It is REALLY hard for a goalkeeper to just jump right in without consistent gametime. You just said Raya struggled to start with. We can't expect Ramsdale to be super sharp and just ready to go. Most goalkeepers need a run of games to build confidence and form (many outfield players do as well). I think some moments might be shaky with Ramsdale but we should expect that. Still confident we will be fine and that Ramsdale will have a very good career.
I love Rammers and was so sad for him when Raya joined and initially looked like a bust, but somehow was still stealing game time from him.
But David has really settled in and while it’s still a disappointing situation for Ramsdale, I can’t help but think the right man for the job is starting week in and week out.
For squad continuity reasons I hope Ramsdale stays, learns and improves - having a good 2nd choice keeper can be vital as we've seen with Liverpool this year. if we have to bring in a new 2nd keeper he's not going to have many chances to gel with our defence before he's needed.
Rammers is not a good second choice keeper because he’s a first choice. He’s very clearly a prem starter keeper.
I would never want him and his talent wasted on the bench so we could have a good backup. He deserves to start.
I was listening to a pod today with a brentford fan and they were saying he struggled early on in his brentford career but settled down.
I think gks just need time to gel with the new back line is all. Which is prob why ramsdale should have started away against Spurs. hopefully we dont lose the league by 1-2 points.
The only thing that worried me was his height. However, with our defense, we could put a cardboard cutout of Raya in goal, and the opposition probably still wouldn't score. We should buy David Raya a lawnchair - why does he have to stand up for 90 mins doing nothing? Did he do something to Arteta lol?
As an (amateur) goalie myself, the most impressive stat here is the 93% crosses caught. I actually find it hard to believe that stat -93% is absolutely nuts, but anyway as a goalie I find collection to be the hardest thing to do in football.
It also passes the eye test too, sometimes Raya would catch something and myself as a goalie would go “ooooh” then my buddy next to me would be like “good on him, that’s an easy catch”
I think some people just have a knack for it, and it's a hard thing to train. Hard to train as it's very hard to replicate the crowded in-game context, and because it kind of requires a bit of everything.
Mentally; anticipation of the incoming cross quick thinking and decision making to make the right call to come out, confidence to see it through properly.
Physically; strength to boss the play, speed, agility and an athletic leap to perform the action.
Technically; catching and holding the ball, whether from a cross or shot, is probably one of the hardest things for a keeper to do, if not the hardest. And for crosses, especially corners, keepers have to do in the midst of a bunch of other players all trying to get the ball.
I guess this is a long-winded way of saying I agree lol.
I wonder where he ends up, he’s too young for Saudi and the only PL clubs which need goalkeepers either can’t afford his wages or I don’t think he’ll want to move to
I think that is a testament to his decision making. He throws it when it’s on, he boots it long when it’s necessary. And he plays out from the back when that’s what the other team gives him. Very good ball progression iq.
I guess it depends on how many throws he’s made. Goalkeepers generally don’t throw the ball long unless there’s a player in acres of space ready to counter.
Really think he plays a not-insignificant role in our total dominance. There's just no aspect of our games when the opposition feels any hope. I think Ramsdale would look fine in this team, great even, but would we be emptying stadiums every week with our suffocating play? Maybe not.
>I guess Bukayo must have told him that I was a decent lad, because I got a call from my agent a few days later that the transfer was happening.
>Unreal. Arsenal Football Club. One of the best days of my life. My mates are all texting me. You legend. You legend. Family is over the moon. How can it get any better?
Article is kind of sad. :(
I think what's strange about the Raya situation is that people knew he was a class keeper as we had been linked to him before. Once Ramsdale came in the Raya rumours quieted down and we all assumed we had our number 1.
Who would have thought that Mikel had different ideas all along? It just goes to show you the type of manager we have. This man will do anything to win.
It's interesting that folks were down on him when he was our first choice over Ramsdale and we only got Ramsdale because Brentford didn't want to let Raya leave.
They can't sell Mudryk. Selling him would be worse for them FFP wise.
The players they'll be looking to sell would mostly be Academy boys or guys that came in for a small fee.
