocked Swindon out of the the cup. Cracking header it was too.
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Ian Royal
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Hell no.
I don't like the Grandfather clause at the best of times, but being picked just because he's not good enough for his country and he's been over here a long time? No thanks. I'd rather fail to make the world cup
I don't like the Grandfather clause at the best of times, but being picked just because he's not good enough for his country and he's been over here a long time? No thanks. I'd rather fail to make the world cup
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LoyalRoyalFan
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IdealLoyalRoyalFanTails Anyone who thinks Robinson is a good keeper clearly has no properly functioning brain/eyes. Either stick him in now or keep with Foster.
Thats quite a harsh remark. I never saw nothing inadequate with Robinson in goal.
You mean except for his repeatedly awful performances and countless horrendous mistakes gifting away goals, as well as his rather Jim Stannard'esque physique?
David James?
Interview in The Guardian with Almunia. It's not often you read footballers saying they wouldn't want to upset anybody.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009 ... ene-wenger
Five years ago last month Manuel Almunia arrived at Arsenal from the backwaters of Spanish football with a sense of shock and awe. He had just spent another season on loan from Celta Vigo, his third in a row with a different club, and helped Albacete Balompié avoid relegation. Arsenal, meanwhile, had just won the Premier League and become the first club in 115 years of English football to remain undefeated in an entire top-flight league campaign.
"I was 27 but I was very shy because everybody at Arsenal was a big star in world football," Almunia grins ruefully. "Bergkamp. Vieira. Henry. Ljungberg. Pires. Cole. Campbell. I signed just when they'd become the Invincibles. I couldn't believe it."
Almunia was such an obscure goalkeeper that, during his three years as a nominal Celta Vigo player, the club had not offered him a single game. In the two previous seasons they had loaned him to SD Eibar and Recreativo Huelva. The contrast between then and now is startling. Arsène Wenger might need to boost his current squad by making forceful claims on their behalf – and yet his optimistic suggestion that Almunia is now the best keeper in the Premier League is built on an impressive individual 2008-09 season for the tall, amiable man with the self-confessed "crazy hair".
Yet, in the midst of Almunia's best year, Arsenal endured their fourth straight season without a trophy, losing six league matches and ending 18 points adrift of Manchester United. The difference between the Invincibles and their more vulnerable successors might not be as graphic as the opposite ends of Almunia's five-year journey – but it will be tested again during an arduous first month of the new season.
Almunia is so engaging and honest that he does not gloss over the difficulties now being experienced at Arsenal, especially by a manager as defiantly principled as Wenger. "When time passes and you don't win anything it's not easy for the boss," Almunia concedes. "You can see the face of the boss every day. It is calm and relaxed but I think, inside, he is suffering because he can't give the people what they want. And the patience of people can run out."
Last season a disenchanted section of the Arsenal support swapped their funereal mutterings for spiteful booing of Emmanuel Eboué and the now departed Emmanuel Adebayor. And even the usually urbane and revered Wenger has been stung by criticism from supporters who resent his refusal to jettison a preference for developing youth over buying expensive maturity and muscularity.
"The boss is very experienced," Almunia counters, "and puts a lot of effort into doing things differently – in not spending money and giving opportunities to young people. I hope, and I think, he will be rewarded one day."
Apart from this Saturday's opening match, at Everton, two of the next three league games are away to Manchester United and their big-spending counterparts at City – who have bought Arsenal's Adebayor and Kolo Touré. Arsenal have also been handed a tricky Champions League qualifier against Celtic.
"It's more important than ever that we start well," Almunia acknowledges. "We have to be totally focused and take a lot of points. And we have to be careful with the Champions League. It's not easy. The qualification games in previous years were not so difficult but this year it's different."
Almunia, at least, is bullish in suggesting Arsenal will do more than merely strive for Champions League representation. "I have expectation we will win something. People say this is a young squad but I look around the dressing room and everybody – except for me and a few others – is an international. We can be competitive in every competition. We don't need to worry. We just have to care about the attitude."
As the squad's most mature and equable character, Almunia is well placed to assess Arsenal's frailties, and to pinpoint the necessary changes. "We need to be tougher and more aggressive," he stresses. "When you play with such a young squad you have quality and energy – but you need other clubs to respect you. They are not going to respect you on the pitch if you are young. In my experience you have to win their respect by being tougher than them and being aggressive. Maybe last season, mentally, we did not prepare well."
