Is there anyone who would dispute David Raya’s status as Arsenal’s number one? I do not think so, and neither does BBC pundit Garth Crooks.
Many were perplexed when Mikel Arteta approved Raya’s arrival last summer, given that Aaron Ramsdale had established himself as Arsenal’s first-choice goalie in the last few seasons. His brilliance had some predicting him to be the next England Three Lions first-choice shot stopper.
Nonetheless, it appears that the Arsenal technical bench believed Ramsdale was not their ideal custodian and hence pushed to bring in Raya, who appears to have been the goalie tailor-made for Arteta’s project given his assured position in Arteta’s starting 11.
Since dropping Ramsdale following the September international break, Mikel Arteta has relied too much on Raya in goal, starting him in almost every game. Since then, Ramsdale has only appeared in league cups, a dead rubber Champions League game, and one league game against Brentford (a game Raya couldn’t play).
Raya has experienced both highs and lows throughout his time as an Arsenal goalie. He was erroneous at first, but he has grown stronger over time. He has been outstanding in recent games, with excellent ball distribution. Gooners can begin to understand why Arteta signed him in the first place.
Garth Crooks was thrilled with his performance in the 3-1 victory over Liverpool; therefore, he included him in his Premier League Match Day 23 squad of the week. The BBC pundit praises the Spaniard for his resurgence and believes we are beginning to discover what he is actually all about.
“I was rather surprised by the way Mikel Arteta first introduced Raya into the Arsenal set-up, especially when Aaron Ramsdale appeared to have done nothing wrong. However, things have settled down since the Spanish goalkeeper took the number one spot,” Crooks said.
“His confidence has steadily improved with every game. He looked especially commanding in their 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest and even more secure in their 3-1 victory over Liverpool. Consecutive wins have taken the Gunners within two points of Jurgen Klopp’s Premier League leaders, and Raya is starting to look like he’s the real deal.”
I don’t think you do, but do you still doubt Raya’s status as Arsenal’s number one? After bringing him on loan for £3 million, Arsenal are now certain to make his deal permanent in the summer for £27 million.
Sam P
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If he is better than Ramsdale, which is completely up for debate, is he so significantly better that it’s worth the 30m…….or are we addressing minor issues in the squad vs the glaringly obvious larger issues elsewhere (again).
Are there more pressing gaps to fill in our squad? 100% yes
Suppose it depends on the amount of cash we are going to have to spend and if there will be any form of effort to actually sell players for the first time.
The fact is that Arsenal had sold Turner and we DEFINITELY needed a second keeper whoever it was. Surely we should be happy that Arteta has improved the squad (nobody really rated Turner) and IF Raya got injured, we should be happy to have another top class keeper to replace him, no?
Forgetting the part where Ramsdale will definitely push for a move aren’t we Pat, and will likely have many clubs coming in for him.
That is the full story, not half of it…..
Yes of course that is possible, and if that happens we can also be certain that Arteta will have to buy yet another keeper as competition for Raya, and he may even bring in someone that is better than Ramsdale!
Which isn’t Raya, who seems to have a mistake in him in every game I have watched him. I don’t think the defence fully trust him, and I think he will cost us more and more as the season goes on. I think Ramsdale will be off as he wants to play for England and needs regular play
Arteta tying to be Pepe GK playing with feet we are not city , do we forget ramsdale got us there not a foot wrong , balogun better than nk joke we are poorer than last yr
jeeesh i’m really trying to understand what you’re telling but i can’t
I wonder if Arteta told Ramsdale he was bringing in Raya to be his number 1 when Ramsdale signed his new contract.
My problem with Arteta is, he is all about himself, and he doesn’t seem to care who falls by the wayside in his endeavors.
I believe this will catch up with him one day
You have a point about whether is would have been worth spending £30 million on other positions. However it was deferred due to Raya loan status and is only due by summer.
I disagree.
Buying a keeper at the level of Raya for £30m is good business.
This is not a minor issue as the GK is a key part of how the team is set up and plays.
Whether there were more pressing issues to address; and available solutions is up for debate.
We now have two good quality GKs which was absolutely the right thing to do.