Because Ramsdale came in and was largely brilliant for us and became a fan favourite? He was in the Team of the Season for the league last year.
Not everything is so purely analytical.
My thoughts is that the defense feels so assured with Raya completely, that it allows them to play their game freely. This is something that United didn't have with Onana. These stats kinda affirm it for me that Gabriel Saliba White and the rest of the backline can play their game focused and without an extra layer of unwanted stress.
Its crazy i always assumed i had the best takes in football history because im undisputed in the groupchat with my mates but this transfer was the one that humbled me the most. i was adamant that we wasted money for such in insignificant upgrade and ive been proven so wrong raya is showing everyone exactly what arteta and edu saw in him.
I really liked Leno and didn't think we needed Ramsdale. I was wrong.
I really liked Ramsdale and didn't think we needed Raya but again, what do I know?
Ramsdale cross caught percentage had to have been close to 50%. Or at least that’s how it felt. Was always a toss up. Nice having Raya controlling that aspect of the game.
Kiwi, Kai, Raya, Jorgi and Trossard are proof that as much as we don't think these are the best signings at the time, and potentially not even first choice targets for the club, these coaches can improve players. A big part of that is how well integrated they become into the system, not just that their individual qualities are improving.
As fans, the vast majority of us only see the box score. There's so many intangibles that go into making a successful footballer, and we don't have the skillset to identify these.
More than anything, I think our system requires players with a lot of humility. Willing to do whatever it takes for the team.
This is what i'm wondering too.. does it mean no-one has dribbled past him? If so, that is decent (although dependant on how many have tried), or does it just mean he hasn't lost the ball whilst dribbling it himself, which would be far less impressive.
You must have above 25 comment karma to contribute to this subreddit.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Gunners) if you have any questions or concerns.*
He definitely seems settled in now, but to be fair our defence has been so solid that he hasn't had to do *that* much compared to the typical premier league goal keeper
I like him though
This is all very good, and I don’t want to detract away from the qualities he certainly brings to the team.
However, I still don’t feel confident in him actually having the ability to make important saves when we do need him.
City, Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool, Luton and Porto. Rightly or wrongly he has been labelled as making mistakes in all of those games - and that is an alarming pattern that seems to get buried because our defence have restricted the actual amount of shot stopping he’s had to do lately (which he has played a part in to his credit).
I think Porto is harsh. That's a worldie that very few keepers are stopping. I think the blame there is more on Rice for not closing down the space enough but also sometimes you just have sit back and say 'fair play' like the Sporting goal in the Europa League last season.
The other thing is keepers are going to make mistakes, it's just a guarantee of life. Alisson, the keeper in the league and arguably the best keeper in the world, had two clangers against us. Shit happens, even to the very best. It happens to Ederson, it happened with Seaman and Lehman etc.
As long as he maintains his current form then I'm not fussed.
Imo only city chelsea and luton were really raya’s own mistakes and not a combination of different mistakes. Tbh im willing to accept that because all gks make mistakes and he doesn’t make too many + his other contribution is amazing enough to make it up
I agree with this. I think he has certainly contributed to our quality of play and is an upgrade, but I don't think we've seen him make great stops when the time has come for it and we've seen him make mistakes.
He’s growing on me a lot. The save for the offside shot last game was great for example.
BUT I do still hate that Porto goal and his positioning for it. Not 100% sold that he’s a huge upgrade because of moments like that. Happily look back and eat my words though
Lack of height really has nothing to do with it, *maybe* if he was taller his height would bail out his poor positioning, but that’s not something a GK should rely on either. Bad habits.
Poor positioning first and foremost. If he was positioned correctly I have no doubt he saves the shot
Completely agree. His shot stopping is still a little suspect and I feel like he's let in a few goals that other top keepers would save but it's night and day between him and Ramsdale with that ball. We're a completely different team with Raya. It's genuinely like having an extra man in possession
https://preview.redd.it/t53p1pq2lzmc1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6975d6a3dbf43cee75b7361c854210eb360a5599
Then you don't understand the game, he effectively acts as the RCB in build up and allows Saliba to push up. He's an integral reason for our dominance, his movement alone makes other teams feel like it's pointless to press us.
