Szczesny - I'm loving the physical battle

By Nick Teale
 
Wojciech Szczesny is thriving under the pressure for results at Brentford and says he relishes the battle every time he pulls on a Bees shirt.
 
The Polish goalkeeper signed a one-month loan deal with the League One club at the end of November and has played in all five of the Griffin Park outfit's league games since.
 
Szczesny has kept two clean sheets for Andy Scott's side and says that League One's competitive edge gives him a real buzz.
 
"I'm really enjoying it here," he told Arsenal.com. "I've got a chance to go and train with Arsenal twice a week so that's good as well. I'm really loving it at the moment.
 
"In the lower leagues there are 22 players coming out for a battle every week and you have to come out and fight and compete for every single ball and stay focused for 90 minutes, so that's very good for me.
 
"I'm not the smallest goalkeeper fortunately. I think I can deal with it but of course there's some mistakes sometimes but it's part of learning and of gaining that experience.
 
"It is difficult but I was expecting it, I'm not surprised and I just deal with it. I think concentration was a weakness of mine, so hopefully I'll improve that."
 
The 19-year-old made his Arsenal debut in the Carling Cup victory over West Brom earlier this season and says he is savouring the opportunity of playing competitive football week-in, week-out.
 
"We want to win every single game," he said. "I want to feel that pressure and hopefully take something on and come back stronger to Arsenal.
 
The loan move has also given the youngster a chance to develop important skills that he might not get the chance to work on as much with the Gunners.
 
"My distribution must have improved a lot because in one game I kick more long balls than I kick all season for Arsenal," he explained.
 
"You have to come for crosses a lot here and the players and managers expect you to do that.
 
"But the most important thing is playing regular first-team football and that gives me the experience I need at this age."
 
And just days before signing the loan deal with Brentford, Szczesny made his full international debut for Poland as a second-half substitute in their goalless draw against Canada.
 
"It was a great week," said the keeper.
 
"I was with the national team for ten days and that was my first game so it gave me a lot of confidence.
 
"I came back to Arsenal hoping to get some football and I signed a deal with Brentford and played at the weekend so it was a really good week for me."

[Monday, December 14, 2009]

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