We have a decent keeper already, you are trying to make it sound like we dont! We have a good keeps, getting another “starting level” keeper if you have 1 already is a minor issue compared to not having a LB or not having a B2B midfielder….so you can say there aren’t more pressing issues but you’re simply wrong.
Keeping in mind Ramsdale wants to leave, so no we’ll be in the exact same boat we were in just 30mil in the hole.
We had a decent GK in Ramsdale However, Raya is also a very good goalkeeper, and there are certain aspects of his game which are superior to Ramsdale’s. The manager has clearly made a judgement that this was important to address and in my view that is understandable given what Raya gives to the team. As some others have noted the arrangement gives us two good quality GKs.
The LB issue was being addressed but unfortunately, injuries have been an issue.
Whether we could have invested in another top MF alongside other issues to address is uncertain. Top MFs are expensive.
The way Raya’s deal has been structured suggests the influence of certain financial restrictions or requirements.
If Arteta had been handled the same way he handled Ramsdale, by seeking improvement at the slightest sign of weakness, he would have been long gone from Arsenal. He should have allowed Ramsdale to develop in areas where he was lacking, just as Arsenal fans and management have allowed him to make mistakes and grow into his coaching role.
I get your point but ultimately the team has to have a fully functioning and developed goalkeeper if it is going to be successful, added to the fact that transfer windows are twice yearly.
If for whatever reason, the board was not happy to be patient with Arteta after a period of time then he would have been sacked at their time of choosing.
Got nothing to do with the board in SS comparison, he’s pointing out the glaringly obvious hypocrisy at work between the patience MA has received vs the patience he gives out.
I disagree
Where is the hypocrisy? Arteta and the board are different entities
I was watching Man city vs Brentford and realised why Raya had to leave. Pat will support anything wrong MA does and make you believe its right.Raya has already cost Arsenal points. He could not react in time to pick the ball when SALIBA was protecting it. NO write about how MA MUST IMPROVE THE TEAM BY INTRODUCING MORE HOME GROWN TALENT AND SAVE THE CLUB MONEY!!!!!
That is a ridiculous assertion. Are you saying that Arteta should have promoted a goalkeeper from the Academy rather than buy an experienced keeper like Raya???
If you think that I support EVERYTHING that Arteta does, then I will counter you by saying that you will ALWAYS say that Arteta is doing wrong. THAT is a fact!
Never seen you critical of Arteta Pat even when warranted.
Although I love Ramsdale I can see why he took a chance on Raya. Its a stats driven role and Raya comes out on top. However I think Ramsdale was on an upwards trajectory. Other than a couple games Raya has been solid so I’m fine with it
Not much difference in defence than last season looking at the tables so is questionable whether Raya has made a difference to date.
Last season p23 w17 d3 l3 f 51 a21 Pts 54.
This season p23 w15 d4 l4 f47 a22 Pts 49
To me the stand out is that the attack has not done as badly as the media makes out and is only 4 goals short of last season. The interesting issues are :
will the lack of a “goal scorer” keep us from winning something?
will the defence “survive” an inury to Saliba or Gabriel (like what happened last season?
will Raya perform when it matters under extreme pressure?
“will Raya perform when it matters under extreme pressure?”
Not just Raya – the same question can be asked of most of our players. We won’t know until the time comes. I think this is the most important question by far.
Imo the main reason for our very slight decline compared to last season is that we had two rock solid CMs in partey and xhaka up until around this time (when partey in particular dropped off and we had those other issues to contend with) – the fact we’re still close to the top is very positive imo (and likely speaks to how good rice has been in our midfield).
Strange you say not much difference when stats clearly show that Ramsdale is the better keeper. It’s like night and day. if we had 54 points now, we would be topping the league
Sorry to be so dismissive but that is the most half baked argument I’ve seen since I woke up this morning
don’t act as if you didn’t recall Ramsdale blunder against Fulham. drop in points is also attributed to strikers’ loss of form. you put all the blame on Raya which is unfair
I’m seeing Ramsdale gone In the summer and a good keeper signed to deputize Raya. The “change” from the transaction would help to defray Raya’s outstanding £27m payment.