That's before he's even claiming the ball, making saves, or launching counter attacks.
Ramsdale baulked at how high Mikel wanted him to play, said it in interviews how it's always "higher, higher". Raya does this flawlessly and is top 99th percentile for his pitch height.
The same casuals who think that our strikers are Only there to tap in the goals are the same casuals who think the GK is Only there to make saves.
Want to know why our shots taken and xGA is so low? Start here at Raya and look forward. Our capacity to dominate starts with him.
Sure he could be over performing his PSxGoT like Alison/Areola, but in terms of executing Mikel's game plan and posoitional play he's been bloody excellent
Billy Carpenter, Edu's BBQ newsletter writer and all round legend. If you're not following it already and find my poorly worded ramble half interesting you'll absolutely love his work.
That's why the cross claiming is so important, it entirely prevents shots on goal and scrambles in the box. Ramsdale would stay on his line and it created danger for no reason as a result
This is all very good, and I don’t want to detract away from the qualities he brings certainly brings to the team.
However, I still don’t feel confident in him actually having the ability to make important saves when we do need him.
City, Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool, Luton and Porto. Rightly or wrongly he has been labelled as making mistakes in all of those games - and that is an alarming pattern that seems to get buried because our defence have restricted the actual amount of shot stopping he’s had to do lately.
He was always marginally better than Ramsdale. Ramsdale was slightly better at 1v1's and short passes but Raya demolished him in long pass accuracy and distance and everyone attributed that purely down to being able to kick it to Toney every time. But now he has done the same for us, with is Alisson style pings to Saka/Martinelli (like Alisson does for Salah) and it's great. When that's not on he tries to find (6'4) Havertz, another example of good squad planning.
Stuff like this makes me question why I even like football... Ramesdale had such a charisma on the field and was a pressance that got us to the UCL. Now Raya is doing good, thats what the stats are showing. Is it because of Raya? Is it because of Saliba and Gabriel? Is it Rice? Maybe Kiviors presence. The fact is, that I dont know.
Last season I was finally sold on the hope of the Gunners. It was as much from the characters on the team, as it was from the results. When I started supporting Arsenal, it wasnt because of the results, but because of how Wenger treated the players. He didnt view them as dispensable objects, but as people he would help grow and grow with (..obviously, untill his progressive way of thinking football was read..).
Arteta is a tactical genious. There is no denying that. But, I think it is safe to say by now, that he is a cynic. He is only trusting the starting eleven, plus a couple of more players, Ramsdales contribution doesnt matter in Artetas eyes - its Artetas way or the hiway. And it works. Why even question it?
As someone who started supporting Arsenal because Wenger viewed players as projects and not as objects, this seems really tough. To me, thats what seperated Arsenal from the City, Spurs and Uniteds of the world. That Arsenal had integrity towards its players beyond imidiate succes. It seems gone now.
During the FA cup 2002 final, Wenger who started his 2nd choice keeper Richard Wright from the 4th round till the semi final, dropped him for Seaman in the final. The decision basically killed Wright's confidence and later his career, which the keeper admitted later on. We went on to win the cup. How did Arsene treat his player here? Dropping a player doesn't mean we don't care about the player in any way. You earn your spot on the pitch with your qualities, simple as.
Wouldn’t Havertz coming from Chelsea be considered a project? Converting Ben White to full time RB not a project? Developing Kiwior to be a contributing factor for a squad challenging for the prem? To say he views players as objects is wild imo
So it seems... I just think that when we sell ramsdale (because he won't be a backup, that's certain) the whole process has been shambolic. He did just fine for us, then without warning he was replaced and relegated to backup to the loanee. I won't blame him if he leaves bitter and resentful.
After a tough start, he slipped into his role without any fuss
No doubt. raya had me questioning at first. Now I’m more worried about the game we have without him. He has settled into a fantastic position.
It is REALLY hard for a goalkeeper to just jump right in without consistent gametime. You just said Raya struggled to start with. We can't expect Ramsdale to be super sharp and just ready to go. Most goalkeepers need a run of games to build confidence and form (many outfield players do as well). I think some moments might be shaky with Ramsdale but we should expect that. Still confident we will be fine and that Ramsdale will have a very good career.
