The Debate Over Raya and Ramsdale
By AJ The Gunner
December 6 2023
Last nights brilliant last minute vctory has caused a debate amongst Arsenal Fans. AJTheGunner feels very songly on the issue:
Arteta has single handedly caused trouble in our goal keeping department when he put Raya ahead of Ramsdale without notice.
Now we have two keepers with serious confidence issues that has made our defense jittery and almost uncoordinated.
What was the point in replacing a Ramsdale who saved us times without number last season??? How do you sign a keeper from Brentford on a season-long loan. LOAN!! and make him your number one keeper without a trial with the rest team?? Training just doesn't cut it.
If Arteta drops Raya after the match at Luton, it looks bad. If he plays Ramsdale the pressure could make Aaron error prone. The whole thing is becoming a mess.
I get that Raya fits into the type of football Arteta wants to play; playing from the back with successful long passes, open play passes, short passes and pass into the opposition half are crucial to his style.
BUT If we want to win Titles, Arteta needs to be ruthless in accepting that putting Raya ahead of Ramsdale without the guy first proving himself in cup games was a mistake he needs to correct. Even though I don't envy his decision as to who he will stick with.
I think it will be Raya because that will be a bonus for the Spanish national team if Raya excels but a minus for the Three Lions. I actually feel that Arteta is all about grooming the next best Spanish national team goal keeper.
Those excellent qualities he wanted in a goalkeeper did not lose us the title last season so why the drastic change?? He didn't even try to give Ramsdale a chance to improve on those qualities considering he had other excellent goal keeping qualities; great saves, clean sheets, pass accuracy plus that he has saved us times without number last season. He just replaced him with another keeper who is on LOAN!! How does that build someone's confidence??
He didn't even consider the effect changing a good keeper will have on the team as a whole that had bonded with Ramsdale last season hoping to build on what they had.......
This one is squarely on Arteta but I fear his stubbornness and ego may be our undoing.