It’s not very often you see a goalkeeper with delusions of striking grandeur.

Maybe in the last minute of an important cup clash or a title-defining game. But on Wednesday we were treated to this unusual event twice in a matter of minutes.

First Jens Lehman went up to try and snatch an equaliser for Arsenal at Fulham then, thanks to the matches being played at slightly different times, we were able to watch Jaaskelainen do the same thing for Bolton against Chelsea.

Neither scored, or even touched the ball, but it has to be said that their very presence in the opposition’s box caused a considerable amount of chaos.

Which leads me to believe we should see keepers used as emergency strikers more often.

If you are going to lose by a single goal you might as well lose by two. Goal difference is important, I admit, but gaining one point instead of none has surely got to be even more important.

Not to mention the fact that you rarely, if ever, see the opposing team go down the other end and score in the absence of a goalkeeper. Normally someone gets back to defend or the attacking player loses his bottle and fluffs the chance.

For the most part goalkeepers are about as much use as porcelain hammers when it comes to using their feet. But they are a whole different kettle of fish when it comes to heading the ball with most of them blessed with considerable height.

On top of everything else, a goalkeeper coming up for last minute corners shows a lot of passion and desire to win which goes down well with the fans.

I, for one, would love to see my team’s goalkeeper running round the opponent’s box in the 93rd minute. Let’s face it, he can’t miss more opportunities than the regular strikers have been doing….

Arsene Wenger

No matter how much brave talk he makes or how many excuses he finds, at some point Arsene Wenger is going to have to admit Arsenal are in crisis.

For the first time since he took over at the club there are murmurs of discontent amongst the supporters and it’s hardly surprising considering their miserable league form.

Defeats, once a rare commodity at Arsenal, are now coming thick and fast. Wins, normally a formality against most teams, are now thin on the ground. The brave new team Wenger is trying to build appears to be dying a death before it has even been properly developed.

For me the most telling sign that all is not well at the club comes from Henry. He is now playing like a man with a bad case of the ‘Vieraitis’ – an affliction which strikes when you have signed a new contract but almost instantly wish you had left instead.

Against Fulham this week, Henry looked bored and disinterested for most of the match, failed to make any of his usual runs and singularly failed to inspire his team mates on to victory. Or even a draw.

I sincerely hope Wenger manages to sort out his problems and fast. For me there is no better team in the world to watch than Arsenal in full flow. They can play beautiful football at time, top-drawer stuff.

But equally, they can be frustrating, trying to string together an extra three or four passes when a shot would suffice.

I still believe Wenger has the intelligence to turn things round. But if he doesn’t do so soon, he might find the unrest amongst the fans turns nasty. And when the fans turn against you, the chairman and directors are normally not far behind.

Despite his past achievements, and there have been plenty, Wenger shouldn’t believe he is immune to the sack. Any manager, no matter what they have done historically, is only as good as his most recent results. And, in Arsenal’s case, they have simply not been good enough.

Week’s top quote

Now for the week’s top quote.

Sunderland boss Roy Keane has been moaning about the fact modern footballers are only interested in money.

“Players are different to how they were a few years ago. It was all about playing and doing well, but priorities have changed – they are more obsessed with money,” he whined.

Hmmm. If memory serves, and I know it does because I checked it out, wasn’t Mr Keane the first Premiership footballer ever to earn 50,000 sterling a week?

The words pot and kettle spring to mind…

Contact James on: [email protected]