Barcelona v Arsenal: Wojciech Szczesny can handle pressure in Champions League second-leg tie, says mentor
When Arsenal were preparing to face Barcelona at the Nou Camp last year, the great goalkeeping debate centred on one question: will Arsène Wenger ever buy a replacement of proven quality for Manuel Almunia?
Taking charge: Wojciech Szczesny has shown confidence beyond his years since his promotion to the Arsenal first-team Photo: AP
By Jeremy Wilson 11:00PM GMT 07 Mar 2011
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That the debate has since evolved to whether it will be Wojciech Szczesny or Lukasz Fabianki who is eventually established as the long-term solution has been a testament to many things. Firstly, the performances of Arsenal's two Poland internationals this season, but also the enduring faith of Wenger in all his young players.
Yet above all that, the emergence over the past year of both Szczesny and Fabianski has been a tribute to Krzysztof Dowhan, the Legia Warsaw coach who has become a legendary figure in Polish football for his extraordinary track-record at developing young goalkeepers.
Dowhan’s other previous alumni include Jan Mucha and Artur Boruc as well as Szczesny’s father, Maciej. Yet he can still vividly remember the day, exactly a decade ago, when he first met Wojciech.
“He was a 10-year-old boy,” says Dowhan. “His father, whom I was coaching at the time, brought him for me to see if he had a chance to become a goalkeeper.
“I could already see that the lad had a great potential and a natural talent for quick learning. He only needs to repeat a given exercise a few times to master it. His self-confidence is also a key attribute. This is something you cannot learn. My guess is that he inherited this one from his father. He has always been a very charismatic person.”
By the age of 15, Szczesny had already been allowed to take part in a training camp with the Legia first team and, just a year later, he joined Arsenal. Dowhan smiles as he recalls Wojciech and his father together.
“Clearly, they both share a hot temper – they like voicing their opinion,” he says. “Wojciech perhaps even more so. I remember one day when I was coaching Wojciech and his father said to me: ‘look at this guy, he is 15 and he has already outgrown me’.”
Szczesny’s vast self-belief will clearly be crucial tonight at the Nou Camp, particularly in the aftermath of the Carling Cup final.
Laurent Koscielny was most to blame for the misunderstanding that led to Birmingham City's last-minute winner, but there is also the argument that a more experienced goalkeeper might have been more commanding in dealing with the danger.
There was certainly no sign of any lost confidence in his performance against Sunderland on Saturday and Dowhan is certain that Szczesny will relish tonight’s occasion.
“It is like a dream come true for a young keeper like Wojciech,” he says. “In the first game he showed what he is made of and that he can handle the pressure. I expect it to be no different at the Nou Camp although it looks like this test could be even harder.”
As for the future, Dowhan is confident that Szczesny will continue to thrive and believes that Fabianski will return strongly next season following his shoulder surgery.
“Lukasz was always a very intelligent and hard-working guy,” he says. “It is hard to tell if a given player will fulfil his potential at an early age. In the case of Lukasz, it was easier to predict he was going to make it. He left Poland with the label of the best keeper in the Polish league.
“At the moment it is Wojciech who has a chance and Lukasz is injured.But this is a natural cycle, this is how things in football operate. It is like a roller coaster. Both of them have great potential and a high margin for progress.
“They need to keep on working hard. For me, it is a great feeling. Obviously, only one of them can be in the goal, but I support them both and rejoice in their success.”
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