Aaron Ramsdale was on the brink of becoming a villain for Arsenal on his return to the team in yesterday’s match against Brentford.
The former Gunners’ number one was back in goal because David Raya was ineligible and had a good game. After the fixture, we can all praise him for making at least two stunning saves to ensure Arsenal had a chance to win.
However, he had earlier put his teammates in difficulty after his howler helped the Bees equalise. Eventually, Arsenal ground out a 2-1 win, and Ramsdale could sleep well after the game. Mikel Arteta has now defended his goalkeeper.
After the fixture, the Arsenal gaffer said, as quoted by Sky Sports:
“A special day. Really top opponent in front of us. Conceding the goal made life more difficult, it was a beautiful challenge in the second half, but we were so insistent and determined.
“That’s the courage Aaron has. His personality. Mistakes are part of football. I’m so happy for him and we won the game”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Ramsdale will feel he was the luckiest man alive last night because if the game had ended in a draw, he would have received a lot of stick for his mistake.
But he had a good game overall, and clubs interested in his signature will be impressed by what they saw.
It would have Artata’s fault if we lost some points yesterday.
You cannot leave a player on the bench and then expect him to be his best at a whim.
But isn’t that the fate of virtually all back up goalkeepers? If it was Arteta’s fault then all managers must be making faults for leaving their second choice keepers on the bench. I’m not sure I agree. Since the beginning of this season,many first choice gks have missed matches,and still,the number 2s are expected to come in and perform despite always being on the bench. All things considered,I thought Aaron did well. Mistakes are part of the game.
I do believe Ramsdale is getting a lot of stick despite the win!!
Mistakes happen all the time in a football match and it was obvious from the way the goal was conceded that Aaron was not up to speed – he had rarely touched the ball before the goal and it was the speed of the cut down that was his undoing.
I’m sure the next mistake Raya makes, will be followed by an article in the same vein as this, with comments stating that it proves Ramsdale is a better keeper than him… such is life.
Aron Ramsdale is a victim of poor man management, the kid was given a raw deal, but it is what it is.
Saliba initially wasn’t treated any different so the gaffer is consistent, have long come to the conclusion the Spaniard is more in the mold of Pep Guarrdiola as opposed to the legendary Frenchman.
Arteta signed a keeper suited to how he wants the team to play. For some reasons he could only be obtained on loan for this season which meant he was unavailable for this game.
At the beginning of the season it was up to Ramsdale to prove to the manager that he could deliver what the manager wanted. Evidently, Arteta was unconvinced which meant Ramsdale got benched..
Ramsdale is simply not as good as Raya in certain aspects of goalkeeping.
Saliba’s circumstances were quite different.
David am in agreement with almost all what you have said, base on how you have crafted your argument, except for one important point you may have missed.
Could the situation with both players have dealt with a little differently?
Differently how Gunsmoke?
Onyango
Been honest in words and actions.
Playing Mustafa ahead of Saliba telling the kid he wasn’t ready, while the whole world knew we had a gem on our hands.
Saying we need two numbers one goalie to enable changes during a game, which is yet to happen.
In life Onyango, sometimes all we have is our words, and when you gives someone your words, you can’t break that trust.
What you say is spot on Gunsmoke – let’s delve a little deeper with other examples.
The likes of Partey, ESR and Gabriel were given minutes to get up to speed after being out for a while.
If MA truly believed he would change keepers during a match, then when we were hammering teams by five or six goals, then bringing Ramsdale on THEN would have proved his point AND given Ramsdale valuable time to get up to speed.
That doesn’t look like good man management at all to me.
I don’t believe Mikel was deliberately lying, rather trying to support Ramsdale at the time.
As I said, if Raya makes a mistake Tuesday, the knives will be out for him as well!!
Another point missed, is what Ramsdale’s performance does for his sell on value?
We saw the good and the bad, but, overall, I think it would have increased his value, as that second half performance showed how strong his mental attitude is, with two quite superb saves.
I’m not convinced yet, that Aaron will leave us anyway, as both the support from the players and fans showed him how much they think of him.
Let’s hope Mikel keeps his word and does give BOTH keepers equal playing time.
With our superb defence, both will do the job required.
Ken1945 you are like a breath of fresh air on this site.
First i takes no pleasure highlighting the gaffer short comings, which I hope not to repeat.
I must commend jon in no uncertain terms for realizing class is permanent as he has come to acknowledge in the Big German, having been his harshest critics.
jon has conveniently side step the man management question.
Ramsdale second half performance was top class and has effectively put him in the shop window, a can’t see the gaffer turning down anything over £50 mills for the young Englishman, maybe the best thing that could happen is a direct swap for Romeo Lavia and everyone live happily after
Thank you for that Gunsmoke, if only everyone agreed!!
That second half performance showed that, given tune, he WAS up to speed and one of the TOP shot savers in the PL.
How he got to that Toney shot/lob was brilliant.
I can only see MA letting him leave if, as you say, £50 million plus or a player exchange was to be offered.
