Aaron Ramsey must take this chance by JH
Well, The news we have all been dreading was released today, Santi Cazorla is going to miss the next 3 months of football. Which means that both of our first choice centre midfielders will now miss 3 months.
In place of Francis Coquelin we have Mathieu Flamini, the only senior defensive midfielder who happens to be fit at this point in time. And to replace Santi Cazorla, surely we will see Aaron Ramsey return to what he feels is his rightful place in the lineup.
After enjoying an outstanding campaign for Arsenal in the 13/14 season, things have begun to seem a little difficult for our Welsh Wizard, just 23 appearances brought 10 goals and 8 assists before injury put him out of action, and upon his return he struggled, he didn’t seem as confident or comfortable in front of goal, he seemed to begin rushing his shots when before he realised he had time.
His tricks and flicks all of a sudden stopped working, he was getting caught in possession too often.
He is currently Arsenals first choice right winger, a player AW realises has to play due to his potential to pop up in the opposing box and put the ball in the net, or to pick out a teammate with a beautifully disguised throughball. His energy is also irreplaceable for Arsenal, Ramsey can run flat out for 90 minutes, turn up next week and do the same again. However it has begun to be quite apparent that AW no longer trusts him with the central role, his love of bombing forward at any given moment often leading to Arsenal being caught on the break with too few numbers back, however Ramsey never had the chance to play with a true DM. Arteta was usually his partner when the Gunners played him in the middle so he is yet to have a sustained run as Coquelins partner.
I fully understand why Wenger feels the need to play Aaron Ramsey, I also fully understand why he is deputy to Cazorla when it comes to central midfield, but with TW moving up top, and neither Chamberlain, Campbell or Ramsey producing goals from the right, Arsene Wenger could well decide to splash the cash on a new winger who will.
Which brings me to my point, Aaron Ramsey has 3 months to prove he is capable of playing CM for Arsenal, or else he may find his future is not as certain as it once was.
The 13/14 season was his best in an Arsenal shirt, replicate those performances, not just with goals and assists, but his performances too, he was a B2B midfielder that year, but since then he has played as if he thinks he is a striker. He must be more intelligent with his runs. He needs to sense when it is time to go forward and he needs to sense when he is needed to stay and support our DM. This is a difficult balancing act, but it is one that Santi Cazorla has perfected. But Ramseys energy should give him the advantage over the 30 year old Spaniard, Ramsey is capable of covering a lot more ground the Cazorla does, therefore this should allow him to get back to cover more often than Santi.
Arsene Wenger said just a couple of weeks ago that Ramsey’s position is on the right, and that Coquelin’s injury changes nothing. Cazorla’s injury has changed things. Even though operation “Make Chambers a DM” is well and truly under way judging by the last U21s game, and despite the fact that AW has always claimed Chamberlain will become a CM, I am sure it will be Ramsey who gets the role. It is less of a gamble than the Ox, and definitely less than Chambers. With Jack Wilshere soon returning Ramsey must make an immediate impact at CM or else he will be moved to the wing to make way for the more discplined Wilshere.
What do you guys think ?? Will Ramsey finally make CM his own? Or will he simply be shunted out to the wing as soon as everyone is fit? Or do you think he will stay on the right and Chambers or the Ox will fill in??
By Jonn Hirons