Has he seen anything new to suggest a strengthened Arsenal mentality? "I see a big difference between last season and this pre-season. People are more aggressive and they try to gain respect. We will see how this season starts. But in training the attitude is fantastic."
Wenger argues justifiably that Champions League and FA Cup semi-finals last season, and celebrating youthful and outrageously gifted talents such as Cesc Fábregas, Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere, is the kind of "failure" most clubs crave. But Almunia admits: "It's a long period without anything being won. Arsenal is a big, big club and people are not happy with semi-finals. People want celebrations and street parties. As players we need that too, to have us touching medals, to have something in our hands we can always remember. Semi-finals will not be very well remembered in a few years. People need something more."
Almunia seems even more intent on personal improvement. "I was happy with my form last season, but I want more every time. I always look at my mistakes. My wife tells me this is also a mistake – because I want to be perfect. This is not possible for a goalkeeper because you're always walking on the wire. It is a very thin wire and sometimes you can fall. When I make a mistake I am so upset – until the next game. My wife gets worried but the older you are the better you become at dealing with mistakes. I learned from life how to cope with difficult moments."
Such humility seems apt in a bare room at the Great Ormond Street Hospital. Having spent the afternoon touring the wards of seriously ill children with Wenger, Fábregas and Walcott, and reiterated Arsenal's determination to raise £500,000 on behalf of their charity partner this season, Almunia is similarly generous. Inspired by Jake Peach, pictured below left, who recovered at Great Ormond from leukemia-induced quadriplegia to play football again, he bypasses club protocol by spontaneously inviting the 12-year-old to a first-team training session. Almunia's own footballing struggles have clearly produced this rounded perspective. "In life, not only in football, you face tough moments. I had those hard moments and it helps me appreciate what I have now."
Almunia remembers that, arriving at Arsenal to understudy the truculent Jens Lehmann, "I could not speak any English – nothing. My wife had a good university career, studying chemical engineering, and she left it to come with me. We were on honeymoon when Arsenal called but she was the first to pack the suitcases."
The extent to which Manuel and Ana Almunia have settled in England is highlighted by their eligibility for British citizenship. "I've been informed what I need to do," he says cautiously, knowing such a step would automatically fuel speculation he could be called up by Fabio Capello to bolster England's meagre goalkeeping ranks in a World Cup year. "If I take the decision I don't think it's difficult to get citizenship. It could be very quick – and soon."
Almunia, however, is sensitive to the outcry that would accompany his possible selection. "I have to see what people think because it's not an easy decision. I'm 32 so I don't want any problems with anyone. This is not a silly thing. You are playing with the hearts of people. It [an England cap] is not something you can buy in a shop. I don't want to disturb anybody."
That hope, as Almunia acknowledges with a laugh, is impossible. "I know what Tottenham fans will say. I can guess their opinion of me playing for England. But it's not just playing for England. If I take the citizenship I will be very proud."
What does his family in Spain think of him changing nationality? "They want me to have it. My family agree I should do it. In Spain it's different because we had some Brazilian players. Look at [Marcos] Senna. He is now Spanish. Donato, a great player, was a Brazilian playing for Spain. I hope people will understand if I do it."
Has he asked Walcott for his thoughts from inside the England squad. "Theo is very nice," Almunia grins. "He sometimes asks me if I will take the citizenship and I say, 'Yes, if you want?' Then he says, yes, he would like me to. The England players are very important. I would like to know what they think and if I will be welcome." Should he receive encouragement would he like to play for England? "Yes. I would have good reason to step forward then."
His immediate focus is on Arsenal. Almunia admits to being surprised and disappointed by the sale of Touré. But Touré's simmering spat with William Gallas will now be extinguished and Adebayor's occasionally disruptive presence has been removed – for £40m. Wenger is resolutely smart and Almunia believes that, inspired by their manager, Arsenal will stun those who have dismissed them. Patience and resilience will still be needed; and Almunia presents Arsenal with a template of those virtues.
The possibility of Wenger recreating a link with the Invincibles by re-signing Patrick Vieira has receded. And so much depends on Almunia, and his closest friends at the club, Fábregas and Robin van Persie, as they attempt to add bite and conviction to Arsenal's pretty patterns. Strengthened by the early anonymity of his circuitous career, Almunia looks set for his most significant season – and one that could determine Wenger's legacy.
