Arsene Wenger (and most Arsenal fans I guess) have been pleasantly surprised with the way Vito Mannone has stepped up to the plate after the unexpected injuries to Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski, but he has admitted that if a suitable offer had come in for the Italian keeper this summer then he would have let him leave the Emirates.
“He always believed in himself and was ready to show me that but he had no real opportunity to play,” Wenger said.
“Szczesny has the No.1 shirt and it is up to the others to win it. He has not lost it but there is competition now.
“When I sent Mannone to Hull, I watched him every single game and all the reports I had were very positive. I was quite surprised no club went for him because I would have let him go.”
Wenger also made it clear that it would still be hard for him to demote Szczesny despite Mannone’s good form right now and he explained his reasons: “The goalies need competition but also confidence,” he continued. “It is a special position where, if you are challenged every time, if you change every time, you cannot be good.
“If Gianluigi Buffon makes a mistake he knows he will play for Juventus the next game and if Joe Hart makes a mistake he knows he will play for Manchester City the next game.
“That’s important, but if, over a period of time, their standards drop, and somebody comes in, that’s different.”
Would Arsenal fans say that Szczesny’s standards have dropped “over a period of time”?
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