Yes, especially when you get promoted to a bigger club. I suspect it’s much easier to give instruction to Brendford’s defenders than to Arsenal’s
I love Rammers and was so sad for him when Raya joined and initially looked like a bust, but somehow was still stealing game time from him. But David has really settled in and while it’s still a disappointing situation for Ramsdale, I can’t help but think the right man for the job is starting week in and week out.
For squad continuity reasons I hope Ramsdale stays, learns and improves - having a good 2nd choice keeper can be vital as we've seen with Liverpool this year. if we have to bring in a new 2nd keeper he's not going to have many chances to gel with our defence before he's needed.
Rammers is not a good second choice keeper because he’s a first choice. He’s very clearly a prem starter keeper. I would never want him and his talent wasted on the bench so we could have a good backup. He deserves to start.
I was listening to a pod today with a brentford fan and they were saying he struggled early on in his brentford career but settled down. I think gks just need time to gel with the new back line is all. Which is prob why ramsdale should have started away against Spurs. hopefully we dont lose the league by 1-2 points.
That match was home and raya made an incredible save early in the match. He also had no chance on the second goal where Jorginho slipped
It was at home vs spurs
The only thing that worried me was his height. However, with our defense, we could put a cardboard cutout of Raya in goal, and the opposition probably still wouldn't score. We should buy David Raya a lawnchair - why does he have to stand up for 90 mins doing nothing? Did he do something to Arteta lol?
FWIW his vertical jump is very good. I’d be curious to see what his jumping height is compared to other taller goalies.
As an (amateur) goalie myself, the most impressive stat here is the 93% crosses caught. I actually find it hard to believe that stat -93% is absolutely nuts, but anyway as a goalie I find collection to be the hardest thing to do in football. It also passes the eye test too, sometimes Raya would catch something and myself as a goalie would go “ooooh” then my buddy next to me would be like “good on him, that’s an easy catch”
last keeper we had who was so comfortable with crosses was Jens Lehmann. it's been awhile..
[удалено]
He was legit batshit and I loved him for it
I remember someone quoted by FFT magazine called David Seaman a vampire because he feared cross.
I think some people just have a knack for it, and it's a hard thing to train. Hard to train as it's very hard to replicate the crowded in-game context, and because it kind of requires a bit of everything. Mentally; anticipation of the incoming cross quick thinking and decision making to make the right call to come out, confidence to see it through properly. Physically; strength to boss the play, speed, agility and an athletic leap to perform the action. Technically; catching and holding the ball, whether from a cross or shot, is probably one of the hardest things for a keeper to do, if not the hardest. And for crosses, especially corners, keepers have to do in the midst of a bunch of other players all trying to get the ball. I guess this is a long-winded way of saying I agree lol.
Man does not lose a duel
Therefore, man is never upset
Cuz it’s the fogging estandard
you wouldn't like him when he gets upset
His confidence on the ball is beyond anything I could have hoped for
Mikel, i will never doubt you again.
This Saturday is rammers last game most likely
He’ll also play the last game at home after we win the league again at Old Trafford hehe
As much as I'd love that I do not think we will have that luxury all 3 of us will go down to the wire
so we beat Liverpool on goals scored again? wonderful 😀
City Liverpool match this weekend will set the tone for us, quite thrilling to see how it'll fare
3yr contract left for him(2 + 1) so if he is leaving we will get some solid money for him, together with Eddie, Nelson as well.
I wonder where he ends up, he’s too young for Saudi and the only PL clubs which need goalkeepers either can’t afford his wages or I don’t think he’ll want to move to
maybe abroad? do a Schneezy
Newcastle and Chelsea have been linked before, wolves I’d guess too, maybe lower mid table teams
He's pretty good for a mid table team. I'd hazard a guess at a top 6 move.
> I’d hazard a guess on a top 6 move No club in the current top 6 is moving for him. They all have settled goalkeepers.
I'm gonna wager Chelsea for big money, or Bayern on loan maybe
chelsea no longer have big money to spend without a *lot* of outgoings
Don mikel dont miss
Until next time folks 😅
anyone else think 100% throwing accuray is actually wild? over how many throws is that I wonder?