But if Ramsdale should be disposed to stay and play second fiddle, I’d gladly keep him
You very first line dis WRONG Sam, as I am just one among what I think are still very ,many who far prefer RAMSDALE
I WOULD ALSO BE GRATEFUL IF IN FUTURE YOU DO NOT TRY TO SPEAK FOR ME!
I accept that RAYAS abiity to throw a ball out quickly to half way or beyond has won over SOME previous RAMSDALE preferers, but I for just one, still hold the more traditional view that the bettertkeeper for world class saves- as RAMSDALE spent two previous seasons doing- is ALWAYS OUR NUMBER ONE.
Simply put the two and a hald inches shorter RAYA ha snot provenr thst he can match RAMSDALE FOR WORLD CLASS SAVES.
Moreover RAYA has made at least as many errors as Ramsdale on average per game played.
For me it no contest and Ramsdale all day long.
Jon
It seems it comes down to preferences;
A defensive keeper who saves goals or one good at distribution. Ramsdale better defensively, Raya at distribution.
Personally I have not seen an improvement that justifies the additional spending for Raya.
IMHO I’m old school and prefer a keeper who saves goals and fullbacks that can actually defend.
Doesn’t mean they can’t adapt and evolve, but defenders should focus on defense first is all.
Durand
Interesting to read your post. In amongst it you mention the extra cost of having Raya. Won’t Ramsdale fetch a good fee if sold in the summer?
I bet you he won’t after Arteta announced to the world he doesn’t want him.
🙄
SueP
Likely less because possible clubs know 2 things
1. Ramsdale is not first choice, in fact not even a competition to fight for it
2. Ramsdale will want out and to leave
Clubs will not pay full price, Arsenal have made it clear Ramsdale is not preferred or even competing for the GK spot.
It’s Arteta’s decision, he needs his players to perform and carry out his vision for the team. Fair enough he is the manager.
But the man management and how this impacts potential transfer fees continues to be a concern.
When players are “frozen out” it sends the wrong message and makes it difficult to get good value from their sales.
Durand surely the clue is in the name “GOALKEEPER”, as in keeing OUT goals against. There is far too much pseudo nonsense, too easily accepted by non deep thinkers on JA about what the PRIME duty of ANY top level keeper, OUGHT to always be.
The prime duty and first and by far the most important talent a top level ever has, is the PROVEN ABILITY TO KEEP OUT EFFORTS ON OUR GOAL and greater than a lesser keeper at saving them shows.
And based on thst REALISTIC assessment, RAMSDALE has proven over two whole previous seasons to be better than Raya has shown in our shirt.
Simple as that! As it seems you also wisely agree!
Jon
I think we both agree defenders should defend first. Sure they have to adapt to the “modern style” of today’s football, but not at the cost of being a defender.
GK is last line of defense, and better to have a shot stopper than a distributor in my opinion.
I’m happy to see his distribution and ball handling skills, but I believe Ramsdale can also do it
If Arsenal sign Raya permanently, I don’t think Ramsdale will stay next season
gai, You can bet you life that in the scenario you suggest, which will certainly HAPPEN, Ramsdale will want out and WILL be sold.
Which wil be IMO a grave mistake, to rank alonside when we kept LENO but let the superior MARTINEZ leave. Sigh!
It’d be sad to see Ramsdale leaving, but maybe Raya has some better stats
The better stats of raya is sum up by Sergio Ramos thus
“‘I think that in the end we played face to face, both against Real Madrid and Arsenal. It is true that it is difficult not to see a difference before we played the teams that, for me, currently play the best in Europe.
‘And playing face to face with this type of team and knowing that they create from the back and want to create by playing football from the goalkeeper’s kick, is not easy”.
https://www.justarsenal.com/sevilla-star-admits-arsenal-is-one-of-the-best-clubs-in-europe/351914
If there was an honest competition as Arteta originally mentioned, then maybe it would be worth it to Ramsdale to stay and fight for his place.
But GK position was decided the moment Raya signed, and the door closed for Ramsdale.
A shame because competition makes everyone better, and without it stagnation tends to set in.