"It's because I'm 32," he says of his readiness and serenity ahead of a taxing campaign. Almunia pauses, relishing his unheralded journey into the heart of an Arsenal team whose youthfulness continues to astonish him. "I cannot imagine how it must be at the top level at 18. If it was me I would have got very stressed and tired. But look at Cesc and Theo now. They are still young. They are handsome."
He laughs. "Well, they think they are. They make jokes about my hair. But I have a good relationship with everyone. At Arsenal we are all very nice people."
Almunia nods meaningfully then, knowing that few will care about them being a team of nice young men should they not weld their glittering promise to a more imposing presence and win their first trophy since 2005. "It's a very important season for me and for Arsenal. But we look forward to it. We will give our best and try to do something special – for the boss, for the fans, for everyone."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009 ... ene-wenger
Five years ago last month Manuel Almunia arrived at Arsenal from the backwaters of Spanish football with a sense of shock and awe. He had just spent another season on loan from Celta Vigo, his third in a row with a different club, and helped Albacete Balompié avoid relegation. Arsenal, meanwhile, had just won the Premier League and become the first club in 115 years of English football to remain undefeated in an entire top-flight league campaign.
"I was 27 but I was very shy because everybody at Arsenal was a big star in world football," Almunia grins ruefully. "Bergkamp. Vieira. Henry. Ljungberg. Pires. Cole. Campbell. I signed just when they'd become the Invincibles. I couldn't believe it."
Almunia was such an obscure goalkeeper that, during his three years as a nominal Celta Vigo player, the club had not offered him a single game. In the two previous seasons they had loaned him to SD Eibar and Recreativo Huelva. The contrast between then and now is startling. Arsène Wenger might need to boost his current squad by making forceful claims on their behalf – and yet his optimistic suggestion that Almunia is now the best keeper in the Premier League is built on an impressive individual 2008-09 season for the tall, amiable man with the self-confessed "crazy hair".
Yet, in the midst of Almunia's best year, Arsenal endured their fourth straight season without a trophy, losing six league matches and ending 18 points adrift of Manchester United. The difference between the Invincibles and their more vulnerable successors might not be as graphic as the opposite ends of Almunia's five-year journey – but it will be tested again during an arduous first month of the new season.
Almunia is so engaging and honest that he does not gloss over the difficulties now being experienced at Arsenal, especially by a manager as defiantly principled as Wenger. "When time passes and you don't win anything it's not easy for the boss," Almunia concedes. "You can see the face of the boss every day. It is calm and relaxed but I think, inside, he is suffering because he can't give the people what they want. And the patience of people can run out."
Last season a disenchanted section of the Arsenal support swapped their funereal mutterings for spiteful booing of Emmanuel Eboué and the now departed Emmanuel Adebayor. And even the usually urbane and revered Wenger has been stung by criticism from supporters who resent his refusal to jettison a preference for developing youth over buying expensive maturity and muscularity.
"The boss is very experienced," Almunia counters, "and puts a lot of effort into doing things differently – in not spending money and giving opportunities to young people. I hope, and I think, he will be rewarded one day."
Apart from this Saturday's opening match, at Everton, two of the next three league games are away to Manchester United and their big-spending counterparts at City – who have bought Arsenal's Adebayor and Kolo Touré. Arsenal have also been handed a tricky Champions League qualifier against Celtic.
"It's more important than ever that we start well," Almunia acknowledges. "We have to be totally focused and take a lot of points. And we have to be careful with the Champions League. It's not easy. The qualification games in previous years were not so difficult but this year it's different."
Almunia, at least, is bullish in suggesting Arsenal will do more than merely strive for Champions League representation. "I have expectation we will win something. People say this is a young squad but I look around the dressing room and everybody – except for me and a few others – is an international. We can be competitive in every competition. We don't need to worry. We just have to care about the attitude."
As the squad's most mature and equable character, Almunia is well placed to assess Arsenal's frailties, and to pinpoint the necessary changes. "We need to be tougher and more aggressive," he stresses. "When you play with such a young squad you have quality and energy – but you need other clubs to respect you. They are not going to respect you on the pitch if you are young. In my experience you have to win their respect by being tougher than them and being aggressive. Maybe last season, mentally, we did not prepare well."