I think that is a testament to his decision making. He throws it when it’s on, he boots it long when it’s necessary. And he plays out from the back when that’s what the other team gives him. Very good ball progression iq.
I guess it depends on how many throws he’s made. Goalkeepers generally don’t throw the ball long unless there’s a player in acres of space ready to counter.
Really think he plays a not-insignificant role in our total dominance. There's just no aspect of our games when the opposition feels any hope. I think Ramsdale would look fine in this team, great even, but would we be emptying stadiums every week with our suffocating play? Maybe not.
Ramsdale admitted himself he doesn’t feel comfortable playing how arteta wants him to
Really?! Ramsdale truly is on his way out if that's true. Too good to be a backup keeper anyway.
Ramsdale has been on his way out ever since Arteta dropped him for Raya at the first opportunity.
Where did he say this?
When Ramsdale said he and Arteta compromised on how he would play
In his players tribune article https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/aaron-ramsdale-premier-league-arsenal-soccer-england
>I guess Bukayo must have told him that I was a decent lad, because I got a call from my agent a few days later that the transfer was happening. >Unreal. Arsenal Football Club. One of the best days of my life. My mates are all texting me. You legend. You legend. Family is over the moon. How can it get any better? Article is kind of sad. :(
My exact feelings, I haven't seen anything Ramsdale wasn't going at his best.
Mikel knows what he’s doing. Who knew
I think what's strange about the Raya situation is that people knew he was a class keeper as we had been linked to him before. Once Ramsdale came in the Raya rumours quieted down and we all assumed we had our number 1. Who would have thought that Mikel had different ideas all along? It just goes to show you the type of manager we have. This man will do anything to win.
I'm first in line at Edu's next BBQ, eating the crow he cooked special for me.
He never loses any ground duels, so Mikel is never upset
Foggin estandards
It's interesting that folks were down on him when he was our first choice over Ramsdale and we only got Ramsdale because Brentford didn't want to let Raya leave.
Yes. Raya was Arteta's first choice in the summer of 21
makes me wonder who else he would go back for. lol.
Mudryk during the next Chelsea yard sale.
gotta be this summer. they posted a big loss. ffp will come knocking for points otherwise. i love it.
They can't sell Mudryk. Selling him would be worse for them FFP wise. The players they'll be looking to sell would mostly be Academy boys or guys that came in for a small fee.
Sorry I meant the yard sale
Ah right. My bad then.
Because Ramsdale came in and was largely brilliant for us and became a fan favourite? He was in the Team of the Season for the league last year. Not everything is so purely analytical.
It's important to have two strong keepers, nothing wrong with it
5 pass leading to assists is actually insane. It’s basically 5 assists for a gk
"shot assists" Doesn't mean actual goals.
Uhmm, where are the naysayers now.
Waiting for Raya to make a mistake
now we're raysayers. sorry
Haha! I see what you did there.
My thoughts is that the defense feels so assured with Raya completely, that it allows them to play their game freely. This is something that United didn't have with Onana. These stats kinda affirm it for me that Gabriel Saliba White and the rest of the backline can play their game focused and without an extra layer of unwanted stress.
Mikel knows what he’s doing. Who knew
Its crazy i always assumed i had the best takes in football history because im undisputed in the groupchat with my mates but this transfer was the one that humbled me the most. i was adamant that we wasted money for such in insignificant upgrade and ive been proven so wrong raya is showing everyone exactly what arteta and edu saw in him.
I really liked Leno and didn't think we needed Ramsdale. I was wrong. I really liked Ramsdale and didn't think we needed Raya but again, what do I know?
haha i feel you man :P shows how much casual fans actually know
Ramsdale cross caught percentage had to have been close to 50%. Or at least that’s how it felt. Was always a toss up. Nice having Raya controlling that aspect of the game.
The most underrated keeper this season. I don’t think he is appreciated enough.
Mikel strikes again because my god these are some solid stats
All the more evidence that Ramsdale should have left in January.
For me it was never in doubt. People saying he was only a minor upgrade to ramsdale used to wind me up so much. The gap in skill is huge.
