Play Szczesny or let him go, Polish hero tells Wenger

Poland’s most famous goalkeeper, Jan Tomaszewski believes Wojciech Szczesny should leave Arsenal for a loan spell rather than play second fiddle to David Ospina, who replaced him for Sunday’s win over Stoke City.

Tomaszewski was furious Szczesny was fined €25,000 for smoking in the dressing room after Arsenal’s loss against Southampton and is convinced the custodian would benefit from a spell away from the Emirates.

“I think the smoking in the showers incident was only an excuse to fine Wojciech,” said Tomaszewski. “Wenger made sure that someone was a scapegoat. He is losing in the race for the Champions League, and if they miss out on the competition, that would be a huge loss for the club. Of course, Szczesny was at fault for both goals against Southampton, but that’s not the most important thing in this situation.”

Tomaszewski is the former Poland goalkeeper who famously kept England at bay in 1973 and was voted Best Goalkeeper at the 1974 World Cup, where he saved two penalties in two games. He also recommended that Poland national team manager Adam Nawalka visit Wenger in London to help plead Szczesny’s case.

“Nawalka should head to London and have a one-on-one talk with Arsene Wenger,” Tomaszewski told Polish newspaper Katowicki Sport. “Everything must be done to solve this situation well for all parties. If Wojciech is dropped, then he should be loaned out, somewhere where he will play regularly. And it has to be done right now, because if we wake up in February, it will be too late.”

Wenger suggested before the Stoke game that a break from the front-line would do Szczesny some good. “David Ospina did well in the last game and deserves to play again. Szczesny has played many games and it’s a good opportunity to look at Ospina,” the coach said. “There’s no discipline involved. He’s picked only on form and sometimes fatigue as well. Goalkeepers’ concentration is very high, they need a break too. Ospina reads the game well and has good experience, he played for Colombia at the World Cup.”

Ospina has made four appearances for Arsenal and conceded three goals. His journey into the team in north London is similar to that at his last club, Nice, whom he joined as an 18-year-old in 2008. He started out as back-up to Lionel Letizi and, struggling with the language and his living arrangements, was not sure he made the right decision. His wife Jessica convinced him to stick it out.

“She was so important in that period,” he said She convinced me and that’s why I’m still playing in Europe, because of her.”

Within four months, he had supplanted Letizi as the number one. Ospina was outstanding for Colombia in their run to the World Cup quarter-finals.

Meanwhile Alexis Sanchez’s dynamic performances are inspiring other Arsenal players to raise their game, says midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Chile forward Sanchez was again the Gunners’ talisman against Stoke, scoring twice and setting up the opener.

“When you see someone working hard from the front and maybe if they close three players down and don’t win the ball back, then you are not there to back him up, you do have to look at yourself and think ‘why was I not there to help my team-mate out?’ It does set the tone for the rest of the team,” said Oxlade-Chamberlain.

“There are definitely a lot of boys learning from him.”