‘A goalkeeper’s position is very reactive’ – Former footballer Peter Schmeichel slams Mikel Arteta’s decision of including youngster in Arsenal

The five-time Premier League title winner for Manchester United, Peter Schmeichel recently slammed Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta’s decision to include David Raya in the team squad for the position of goalkeeper. Earlier this week, Arsenal signed an exclusive £30 million deal with Raya who is set to undergo a medical on 10 August, Thursday.

Peter Schmeichel was in disbelief and claimed that he was unable to understand the manager’s decision of introducing a competition for the number one shirt in the team. 

Recently, while talking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Peter talked about how the position of a goalkeeper is very reactive, and nobody can do anything on their own instead wait for the opportunity, and this competition will push the candidates to make things happen instead of an organic process. 

Peter Schmeichel on David Raya’s inclusion in Arsenal

‘I cannot understand how a manager can come to the conclusion that it’s a great thing to have competition for the number one shirt’ said Peter Schmeichel on BBC Radio 5 Live.

‘A goalkeeper’s position is very reactive. You cannot create anything on your own, you have to wait for things to happen. You’re now asking your goalkeeper to prove you’re better than the other one. That means you now have to go and do stuff, and you don’t want that. It’s the one position on the pitch where you just want steady’ said Peter 

‘When you have a competition situation he also plays that game for himself and for that position, and I don’t get it. What you do is you put a lot of insecurity into the two of them’ added Peter Schmeichel 

‘At the same time, having two challenging for number one, you’re also creating potentially a bad atmosphere in the dressing room because it’s a straight-up competition between two guys who will either start or not play’ said Schmeichel 

‘They need to know if it goes wrong, which it does now and again, everyone makes a mistake and every one costs a goal, that the manager says, ‘that’s alright, mate, you’re still my number one’. You need to have that confidence. If you don’t, you cannot perform 100 per cent for the team’ concluded Peter Schmeichel on BBC Radio 5 Live.