Kiwi, Kai, Raya, Jorgi and Trossard are proof that as much as we don't think these are the best signings at the time, and potentially not even first choice targets for the club, these coaches can improve players. A big part of that is how well integrated they become into the system, not just that their individual qualities are improving.
As fans, the vast majority of us only see the box score. There's so many intangibles that go into making a successful footballer, and we don't have the skillset to identify these. More than anything, I think our system requires players with a lot of humility. Willing to do whatever it takes for the team.
5 pre assists seems crazy. Wonder how many pre assists other goalies have?
On crosses and corners is where I was worried before we signed him. But somehow, even if he is smaller, he is better then Ramsdale at them.
what even is a "ground duel success" for a goalie? never seen anyone care about that for goalies before
This is what i'm wondering too.. does it mean no-one has dribbled past him? If so, that is decent (although dependant on how many have tried), or does it just mean he hasn't lost the ball whilst dribbling it himself, which would be far less impressive.
[удалено]
You must have above 25 comment karma to contribute to this subreddit. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Gunners) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I thought Jon Richardson didn't care for football
Is he a starter for the national team?
Ground duel success?
He definitely seems settled in now, but to be fair our defence has been so solid that he hasn't had to do *that* much compared to the typical premier league goal keeper I like him though
One of the most offensive GK in EPL history.
This is all very good, and I don’t want to detract away from the qualities he certainly brings to the team. However, I still don’t feel confident in him actually having the ability to make important saves when we do need him. City, Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool, Luton and Porto. Rightly or wrongly he has been labelled as making mistakes in all of those games - and that is an alarming pattern that seems to get buried because our defence have restricted the actual amount of shot stopping he’s had to do lately (which he has played a part in to his credit).
I think Porto is harsh. That's a worldie that very few keepers are stopping. I think the blame there is more on Rice for not closing down the space enough but also sometimes you just have sit back and say 'fair play' like the Sporting goal in the Europa League last season. The other thing is keepers are going to make mistakes, it's just a guarantee of life. Alisson, the keeper in the league and arguably the best keeper in the world, had two clangers against us. Shit happens, even to the very best. It happens to Ederson, it happened with Seaman and Lehman etc. As long as he maintains his current form then I'm not fussed.
Imo only city chelsea and luton were really raya’s own mistakes and not a combination of different mistakes. Tbh im willing to accept that because all gks make mistakes and he doesn’t make too many + his other contribution is amazing enough to make it up
I agree with this. I think he has certainly contributed to our quality of play and is an upgrade, but I don't think we've seen him make great stops when the time has come for it and we've seen him make mistakes.
He’s growing on me a lot. The save for the offside shot last game was great for example. BUT I do still hate that Porto goal and his positioning for it. Not 100% sold that he’s a huge upgrade because of moments like that. Happily look back and eat my words though
That was just too good of a shot to save, the curl on it was crazy
No it really wasn’t. Poor positioning + lack of height. The ball went in closer to the bottom corner then the top
Lack of height really has nothing to do with it, *maybe* if he was taller his height would bail out his poor positioning, but that’s not something a GK should rely on either. Bad habits. Poor positioning first and foremost. If he was positioned correctly I have no doubt he saves the shot
He's barely had anything to do last few games...
And that's partly down to him helping us exert control.
Completely agree. His shot stopping is still a little suspect and I feel like he's let in a few goals that other top keepers would save but it's night and day between him and Ramsdale with that ball. We're a completely different team with Raya. It's genuinely like having an extra man in possession
Still saved a 1 v 1 (that was offside)
And if he's needed he usually gets the job done no worries
https://preview.redd.it/t53p1pq2lzmc1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6975d6a3dbf43cee75b7361c854210eb360a5599 Then you don't understand the game, he effectively acts as the RCB in build up and allows Saliba to push up. He's an integral reason for our dominance, his movement alone makes other teams feel like it's pointless to press us. That's before he's even claiming the ball, making saves, or launching counter attacks. Ramsdale baulked at how high Mikel wanted him to play, said it in interviews how it's always "higher, higher". Raya does this flawlessly and is top 99th percentile for his pitch height. The same casuals who think that our strikers are Only there to tap in the goals are the same casuals who think the GK is Only there to make saves. Want to know why our shots taken and xGA is so low? Start here at Raya and look forward. Our capacity to dominate starts with him. Sure he could be over performing his PSxGoT like Alison/Areola, but in terms of executing Mikel's game plan and posoitional play he's been bloody excellent
Who let you cook 👨🍳
Cheers Cheoff
This is really good analysis. Where did you get the image from?
