15 Nov 2023 07:24:48
If we'd brought in a keeper of the calibre of Ederson or Allison, I guess I wouldn't have such a problem with this. However, IMO, Raya isn't better than Ramsdale, and is quite possibly a downgrade.
I won't be happy if Ramsdale leaves.
Would love to hear the opinions of everyone else on here.
15 Nov 2023 08:26:32
I agree mate
I like Ramsdale, he has passion and I think that’s what the club has missed for the last 20 years.
Mikel must see something in raya
Ramsdale is one of us and I would be sad to see him leave.
15 Nov 2023 08:44:24
Hello Sharpey and Mal.
IMO on top of their form, I don't think there is much to choose from them. Rambo reminds me of Scesynzy, great shot stopper but does play to the crowd a bit, not sure if that's a fault or not. Raya has made some errors but I think its clear that Mikel sees Raya has his number 1 and I can only see this ending with the departure of Re ambo sadly.
15 Nov 2023 08:48:09
The lad has to do what's right for him and if Mikel doesn't feel he's good enough to be our number one then he has to find a manager who does.
Personally I feel he's been treated poorly by Mikel especially after last season in being huge part of our best season in years, if he was discarded for a keeper who was quite clearly superior who showed his superior ability week in week out then you'd have to call that progress but that simply isn't what's happened in my opinion.
For MA to expect the lad to abandon his own personal ambitions and career just in case Arsenal need him at some point it delusional, would any of us accept being demoted for someone who is at least no better at our job than we are, I think we'd all take that personally and look for other opportunities where we'd be more appropriated and valued. its human nature.
15 Nov 2023 09:43:38
Bill, you're right; he does play to the crowd. For some reason that's something I like about him. The lad wears his heart on his sleeve. Total team player.
62, true. Ultimately everyone needs to do what's right for themselves. Would be nice though if practical minds prevailed.
15 Nov 2023 14:11:41
I agree Sharpie. It seems strange to gamble the loyalty of a player who is your player for a player who is on loan from another club unless that loan keeper is something special and a definite upgrade, there is absolutely no sign so far that Raya is anything like an upgrade and in many people's view is exactly the opposite.
15 Nov 2023 15:47:50
Ramsdale is a good keeper but not quite good enough. If he wants to leave i have no issues with that. Wasn't he just rated the most valuable gk in the world or something? Maybe Boehly will be interested.
15 Nov 2023 16:55:24
Iceman, I don't think anyone is suggesting that Ramsdale is world class. However, he is the best we have. That's the point. If we want to replace our keeper, Raya doesn't seem to be an upgrade.
15 Nov 2023 17:00:45
Nail on the head there, 62. Loyalty - we've shown Ramsdale none after the fantastic season he had with us. I think that sends the wrong message to the squad and to future potential acquisitions.
15 Nov 2023 17:42:24
But what's to say Ramsdale couldn't become world class? He's a very very good keeper for his age but the only way he will improve is by playing, which doesn't look like it will happen with us which is a huge shame.
I personally think he'll move on and the club will regret it.
Interestingly I think our GK coach was at at Brentford before us which has probably got a huge part in us getting and playing Raya.
{Ed014's Note - I could understand the move as Sharpie says, if Raya was the calibre of Alison or Ederson but he’s not.
I felt that last season Ramsdale had improved and was showing way more concentration on the pitch.
There’s surely little doubt as you say HG, that at 24 he’ll only get better.
15 Nov 2023 18:45:22
Letting Ramsdale go would be a major mistake. This illustrates how Arteta's strength in being single-minded, may well be his biggest weakness. Stubbornness can often get in the way of rationality - persisting with Raya is beginning to look exactly like that.
15 Nov 2023 19:29:32
Personally HoxtonBridge I believe Arteta needs saving from himself, his strange Ideas and stubbornness, so far injuries have come to rescue forcing him to drop Partey at RB and reintroduce Gabriel after strangely choosing to bench him for no apparent reason at the start of the season.
When Partey was fit every man and his pigeon expected to see and was looking forward to seeing Partey and Rice in the middle but Arteta chose to follow his Monty Python philosophy of " Now for something completely different "
He's a very naughty naughty boy,
16 Nov 2023 09:01:10
I couldn't agree more Gunner62. The collective shock at that particular enterprise could not have escaped him - but then again! It would really help to have a strong, experienced, stabilizing force in the dugout, one that Arteta would listen to. I don't want to appear overly critical as the team, and its prospects, look better than they have done for years, but it would be so sad for the potential to be undone by unnecessary hubris. Best, HB.
16 Nov 2023 10:38:06
Let's not forget that Arteta is a fairly new manager. His very first managerial appointment. At a high profile club. And to give him his due, he had a plan, he built it out over the course of his first few seasons, and we've enjoyed some sweet football over the last two.