Yes Durand, when a manager publicly says one thing but immediatoley does the opposite- meaning that statement about rotation and choosing the better but varying them, which he DID NOT DO,then no wonder so many fans do not trust his word. And in RAYA’s case, I dont trust MA’s judgement either, even though I much support MA overall.
But we are surely entitled, are we not, on a JA fan site to give our OWN HONESTLY HELD OPINIONS!
I note the majority on here are still firmly with RAMSDALE AS THEIR CHOICE.
I also feel pretty sure he will be off this summer though and who could blame him either. Sigh!
In Arteta’s opinion Raya must be better so he plays. The fact that you do not believe Raya is better does not mean the manager is dishonest. It is simply a difference of opinion about the GKs.
I’m not firmly with Ramsdale at all
Not for or against but definitely not totally in favour after half a season of Raya – who was as nervous as hell at the beginning
I don’t expect Ramsdale to stay at Arsenal next season. A top keeper like him won’t continue to warm the bench else his career will nose dive.. There isn’t any real difference between the two keepers. Ramsdale & Raya.
I heard Hein and Okonkwo are also leaving, so Arsenal might need to sign a new GK to compete with Raya
raya would not start for any other team in prem hes that bad the way he came out against the pool like a scared five year old
Raya has, slowly but surely, started to show the reasons why MA decided to sign him.
His ability to throw defence splitting balls has benefitted the team greatly and his control at the back wiyh the ball at his feet are both areas that Ramsdale lacks.
I have also observed the way his team mates are actually appreciative of his contribution and he seems to be integrated completely into the squad.
I feel really sorry for Ramsdale, however, as it is obvious he has suffered the same kind of treatment that other players have been subjected to under MA’s style of management.
Of course we don’t know what has been said behind closed doors, but I find Mikel’s way of doing things very harsh and unfeeling.
However, he is the manager and we are seeing the results of his style of man management and Ramsdale is the latest to sit on the bench through no fault of his own performances.
I’m hoping that Ramsdale will sit tight and learn from attributes that Raya undoubtedly has and the fact that the latter has the shirt means patience – I have altered my view slightly and now see Raya as the better keeper because of the style of play MA wants to play… but it is such a tough call to make.
All I will say is that Ramsdale has conducted himself admirably throughout and is a credit to his profession.
Not entirely sure how anyone can say he is a step up from Ramsdale – assuming Aaron stays, personally J would have no worries about Arsenal not turning Raya’s loan into a permanent transfer.
Whilst there is little doubt that Saliba should have hoofed clear before Liverpool’s equaliser, I was staggered that Raya didn’t do far more to dive onto the ball – very poor.
The end of the season is all that matters! If the team wins something then havertz and Raya came in, made the team better and we won something significant because of the two competitions left open to us. I think they got the Declan rice deal right and the timber deal right. The Raya deal and havartz deal were the wrong deals for me. I far prefer Ramsdale in goal. I also think Ramsdale would have improved, become an even better keeper this season making even more crazy save then he did when he played the full season for us. His touches and distribution would have got better, he would aLeo be motivated to play well because he was within reach of the England no1 spot. We could have brought in a younger decent keeper to deputize for him. (Trafford) (meslier, Leeds) Anyway it is what it is and the seasons end will be analyzed thoroughly.
I agree and share almost all of your thoughts.
I only disagree with the second sentence. Those two additions in Raya and Havertz, especially the later, have not improved the team a bit, and even if we win the league, can’t take the credits, for me.
Everyone is saying Raya IMPROVED, when Ramsdale could easily have had those same and arguably better improvements.
And one thing that amuses about these fans is, maybe when they manage to now see Ramsdale play just one match and he doesn’t look his best, “aha we said it, Arteta and Raya are justified” – sadly it’s how most folks do their assessment.
Arteta then kept talking about “competition”, and I bet continually playing his fav week-in-week-out with the very rare random chance for the other is what competition means to him.
Name me one (ex-)professional who actually supported that idea – virtually none – competition for a gk role when you have one of the best goalies?! Everything just sounds too fancy to most modern folks on paper.