Has he seen anything new to suggest a strengthened Arsenal mentality? "I see a big difference between last season and this pre-season. People are more aggressive and they try to gain respect. We will see how this season starts. But in training the attitude is fantastic."
Wenger argues justifiably that Champions League and FA Cup semi-finals last season, and celebrating youthful and outrageously gifted talents such as Cesc Fábregas, Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere, is the kind of "failure" most clubs crave. But Almunia admits: "It's a long period without anything being won. Arsenal is a big, big club and people are not happy with semi-finals. People want celebrations and street parties. As players we need that too, to have us touching medals, to have something in our hands we can always remember. Semi-finals will not be very well remembered in a few years. People need something more."
Almunia seems even more intent on personal improvement. "I was happy with my form last season, but I want more every time. I always look at my mistakes. My wife tells me this is also a mistake – because I want to be perfect. This is not possible for a goalkeeper because you're always walking on the wire. It is a very thin wire and sometimes you can fall. When I make a mistake I am so upset – until the next game. My wife gets worried but the older you are the better you become at dealing with mistakes. I learned from life how to cope with difficult moments."
Such humility seems apt in a bare room at the Great Ormond Street Hospital. Having spent the afternoon touring the wards of seriously ill children with Wenger, Fábregas and Walcott, and reiterated Arsenal's determination to raise £500,000 on behalf of their charity partner this season, Almunia is similarly generous. Inspired by Jake Peach, pictured below left, who recovered at Great Ormond from leukemia-induced quadriplegia to play football again, he bypasses club protocol by spontaneously inviting the 12-year-old to a first-team training session. Almunia's own footballing struggles have clearly produced this rounded perspective. "In life, not only in football, you face tough moments. I had those hard moments and it helps me appreciate what I have now."
Almunia remembers that, arriving at Arsenal to understudy the truculent Jens Lehmann, "I could not speak any English – nothing. My wife had a good university career, studying chemical engineering, and she left it to come with me. We were on honeymoon when Arsenal called but she was the first to pack the suitcases."
The extent to which Manuel and Ana Almunia have settled in England is highlighted by their eligibility for British citizenship. "I've been informed what I need to do," he says cautiously, knowing such a step would automatically fuel speculation he could be called up by Fabio Capello to bolster England's meagre goalkeeping ranks in a World Cup year. "If I take the decision I don't think it's difficult to get citizenship. It could be very quick – and soon."
Almunia, however, is sensitive to the outcry that would accompany his possible selection. "I have to see what people think because it's not an easy decision. I'm 32 so I don't want any problems with anyone. This is not a silly thing. You are playing with the hearts of people. It [an England cap] is not something you can buy in a shop. I don't want to disturb anybody."
That hope, as Almunia acknowledges with a laugh, is impossible. "I know what Tottenham fans will say. I can guess their opinion of me playing for England. But it's not just playing for England. If I take the citizenship I will be very proud."
What does his family in Spain think of him changing nationality? "They want me to have it. My family agree I should do it. In Spain it's different because we had some Brazilian players. Look at [Marcos] Senna. He is now Spanish. Donato, a great player, was a Brazilian playing for Spain. I hope people will understand if I do it."
Has he asked Walcott for his thoughts from inside the England squad. "Theo is very nice," Almunia grins. "He sometimes asks me if I will take the citizenship and I say, 'Yes, if you want?' Then he says, yes, he would like me to. The England players are very important. I would like to know what they think and if I will be welcome." Should he receive encouragement would he like to play for England? "Yes. I would have good reason to step forward then."
His immediate focus is on Arsenal. Almunia admits to being surprised and disappointed by the sale of Touré. But Touré's simmering spat with William Gallas will now be extinguished and Adebayor's occasionally disruptive presence has been removed – for £40m. Wenger is resolutely smart and Almunia believes that, inspired by their manager, Arsenal will stun those who have dismissed them. Patience and resilience will still be needed; and Almunia presents Arsenal with a template of those virtues.
The possibility of Wenger recreating a link with the Invincibles by re-signing Patrick Vieira has receded. And so much depends on Almunia, and his closest friends at the club, Fábregas and Robin van Persie, as they attempt to add bite and conviction to Arsenal's pretty patterns. Strengthened by the early anonymity of his circuitous career, Almunia looks set for his most significant season – and one that could determine Wenger's legacy.
