It will be interesting to see if Aaron Ramsdale starts any of Arsenal’s next two fixtures or if rotation is just an Arteta translation for playing in the Carabao Cup.
Some will hope it’s true that our manager doesn’t want a designated number one because Rambo is a popular member of our dressing room. Yes, he made mistakes in the title race, but he also made world class saves at Anfield and Saint James Park. His body of work over two seasons has been more than good enough and he is someone who has played his part in helping the club in returning to the Champions League.
It’s his personality and character which is why some Gooners are fearing Mikel Arteta may have overthought things. You can keep doing that until eventually you make one pointless decision too many and it costs you.
Was the keeper a position that needed changing?
Was it broken?
What did Ramsdale do wrong against Man United?
What did Raya do on Sunday that Ramsdale couldn’t have done?
While I want Ramsdale to rescue his Gunners career, I will respect Arteta more if he simply rates Raya higher.
That’s less messy then Ramsdale playing tonight or in the NLD terrified to make a mistake. Again, what happened at Goodison that was worth creating that environment?
Players who have worked with our boss say he’s not the type who puts an arm round the shoulder or feels the need to explain his thought process.
He says he owes it to fans to always answer truthfully regarding the team, but in his recent press conferences at the very least he’s been manipulating the truth.
This is a man who every summer has promised fresh starts and clean slates for everyone only to then pay talent to sit at home or have their contracts ripped up.
This is the same person who with a straight face said Matt Smith being on the bench instead of Ozil for a Cup Final was a ‘footballing decision’.
Again, there’s only so many players you can just wash your hands of until it becomes an issue.
While the wording seems to be that Ramsdale will play again; if you went to work today and your employer was asking you to share your workload with someone else, that’s not a sign of faith in your abilities.
Arteta had the audacity to compare this to the situation Ramsdale inherited when he had to compete with Leno.
The difference is Leno had a catalogue of errors behind him and when we signed Ramsdale we didn’t try to hide we were buying a new first choice keeper.
There’s comparisons with how Pep Guardiola treated Joe Hart, yet Pep had that judgement right away, from day one, his view was Hart wasn’t good enough with his feet and City would spend money till they found the suitable candidate.
He didn’t work with Hart for two years rather than just mix things up.
The worry of course is that Arteta has been compared to his teacher so often he believes in his own hype.
Maybe the 41-year-old has bought into the narrative of apprentice out thinking the mentor?
Having 70 different formations (apparently to draw with Fulham) is one thing, but he can’t be serious about subbing goalies as a tactic?
He does that, it’s a sackable offense.
Pep, Sir Alex, Mr Wenger …. names who revolutionised the sport never dared anything so random.
Before trying to recreate the sport where a keeper is an alternative off your bench, maybe win a title first?
Because if you’re at the point where you’re trying to change the game so radically, then I would think that you had mastered everything else?
If I were the Kroenke Family I would be asking ‘why have you spent so much on Havertz’ and ‘why can’t Smith Rowe get any minutes’ if you’re now saying that a keeper can be deemed a viable sub?
Is Raya kicking a ball a little bit better worth washing hands off a player who is at an age he could go elsewhere and become world class.
He’s upsetting someone when he doesn’t need too.
He’s making a mess when he could have kept things tidy.
A puzzle that didn’t need fixing.
This is one tinker too many.
This could come back and bite Arteta.
Dan Smith
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