I know this isn’t about Havertz, but the poor lad manages to do just basic things right in only a couple of games and you see them coming to defend a player who’s easily worse than a Pepe we all agreed flopped, and earns even way higher.
The bottom line: both are very very unnecessary deals and we could have easily used their resources way better.
Totally agree dO2!
Raya looks absolutely fine in those games where the opposition barely try to attack, and so he hardly has a save to make. Unfortunately, when the pressure is on, and he actually has to make big saves he looks so nervous and indecisive. He cost us points against Chelsea, Newcastle and Spurs (although fortunately his blunders against Luton didn’t cost us in the end). Ramsdale will probably leave, so we will definitely need to buy a much better goalkeeper in the summer as Raya is just not good enough if we want to have a chance of winning trophies.
I have honestly not seen anything from Raya that makes him, the automatic no1 and replace Ramsdale no questions. Raya is an ok keeper, for me thats it. Arteta sold the best keeper for peanuts and i cant see how putting Raya in and letting Ramsdale go in the summer, makes us better. Its just musical goalkeepers. Arteta prefers Raya, thats his perogative but please don’t make out there is a fair fight for no1, there wasn’t isnt and never will be, thats probably what gauls people. There is no fight.
Yes lets not forget we got rid of probably the best GK in the world because………..he wanted to be assured to be no.1 come start of the season which is fair given MAs tendencies to just decide you are no longer in his plans out of the blue. Smart foresight from Martinez based on previous actions he’d witnessed.
On top of getting rid of the best or 1 of the best GKs in the world….we now will spend 60k-70k on the 2 keepers that followed him 😶
Oh my.
Will you ever get over it?
The fact is that we got a very good price for “the best goalkeeper in the world” and now we are gradually improving our squad.
History tells us that players move on and some are successful but 90% are not
Question: Are we safely in the Top Four RIGHT NOW?????
We got less money than we are paying for Raya and Martinez is the highest ranked goalkeeper in the world. Raya isn’t anywhere near. It wasn’t about money, it was about no realising what you had, slapping you in the face.
Might i add. If we win the league with Raya or CL, he is 100% the right keeper and there is no argument. If we dont, then the questions still remain.
What?
All down to a one man?
No Sue, we cant argue over any signings, if the goals are achieved, including signing Raya.
You can drone on as much as you want I couldn’t care less
Martinez is s far superior keeper to both Ramsdale and Raya. If you don’t like that truth and can’t argue against it, it’s not my problem.
HINDSIGHT
Martinez is a clown and most likely a dressing room cancer that did not fit into the new culture that MA was trying to build. Look at the current team vs Ozil, Auba, Mustafi and on. He may be a decent keeper, but he is no Neuer in his prime!
In your opinion!!!!!!!
Precisely true and well said too!
It has not been a season where there has been a stand out keeper and even the likes of Alisson and Ederson have made uncharacteristic errors which have proved costly..In practical terms I don’t believe any of our young stoppers are ready to step up but with Ramsdale fairly certain to ask away in view of the impact of his future with Arsenal and England ,we will probably need to bring in a strong number two when he departs.While I have yet to be convinced by Raya, Arteta evidently rates him highly and like Havertz, he seems set to be a first pick for some time.On the issue of keepers the current incumbents at Burnley and Leicester have done very well in matches I have seen this season.
Agree 100% on Martinez, Ramsdale and Raya.
Arteta has many, many, strengths and visions – sadly I believe the goalkeeper situation is the one that eludes him.
I think he relies on his goalkeeping coach too much. He chose Runarson and Raya. Or at least worked with both, away from Arsenal.
Well, as far as Martinez goes, he got a lucky break when Leno got injured. Nobody at that point had considered EM a number one keeper. He was very assured but the decision to choose the number one keeper can only be made by MA and not be a demand from Martinez
If Raya is preferred by Arteta then as manager that’s his choice. Rotten luck for Ramsdale who will no doubt get another premier league team so his career is hardly going to be in tatters
Martinez didn’t demand to be number one if I recall properly.
Martinez:
“I was told that there was a 95 percent chance I would start against Fulham [on the first day of the season], but I just thought, ‘why not 100 percent?’ Something didn’t feel right. Everyone wanted me to stay, but that’s when I decided to go.”
