Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail has drawn a parallel between Mikel Arteta’s goalkeeper selection and a similar situation faced by Ron Greenwood during his tenure as the England national team manager. Greenwood had to grapple with a dilemma involving two exceptional goalkeepers, Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence, during the 1980s.
Greenwood’s approach involved rotating both goalkeepers, a decision that ultimately proved detrimental to the team. The constant change in goalkeepers left the defenders bewildered and uncertain about who would be guarding the net.
In contrast, Arteta has taken a more decisive stance in his choice of goalkeeper. He has designated David Raya as his primary choice for major competitions, while Aaron Ramsdale is expected to feature primarily in the Carabao Cup and potentially the FA Cup. This clear decision-making by Arteta is seen as a departure from the previous scenario under Greenwood’s management and is expected to bring more stability to Arsenal’s defense.
“I have seen it discussed elsewhere that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta may alternate Ramsdale and Raya the way that England manager Ron Greenwood did with Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence in the 1980s.
“But there is an important distinction here. Greenwood made his decision out of weakness. He couldn’t decide between two world class goalkeepers so he fudged it, confusing England’s defence and jeopardising his team’s chances of success along the way.
“Arteta, on the other hand, has made his decision to demote last season’s number one and that has taken great strength. What he has not been strong enough to do just yet is admit it.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Having two good goalies can be very tricky for any manager and Mikel Arteta has shown he has what it takes to make the tough decisions regardless of what other people think.
We trust our manager and he has our full support to keep making the tough decisions.
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