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YOU rarely achieve much with a suspect goalkeeper.
Over the last two decades, the only example of a team carrying a keeper to the title was probably Manchester United and Mark Bosnich in 1999-2000.
Then, again, United were such a class apart at the time they ended EIGHTEEN points ahead of runners-up Arsenal.
The current Gunners outfit, who take on Spurs at The Emirates tomorrow, aren't in the same league.
They have four goalkeepers on the books - Vito Mannone, Manuel Almunia, Lukasz Fabianski and teen Wojciech Szczesny - and none, for one reason or other, look up to the job.
It's a strange situation for a club that down the years had huge characters like Jack Kelsey, Bob Wilson, Pat Jennings, David Seaman and Jens Lehmann between the posts.
Even Jimmy Rimmer and John Lukic were a rung above anything they have now.
Keepers remain Arsene Wenger's blind spot - remember Richard Wright and Rami Shaaban? A situation even more worrying for Arsenal fans than his failure to replace Sol Campbell.
Look at their rivals and there's no comparison - Petr Cech (Chelsea), Edwin van der Sar (Man Utd), Pepe Reina (Liverpool) and Shay Given (Man City).
In fact, you would be hard pushed to find a Premier League club WITHOUT a better keeper than the four at Arsenal.
Arsenal's problems started with the demise of Lehmann in the European Championship year of 2007-08.
For three seasons, the experienced German proved a solid if eccentric replacement for the legendary Seaman.
But Lehmann's form deserted him in the autumn of 2007, Almunia came in and, despite the problems directly in front of him, did well enough to even suggest he might be the answer to England's own goalkeeping concerns.
Now, though, his game is in crisis after missing the last 10 games since letting in four at Manchester City.
But the real damage was done in the previous match at Old Trafford where he needlessly brought down Wayne Rooney for a penalty, then failed to take control of his area as Abou Diaby headed a spectacular own goal - and a match Arsenal should have won was lost.
There has been talk of a chest infection, though others claim his confidence has gone.
And then we have Mannone. The Italian made his name with one outstanding game at Fulham but, even then, his tendency to push the ball into danger areas was apparent.
He had some shaky moments against Blackburn and Birmingham but it was his blunder for the first West Ham goal on Sunday that really set alarm bells ringing.
Rather than pushing Alessandro Diamanti's free-kick round the post, he battered it back into play for Carlton Cole to start the Hammers' shock comeback.
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As has happened with Arsenal before this season, mass panic broke out.
At a time when William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen are attempting to create a viable partnership at centre-half, the last thing they need is a goalkeeper they don't trust.
Arsenal desperately require a goalkeeper not only of ability but one who, like Lehmann, talks to his defenders (even if they don't like what he is saying).
Until they do, they will continue to throw away the points that, in a very mediocre season at the top of the Premier League, could win them the title.
Almunia may get one last chance at rehabilitation tomorrow.
Arsenal fans will be hoping he doesn't let it slip through his fingers.
Over the last two decades, the only example of a team carrying a keeper to the title was probably Manchester United and Mark Bosnich in 1999-2000.
Then, again, United were such a class apart at the time they ended EIGHTEEN points ahead of runners-up Arsenal.
The current Gunners outfit, who take on Spurs at The Emirates tomorrow, aren't in the same league.
They have four goalkeepers on the books - Vito Mannone, Manuel Almunia, Lukasz Fabianski and teen Wojciech Szczesny - and none, for one reason or other, look up to the job.
It's a strange situation for a club that down the years had huge characters like Jack Kelsey, Bob Wilson, Pat Jennings, David Seaman and Jens Lehmann between the posts.
Even Jimmy Rimmer and John Lukic were a rung above anything they have now.
Keepers remain Arsene Wenger's blind spot - remember Richard Wright and Rami Shaaban? A situation even more worrying for Arsenal fans than his failure to replace Sol Campbell.
Look at their rivals and there's no comparison - Petr Cech (Chelsea), Edwin van der Sar (Man Utd), Pepe Reina (Liverpool) and Shay Given (Man City).
In fact, you would be hard pushed to find a Premier League club WITHOUT a better keeper than the four at Arsenal.
Arsenal's problems started with the demise of Lehmann in the European Championship year of 2007-08.
For three seasons, the experienced German proved a solid if eccentric replacement for the legendary Seaman.
But Lehmann's form deserted him in the autumn of 2007, Almunia came in and, despite the problems directly in front of him, did well enough to even suggest he might be the answer to England's own goalkeeping concerns.
Now, though, his game is in crisis after missing the last 10 games since letting in four at Manchester City.
But the real damage was done in the previous match at Old Trafford where he needlessly brought down Wayne Rooney for a penalty, then failed to take control of his area as Abou Diaby headed a spectacular own goal - and a match Arsenal should have won was lost.
There has been talk of a chest infection, though others claim his confidence has gone.
And then we have Mannone. The Italian made his name with one outstanding game at Fulham but, even then, his tendency to push the ball into danger areas was apparent.
He had some shaky moments against Blackburn and Birmingham but it was his blunder for the first West Ham goal on Sunday that really set alarm bells ringing.
Rather than pushing Alessandro Diamanti's free-kick round the post, he battered it back into play for Carlton Cole to start the Hammers' shock comeback.
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//Retrieve Blue Lithium & Bull frog Cookie Value var blueLithium = "No"; blueLithium = get_cookie("BL")==null?"No":get_cookie("BL"); var RStag = ""; try{ RStag = segQS; } catch(e){ RStag = ""; } document.write(''); var ACE_AR = {Site: '751496', Size: '300250', Region: '2'}; oz_sensor_filter="domain";
Dim adsVB,po adsVB=0 If ScriptEngineMajorVersion >=2 then adsVB=1 Function adsAX(aX) on error resume next If adsVB=1 then adsAX=False set po=CreateObject(aX) adsAX=IsObject(po) If (err) then adsAX=False Else adsAX=False End If End Function <script language='JavaScript1.1' src='http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/adj/N4189.Platform_A/B3604832.22;abr=!ie;sz=300x250;click=http://servedby2.advertising.com/click/site=0000751496/mnum=0000672173/cstr=72978726=_4aeb3b96,4224157880,751496^672173^7 0^0,1_/xsxdata=$xsxdata/bnum=72978726/optn=64?trg=;ord=[unique-string]?'></script>As has happened with Arsenal before this season, mass panic broke out.
At a time when William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen are attempting to create a viable partnership at centre-half, the last thing they need is a goalkeeper they don't trust.
Arsenal desperately require a goalkeeper not only of ability but one who, like Lehmann, talks to his defenders (even if they don't like what he is saying).
Until they do, they will continue to throw away the points that, in a very mediocre season at the top of the Premier League, could win them the title.
Almunia may get one last chance at rehabilitation tomorrow.
Arsenal fans will be hoping he doesn't let it slip through his fingers.