Should Arteta play Ramsdale or Raya to face Liverpool?
Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal squad will welcome Liverpool to The Emirates for the 3rd round of the FA Cup in what is set to be an action-packed game and a chance for our lads to go through to the next round. Arsenal holds the record for the most FA Cup won by one club and will be looking to continue this fine form this season and hopefully win our 15th trophy.
Arteta will no doubt make some changes and rotate his squad a bit as it’s a cup game and I’d expect the same type of thing for Jurgen Klopp, and with a chance to rotate and give the fringe players some minutes, all eyes will be on the team sheet to see who and who doesn’t start and for me, the biggest question is whether Arteta starts Aaron Ramsdale or David Raya for this cup clash.
Normally, I’d 100% expect Ramsdale to be starting cup games as he has all season and Arteta said he would, but because we were drawn against Liverpool, who have been in great form this season, currently sitting top of the table and look to be one of our main competition for the title, Arteta might decide to play what he thinks is his strongest squad and if the early part of the season is anything to go by, Raya is his ideal and first choice keeper.
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For me, I think Ramsdale is more than capable of putting on a performance between the sticks, but with the 3-1 loss to West Ham in the Carabao Cup freshly in Arteta’s mind, I can see why he would put his trust in Raya against such a strong rival. Ramsdale last played against PSV in The Champions League, he had a very good game and made some incredible saves, looking a bit shaky and nervous at the start but really grew into the game in the second half.
Raya has been great most of the season but having lost the last two games and conceded four goals, I think Arteta would be starting to get worried about who and who not to choose in what is an important game and a chance to gain more silverware and if it was up to me, I’d give Ramsdale a run. I know he hasn’t played much this season, but I feel like he has a lot to prove, and if he doesn’t get played tonight and I was him, I’d be very disappointed.
I personally thought Ramsdale would be playing all the Cup games and maybe some of the UCL games if he was lucky and if he doesn’t get the shout tonight, it worries me that it could cause a lot of tension in the dressing room.
What’s your thoughts Gooners? Raya or Ramsdale?
Daisy Mae
Good shout, I do agree that Ramsdale should start, but given the circumstances and the reasons you have outlined, I don’t think he will. Arteta has been utterly ruthless in his treatment of firstly Tierney and now Ramsdale and I don’t particularly like that. However Arteta’s the boss and is doing what he thinks is in the best interests of the team, so who am I to question that?
If Ramsdale doesn’t play, then I would back Reggie’s opinion that MA has lied to the fans.
No No. 1 and rotation, even substituting goalkeepers was part of the reason MA gave when signing Raya and I will be very disappointed.
It’s an interesting point of view Ken. I’m not disagreeing with your opinion particularly.
However, it appears that Arteta, now that he has had time and games to assess Raya, has taken the decision that he in fact doesn’t have 2 no.1 keepers but just the one, with Ramsdale lower in the pecking order now.
I’m not saying I agree with the decision – I’m on the fence – but I question whether it was a lie in the first place.
Is it the case that Raya is purely a loan signing unless he plays a certain number of games when the loan becomes an obligation to buy? I think I read that somewhere a while back. It seems likely that if I’m correct, then Raya will be signed after having played so many games
Disappointed for Ramsdale of course as it must feel like a kick in the teeth
KEN , I AM INTERESTED IN YOUR “LYING” CLAIM.
I have long maintained, as you surely know, that a great many statements made by all sorts of people within the game are untrue and /or set out to deceive!!
IF FANS WERE WISER THAN SOME ARE, ALL PUBLIC STATEMENTS SHOULD BE TAKEN WITH A GREAT PINCH OF SALT.
MANY MANAGERS SET OUT TO HIDE THEIR TRUE INTENTIONS AND SOMETIMES ACTIVELY SEEK TO PULL THE WOIOL OVER THEIR OWN FANS EYES.
I have said this consistently and long before MA even came here and it applies to most managers a lot of the time. Also owners, directors agents and pundits.
Which is why I have SO OFTEN advised Gooners on JA to use that huge pinch of salt.
AND THEIR BRAINS and not be so trustingly but annoyingly naive, as many certainly ARE.
NOTHING MUCH SURPRISES ME ALL ALL IN THE NASTY BUSINESS THAT SURROUNDS ALL THE ACTUAL GAME.
I am not naive and use my brain to decide whther any person is lying or being truthful.
FANS ARE FAR MORE TRUTHFUL , when taken as a whole , than ANY other group of people involved with football.
Oh KEN, I forgot to say WHY FANS are more truthful than ALL other groups within the game . CAN YOU GUESS WHY!
I will give you a clue; fans are the only ones who do NOT get paid.
We do ALL the paying for ALL the other groups, either directly or indirectly.
Ramsdale should play all cup games, so Raya can focus on EPL, as Cech and Leno did before
If Ramsdale doesn’t play tomorrow it would speak volume about Arteta’s opinion about the player.
Unfortunately, yes
Not sure why we are highlighting Ramsdale played in the Carabao Cup loss and that could make Arteta nervous ?
Raya played in the losses to West Ham Fulham and Newcastle but seems to be a shoo-in for all PL games !
Ramsgate definitely won matches/points for us last two seasons with his saves
Has Raya done the same in any matches? Could and should he have done better in those losses ?
I personally feel Raya playing has slowed us down this season as Ramsdale made many quick long passes which got us in the opposition’s half and we spent more time attacking. Was our lack of depth that cost us.
Now we are playing further back.and hence Saka and Martinelli not as much space as last year
Can I ask why Raya has slowed us down?
I think Ramsdale will feature in this game. I put him in goal for my predicted lineup
But I would go with whatever decision the coach makes without “thinking” anything.
The man knows his players; he trains with them every day. So let him make his choices and bear the responsibility for the outcome.
All I want is that whoever plays goes out there, put in a performance and give us the victory
And so say all of us!
Honestly, the Arsenal board needs to look inward and do away with players who are not active and supportive for the team for over 6 months now. If a player is regularly prone to injury why adding the names of such player to the clubs wage bill. It sounds funny keeping such players thus placing pressure on others. Again, Artetas tactics of changing players 80 minutes into any match showed that he does not know what he is actually doing. How many touches will such players made before the final whistle. Food for thought.
I’m a footballer, One thing I know is that when a player comes on the pitch knowing that he’s not the trusted first choice player, he always play with some pressure because he knows all the eyes of the supporters and the coach are looking at him.
Some times this pressure can help a player perform well, but most of the times the player makes a lot of mistakes. I can’t be shocked seing Ramsdale coming on and making some costly mistakes, it’s all because he’s a second choice. But I have watched both players and I want to conclude by saying that RAMSDALE is greater than RAYA.
Nah, it’s got to do with the player’s character naturally and towards the occasion, you can’t expect a top player in good or even relationship with his coach come in and not make his presence felt in a positive way. I think Ramsdale is also a top player and can impact the game positively, if given the tools needed by Mikel and the GK coaches which i’m sure they will to help him in the best possible way they deem fit.
The goal keeping situation under Arteta has been a clown show. Leno and Martinez are both better than Raya. He finally got it to a good place with Ramsdale and then inexplicably brought in an inferior keeper that has cost us dearly. Raya is targeted by the opposition and our defence doesn’t trust him. Raya knows he is not better than Ramsdale, hence all the errors. The defence has even dropped their game because of it. It’s been a disaster. And now when Ramsdale does come in, his confidence is shot. He needs to go and we need him to go, he’s useless to us now. Somehow, we need to then sign a decent number 1 again, put Raya to the bench where his errors are less costly.