Petr Cech may still possess a lot of quality, but for how much longer can Arsenal rely on him as their number one?
It was just after he signed for Arsenal in 2014 that Petr Cech announced this intentions to continue playing until he was 40.
“I don’t want to speak about retirement for another seven years. That’s my target and then I will see,” he said.
This, of course, isn’t new ground for goalkeepers.
Many keepers, most notably Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon, play well into their late-thirties, while some keep going into their late forties. The position comes with its own physical challenges, but is well-known for having the most longevity in football. Unlike outfield players, keepers don’t decline as they get older.
If anything, they get better.
Three years after Cech signed for the club, one has to wonder if the club is prepared for four more years of him as number one. There’s little doubt in Arsene Wenger’s mind that Cech is the undisputed first choice at the club. There hasn’t been a single rumour about a new keeper, while Wojciech Szczesny, who some considered to be even better than Cech, was sacrificed to maintain the status quo.
However, that in itself is a concern.
There’s a feeling that if the opportunity to sign a better keeper came along, Arsenal wouldn’t exactly jump at it. Such was the case with Szczesny.
Fresh off an impressive two years at Roma, home-grown and adored by the Arsenal fans, it felt like a prime opportunity for Wenger to forgive past misdemeanour’s and restore him as the club’s first choice.
The lack of effort made to keep him at the club was telling.
Don’t get me wrong, Cech still has plenty of quality. If not for him, we wouldn’t have ended last season so well, and there have been numerous games in the last three years where he’s spared the defence’s blushes.
Yet with every year that goes by, his ability to get down to those low shots in the corner wanes just a bit more, and we’re still waiting for him to even get close to a penalty.
It may not be the most pressing concern, but it’s one to keep an eye on.
There was a reason why Chelsea eventually replaced Cech, a big crowd favourite and club legend, with the younger Thibaut Courtois.
Should a talent like that somehow end up coming Arsenal’s way, it might be worth reconsidering Cech’s status as undisputed first choice.