Please show me where did he DEMAND to be number 1?
He smelled something fishy and he has been proven right. Too bad for them Ramsdale and ESR’s sense of smell are not that strong.
I’m not quite sure how else one is to interpret what he is quoted as saying.
Of course there are no quotes such as “I demand to be number 1” but people can draw their own conclusions about Martinez’s view about the situation at the time.
Classic David, zero comprehension! Martinez wanted to be guaranteed to be the starter at the start of the season which is perfectly fine because he knew his worth.
He never said he expects to be undroppable or never rotated for seasons to come, never! He wanted job assurance which is completely normal in all walks of life.
Hopefully you can finally understand that
Borderline ridiculous
Read my post regarding Martinez
He never had a sniff prior to Leno being injured. A couple of months or so later expecting to be number one?!
I’m referring to the established keeper – as in Leno – being sidelined in favour of a goalkeeper who had never had a real run in the team
Blimey
I really rated EM and still do but he was not at that point in a position to barter with his manager
“I had a discussion with Mikel Arteta, my coach at Arsenal, and I told him that my dream was to play for the national team and that for that I had to leave,” he stated.
“He didn’t like it, but he understood, he told me he would give me an exit voucher and Aston Villa took a gamble on me.
“Thanks to this club, I was able to achieve my goal and this year we are playing in a European cup for the first time in thirteen years. It’s win-win.”
He wasn’t assured to be number 1 and thought that will hurt his World Cup chances. What is wrong in that? It’s why he chose to go to lower club with less competition.
It doesn’t change the fact that Arteta didn’t realize what he had. Nearly made same mistake with Saliba and making the same mistake with ESR and Ramsdale.
It’s not my opinion it’s the reality. One who argues reality delude no one but themselves.
So we are cycling back to the same conclusion. Martinez wanted to be guaranteed the number 1 spot. Arteta was not going to give such an assurance. Martinez is a great GK but a manager trying to build an effective team really needs to be very careful about giving in to demands by a player.
The Saliba and ESR situations are quite different.
Let me ELI5 you on this:
Neither he or Leno were guaranteed first choice. He would have to compete week in week out something which would hurt his World Cup chances.
If at anytime Leno started in front of him and gave the manager no reason to drop him, Martinez World Cup chances would have been slim.
He looked elsewhere with less competition to realize his dream.
What is so difficult to understand?
Raya better 100%not v lpool only 1player run out arms around him , last time ramsdale played all players around him know 1wants him there, we are worse off this yr , all at sea , all areas , sell Rowe,partey,nelson,nk bring in Watkins
Sell Rowe,partey,nk,nelson, bring in Watkins
Personally I supported the acquisition of Raya as I thought he would be replacing Turner as the backup for Ramsdale.
Fast forward I still support him whenever he plays but there is nothing exceptional from him that warranted the total blocking of Ramsdale progress.
Arteta made a mistake. Between this two guys it’s the young Ramsdale who needed game time and more exposure to continue developing into a great keeper he will surely be.
I wish Ramsdale keeps his cool and outstays Arteta at the Arsenal.
So you would have Ramsdale developing?
I absolutely understand the sentiment towards Ramsdale but please put the team first – at least while Arteta runs the show. He sees it differently
Ramsdale developing doesn’t mean he’s horrible atm. On the contrary, he is still better than the developed Raya in my view. Since Raya took over, I haven’t seen a significant change on our play, bar his costly errors. I
What Arteta has done is like taking a 3/5 over a 4/5 student, just because the former has the 1/5 the latter is missing.
The whole topic is subjective
Ramsdale has been a popular character and a good keeper. I don’t think anyone can deny this
Both he and Raya have had dodgy moments in matches- and this happens to all GKs. Certainly, at the beginning, Raya had nervy performances but then regained his composure in each match.
It seems to me that Raya is being scapegoated due to circumstances that have virtually no bearing on his ability.
I think he is growing stronger and more confident in his recent matches. His distribution has been very good.
Didn’t he make another mistake against Liverpool …..and Lens ….Newcastle …..Luton ….Chelsea …..Spurs …..City
Sssshhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!