"It's because I'm 32," he says of his readiness and serenity ahead of a taxing campaign. Almunia pauses, relishing his unheralded journey into the heart of an Arsenal team whose youthfulness continues to astonish him. "I cannot imagine how it must be at the top level at 18. If it was me I would have got very stressed and tired. But look at Cesc and Theo now. They are still young. They are handsome."
He laughs. "Well, they think they are. They make jokes about my hair. But I have a good relationship with everyone. At Arsenal we are all very nice people."
Almunia nods meaningfully then, knowing that few will care about them being a team of nice young men should they not weld their glittering promise to a more imposing presence and win their first trophy since 2005. "It's a very important season for me and for Arsenal. But we look forward to it. We will give our best and try to do something special – for the boss, for the fans, for everyone."
Is there not a better English keeper around than this oxf*rd muppet? Pcunt of the highest order.
Cheers for highlighting that article Starfish.
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Chillitsphil
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We've already got a foreign england manager (which is a farce) so why do we want a foreign goalie too? Banks, Shilton, and Almunia (spanish). Do we really want that blot on an England victory at a world cup? No we don't.
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TBM
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Ark Royal Pcunt of the highest order.
care you justify your reasoning?!TBMArk Royal Pcunt of the highest order.
Yes. He is oxf*rd rubbish. Why would we take a Spanish keeper who is not good enough to make it into the Spanish squad?
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John Madejski's Wallet
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Ark RoyalTBMArk Royal Pcunt of the highest order.
Yes. He is oxf*rd rubbish. Why would we take a Spanish keeper who is not good enough to make it into the Spanish squad?
They're better than us?
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TBM
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Ark RoyalTBMArk Royal Pcunt of the highest order.
Yes. He is oxf*rd rubbish. Why would we take a Spanish keeper who is not good enough to make it into the Spanish squad?
I still dont see why that makes him a "pcunt of the highest order"?
Ark RoyalTBMArk Royal Pcunt of the highest order.
Yes. He is oxf*rd rubbish. Why would we take a Spanish keeper who is not good enough to make it into the Spanish squad?
German goalkeeping leg-end Sepp Maier had Almunia in his top ten best keepers in the world, I read today.
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Alan Partridge
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Ark RoyalTBMArk Royal Pcunt of the highest order.
Yes. He is oxf*rd rubbish. Why would we take a Spanish keeper who is not good enough to make it into the Spanish squad?
Casillas and Reina. If Reina was English he'd easily have well over 50 caps by now.
Almunia on pure football terms would EASILY be in the squad and probably play.
Rob Green is average, Robinson is dump, Joe Hart can't get in Man City's team they even picked Joe Lewis from L2 the other year!
James and Foster will be the main two keepers soon, Foster needs to sort his kicking out as well as his fitness. He's a liability whenever the ball is passed back to him.
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Huntley & Palmer
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Chillitsphil We've already got a foreign england manager (which is a farce) so why do we want a foreign goalie too? Banks, Shilton, and Almunia (spanish). Do we really want that blot on an England victory at a world cup? No we don't.
This whole post is a classic LOL
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handbags_harris
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Chillitsphil We've already got a foreign england manager (which is a farce) so why do we want a foreign goalie too? Banks, Shilton, and Almunia (spanish). Do we really want that blot on an England victory at a world cup? No we don't.
Does it bother you that the England cricket team's best batsman is a South African?
Does it bother you that one of the best left sided players of the last 20 years to play for England was Jamaican?
Does it bother you that one of England Rugby of the Union code's wingers is in fact a Tongan who has represented New Zealand at Rugby League?
Probably notm because they represented, and two still do represent England with distinction. Who's to say Almunia wouldn't do the same if caled upon? FWIW I don't agree with the whole issue. If there is a debate between nationality then the only debate should come when your parents are one nationality and you are born in another country. I don't believe in someone becoming "nationalised".
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wickedwhispers
Won't happen. There was talk about Cudicini a couple of years ago.
After his clown-like recent showings, anyone else want to argue that he is nothing but a complete twat?
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LoyalRoyalFan
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Pretty poor showing on Saturday. Never really rated him.
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