I DO trust MA to choose the keeper he sees the better, but, for the life of me I can’t see the diffence, as both have excellent traits, but not quite world class keepers yet.
Time not tune!!
KEN, Are you seriously not yet convinced RAMSDALE WILL LEAVE? I am amazed at your lack of prescience about human nature and give us no chance at all of keeping him here.
Other than a disastrous long term injury to RAYA,which please God will not occur.
And while all players prefer being loved by fans, only those with no serious career ambition agree to stay as second string, unless like ELNENY, CEDRIC AND CO THEY KNOW THEY ARE LUCKY TO BE HERE AT ALL,in any capacity.
Jon, I can remember very clearly your insistence that other players would leave, never wear the shirt again, never be offered new contracts and lost a £100 bet with me because of your insistence that you know best.
Let’s wait and see what happens and how you know what Aaron Ramsdale has decided to do would be of great interest to those who read your posts… over to you.
By the way, why do you KEEP on degrading players who are currently part of the squad that tops the PL table and part of MA’s squad.
Where’s the “support the manager and his players” cry that you trumpeted to those who questioned decisions at the time?
I’d rather talk specifics KEN, rather than general waffle that only tries to rake up old sores but does not address the here and now. I look forward, not back, and am concerned not with back then but with now and the near future.
I repeat, RAMSDALE WILL BE LEAVING THIS SUMMER AND I AM WILLING TO STRIKE A BET WITH YOU THAT HE DOES.
The club need to find the money to complete RAYAs transfer and for other imports and it is only pure sense that unless we sell first, further top level imports cannot happen.
Unless of course you DISAGREE about that too,. which would not surprise me greatly.
But my questions are SPECIFIC, SPECIFIC to your post to me!!
You mention Elneny, Cedric and Co(?) so it couldn’t be more SPECIFIC than that could it?
Also, you didn’t answer where your information regarding Ramsdale leaving.
Is it a FACT or your OPINION?
I suggest the sale of Tierney will be used to buy Raya.
Let’s say he does leave (Ramsdale) and we get £50,000,000 for him (top price?), who will that, in your opinion, buy the player (s) you say we need?
Three SPECIFIC and CURRENT questions Jon and nothing to do with the past!!
Good night KEN. As you are in a rare feisty mood tonight, I will see you on here later tomorrow, when hopefully you may have calmed down!
Not really worth it Jon, as you just don’t answer questions.
Again these were quite different situations and neither suggests poor man management or any issues with integrity.
Ramsdale has simply not done enough to convince the manager that he should get more game time.
The Saliba situation was different as Arteta decided Saliba was not ready for the PL. At the same time there were quite a few CBs at Arsenal at the time. As it turns out the loans allowed Saliba to develop into a top class defender.
As Guardiola has won many more honours than Wenger ever did, what you say is a huge compliment to MA, even though you plainly dont realise you have complimented him!
You intended to beliitle MA but you got it hilariously wrong!!!
The solution to your dilemma then? Start living in the present, appreciate what our club has NOW and stop longing for the past that has gone when Wenger left us
Lets be honest here. Ramsdale got let off the hook and Arteta did also. Ramsdale is nit up to speed with the prem, clearly and Arteta created the situation, by signing a loan keeper from Brentford. No harm done in the end.
At risk of repeating myself, and regardless of how it happened, Ramsdale is the no2 goalkeeper. I don’t think it’s relevant at all to go on about man management as being a factor in Ramsdale’s performance yesterday. He knows the score – especially by now, and could have had a flawless game- something to make Arteta sit up and take notice- but unfortunately made a wholly avoidable mistake.
The idea that he was rusty can be countered by the terrific saves he made in the second half which are his trademark. He practices with the coaches all week and like most gk’s often has little to do on the day apart from being ready to jump into action when required.
Some choose to ignore the fate of a number 2. How long had Martinez played second fiddle before he got his chance? He would have been decidedly more rusty than Ramsdale
I – like us all – have a soft spot for AR but that doesn’t prevent me from seeing that Raya has now blended into the first team and made it his own position and for Ramsdale, he has been the unfortunate loser
Of course mistakes are made from time to time and ordinarily I don’t think that would have been held against Ramsdale at all Sadly, such is the media spotlight on him losing his place to Raya, that more pressure was added to his shoulders and that can’t have helped
Blissful intelligence, as ever Sue!
It’s hardly Arteta’s fault that Ramsdale decided to fanny around in the box and as for the jibes about man management because he’s been sitting on the bench and not up to speed, are you serious? I felt sorry for Ramsdale and I’m so happy he redeemed himself with two fantastic saves in the second half. Some people on here seem to have never made a mistake in their lives, smh.
No, not being up to speed and sat on the bench are definitely factors, why Ramsdale was slow at getting rid.
OT: Spurs just scored their fourth goal at Villa making it 4-0. Watching old sourface Postecoglu, you could imagine he is th Villa manager, not Spuds. How I ADORE MA with his obvious PASSION.
Sour faced old lemons like Postecoglu dont cut it at all for me.
Without passion, football has little poiint to it. Glad WE have got MA!