Its sad that the guys who are in charge of this publication do not want to criticize the gaffer. Pat and Sue do not want to acknowledge that MA just prefers Raya. Nothing beyond that. I am sure they wont even want this comment to be seen. Raya is just not good enough. PERIOD!. The defense is very good. He has very little to do and if he does he messes up. He hasn’t contributed immensely to any game you can point out to say he has won points unlike Ramsdale.
You have a real chip on your shoulder don’t you.
Well okay, I will agree totally what you say about Raya if you can tell me how bad he looks in training as you see him every day, and obviously you have already applied to the Board to sack Arteta and put you in charge instead. It is clear that you know much more than that idiot Arteta.
Happy now?
I do acknowledge that Arteta prefers Raya. I thought that was obvious to everyone because that is why he picks him over Ramsdale.
I would like to add that the throw from Raya that ended in a fantastic goal the other week was an immense contribution and nearly brought about a goal with throw out mark 2 against Liverpool.
I am not in any shape or form against Ramsdale, but neither am I against Raya. It is simple really. Both are good goalkeepers
Not at all, consider facts even you don’t agree. Can you please ,Mr Pat ,do me a favor and point out one game Raya has won for AFC and I will never say anything again and can you tell the whole how bad Ramsdale is to deserve such unprofessional treatment. Please be convincing. It is as clear as daylight that the coach prefers certain players and he is winning with that which is fine. So why do you bring it to the table if you dont want genius MA to be criticized? You are coming up with toxic topics so that you canput” a chip on my shoulder” I love AFC. just like you.
This is a toxic topic? It looks like a simple question to me to gauge how fans are thinking. You could have simply written “NO” instead of giving toxic responses, no?
“It is as clear as daylight that the coach prefers certain players….”
Hmm that sounds a lot like you! Only difference is that you are not the manager who sees them all day every day. Please explain why you know better than Arteta eh?
PAT While agreeing with your general theme in debating with sshadrach (who seems toi have come out of the woodwork, specifically to debate this topic but no other), in writing your FINAL line, I presume you realise that in so doing, you are making a fine argument against having a fansite where all fans give their opinions freely,even on our manager, at all.
After all Pat, if you are seriously saying we should never criticise our manager, as he is with players all the time and knows them better than us, then ,it leaves a lot less for us TO DISCUSS AT ALL” Doesnt it!!
That is how a deep thinker and someone who can see things that others miss, will deduce.
I am of the opinion that when it comes to team selection on any given day any manager will pick the team that he thinks can win us the game. If we lose often his job is in jeopardy so I trust him to make the correct decision on that day. Right now Arteta is getting that Job mostly correct so I support his choices. Definitely over someone who has not ever been to a game never mind a traing session. Am I wrong?
Oh!! That hurt Pat!! 🎯
Facts mate. You know that truth hurts but some fans don’t like facts. As you well know mate!
Simple topic, clearly you are very sensitive to the extend of saying Raya is a real deal. Was the one before not a real deal? Just asking, you haven’t pointed a game Raya has done something extraordinary to win AFC points and i am still waiting to hear from you Sir. Definitely you are the Editor so is MA the manager I am a fan. Is that very clear?
Are you a fan?
And for your info, it was Garth Crooks that said Raya was the “real deal” not me.
When will you just admit that MA must know what he’s doing to try and win every game we play, and that is what fans should be happy with.
If we were losing every week then I may consider your exaggerrated anger
SueP at 11.29 answered your question shadrach – please read the replies!!
I am very amused by the way you want to suggest that I am saying MIKEL doesn’t know, truth is if i don’t agree with you it doesn’t mean i am wrong. As admin for Just Arsenal you should have realized that Ramsdale needs to be respected. He is a still a real deal. I hope all understands that, As for JON DOES IT MATTER that i came form “woodwork”.? Football is humane and it seems majority of you forget easily. That’s why Wenger and a few human beings made football entertaining.
Arteta could have fully intended to rotate these keepers on occasion but then in training, he could have changed his mind with what he was seeing from both keepers. He’s allowed to change his mind isn’t he