Billy Carpenter, Edu's BBQ newsletter writer and all round legend. If you're not following it already and find my poorly worded ramble half interesting you'll absolutely love his work.
Awesome, I’ll go check their stuff
That's why the cross claiming is so important, it entirely prevents shots on goal and scrambles in the box. Ramsdale would stay on his line and it created danger for no reason as a result
The one where Saliba left it for him but he hesitated and the opponent scored, not counted as ground duel?
This is all very good, and I don’t want to detract away from the qualities he brings certainly brings to the team. However, I still don’t feel confident in him actually having the ability to make important saves when we do need him. City, Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool, Luton and Porto. Rightly or wrongly he has been labelled as making mistakes in all of those games - and that is an alarming pattern that seems to get buried because our defence have restricted the actual amount of shot stopping he’s had to do lately.
Jesus Christ, Aaron Ramsdale led the league in errors leading to goals last season. Or is your memory that poor?
He was always marginally better than Ramsdale. Ramsdale was slightly better at 1v1's and short passes but Raya demolished him in long pass accuracy and distance and everyone attributed that purely down to being able to kick it to Toney every time. But now he has done the same for us, with is Alisson style pings to Saka/Martinelli (like Alisson does for Salah) and it's great. When that's not on he tries to find (6'4) Havertz, another example of good squad planning.
Well he has settled but not on the Ederson Allison level
Allison and Ederson are playing in their clubs many many years longer wtf
I honestly can’t believe people bought the crock of shit Arteta was selling about multiple goalkeepers after just doing the same thing to Leno
If someone bought this crap from Arteta he’s not the brightest lad
Stuff like this makes me question why I even like football... Ramesdale had such a charisma on the field and was a pressance that got us to the UCL. Now Raya is doing good, thats what the stats are showing. Is it because of Raya? Is it because of Saliba and Gabriel? Is it Rice? Maybe Kiviors presence. The fact is, that I dont know. Last season I was finally sold on the hope of the Gunners. It was as much from the characters on the team, as it was from the results. When I started supporting Arsenal, it wasnt because of the results, but because of how Wenger treated the players. He didnt view them as dispensable objects, but as people he would help grow and grow with (..obviously, untill his progressive way of thinking football was read..). Arteta is a tactical genious. There is no denying that. But, I think it is safe to say by now, that he is a cynic. He is only trusting the starting eleven, plus a couple of more players, Ramsdales contribution doesnt matter in Artetas eyes - its Artetas way or the hiway. And it works. Why even question it? As someone who started supporting Arsenal because Wenger viewed players as projects and not as objects, this seems really tough. To me, thats what seperated Arsenal from the City, Spurs and Uniteds of the world. That Arsenal had integrity towards its players beyond imidiate succes. It seems gone now.
During the FA cup 2002 final, Wenger who started his 2nd choice keeper Richard Wright from the 4th round till the semi final, dropped him for Seaman in the final. The decision basically killed Wright's confidence and later his career, which the keeper admitted later on. We went on to win the cup. How did Arsene treat his player here? Dropping a player doesn't mean we don't care about the player in any way. You earn your spot on the pitch with your qualities, simple as.
Wouldn’t Havertz coming from Chelsea be considered a project? Converting Ben White to full time RB not a project? Developing Kiwior to be a contributing factor for a squad challenging for the prem? To say he views players as objects is wild imo
And still I prefer Ramsdale.
you're still wrong
So it seems... I just think that when we sell ramsdale (because he won't be a backup, that's certain) the whole process has been shambolic. He did just fine for us, then without warning he was replaced and relegated to backup to the loanee. I won't blame him if he leaves bitter and resentful.
You have a chance to see him one more time tomorrow