I was one of those that wasn't happy when he was appointed because I felt we needed more than a green manager. I've certainly changed my tune.
Having said that, the guy is hella weird. To lots of us. But perhaps all these things, cumulatively, make a big enough difference. A few examples:
- His team talks. The light bulb one springs to mind
- His idea of making away dressing rooms seem like home
- The team dog named Win
At the end of the day, he has a philosophy, and the bloke is sticking to it. He got us to within touching distance of the PL last season, and that definitely counts for something.
As much as I now like him, I'm still going to have a moan about him for playing Havertz! I mean come on fella! ??.
16 Nov 2023 14:10:22
love that last post sharpe,
I prefer Ramsdale, but probably because of his personality and that he seems to be really proud to wear the shirt.
but if both are at their best then I do actually think that Raya is the better keeper, and I think the GK statistics would probably back that up.
However, being a GK at a top club is about more than just GK ability and although I don't believe Raya has been as bad as some would try and make out I do think he has shown that perhaps he is not strong enough in his character to be a GK at a club where the expectation is to win every week and every part of your game will be over analysed every week.
overall I am happy with the decision of Arteta, The bottom line is that if he thinks Raya will get us closer to City and winning the league then even if it is a marginal gain then he has to make that decision.
what I do disagree with is that he seems to not be doing what he has come out publicly and said, if there was no NO.1 then Ramsdale would have had more opportunities in goal and he could have had a proper chance to prove he should be Arsenals No.1 and also be in the England squad.
16 Nov 2023 14:52:31
To be fair Sharpie we'd have to be super critical to argue with Arteta results and achievements over the past two seasons. I personally find some of his decisions baffling but I'm enjoying the end product and our league positions more now than for a very very long time.
16 Nov 2023 20:12:35
I love ramsdale from the moment go he gives it all keeps us all entertained and in the mix. Raya is on loan I think giving him maximum opportunity to allow arteta to make a better judgement call at the end of season is the right thing to do will strengthen ramsdale mentally. If he does decide to leave than he ain't a team player. We all thought keeping saliba on loan this time was mad but we now see the benifits of such action. I think same with gk situation. If raya can't prove he is an upgrade on ramsdale and ramsdale sticks with the club ramsdale becomes number one and raya number 2 or we find an alternative. Love2all stay positive get behind the team n make yourself count.
17 Nov 2023 12:45:38
Iceman, how many people do you know that would respond well to, "Hey, you've done amazing work, really really amazing! Well done. By the way, we're replacing you with someone else, but hang about and you may get a shout"?
And to top it off, you're happy to paint this individual as "not a team player" if he decides to take his excellent work ethic to an employer that properly appreciates him.
Your Saliba comparison, well, not really an apples for apples comparison, is it? One was on loan, plying his trade and the other is languishing on a bench.
17 Nov 2023 17:58:48
Hi G4 players get just one playing career and they would be either lazy or completely without personal ambitions if they agreed to sacrifice that career for the sake of a manager who didn't rate them.
Personality if Ramsdale decides to move on for the good of his career I not only wish him all the very best wherever he goes but hope he does a brilliant Pretty Woman impression by being huge success elsewhere and gets to say to Arteta " Remember me, big mistake, HUGE "
17 Nov 2023 19:20:08
I think the whole saga gives us all a opinion. All opinions respected. And every is entitled to theirs. If ramsdale does decide to leave then all the best to him and we still have raya who all agree is on the same level as ramsdale. If ramsdale is confident enough in his ability then he will be keen to prove any doubters wrong. N stick n fight for his place.
Arsenal have made him n put him on the international stage if he can't get behind the team then he jus not what I thought of him. Plenty of time for him to join the England squad still very young n I don't think England are quite ready to replace pickford. Although I would have ramsdale over pickford any day.
17 Nov 2023 21:26:12
No disrespect G4 but your view seems to be Ramsdale should be prepared to see his own career go backwards at least for as long as it suit's Arteta for the good of Arsenal. Personally I think unreasonable and you expect to much of him as a person.
I certainly wouldn't be prepared to see my career good of Arteta or Arsenal if I was Ramsdale, I'd definitely be looking to join the best rival club who wanted me, number two keeper's job is for young keeper's looking to break onto the big stage or a past his prime keeper looking to stay in the game and earn a few quid before retirement.
Time stands still for no one and Ramsdale career was on the up until this season and he needs it back on track ASAP if he's to have the best career possible.
18 Nov 2023 09:37:32
RSharpe i think you meant your reply for gunns4ever but i'm going to reply anyway. I don't agree Ramsdale has done an "amazing work". Amazing would be Alisson. Ramsdale is on a "good job" level to me. He's an average or slightly above average premier league keeper to me. And he's been a solid player for us especially when we were fighting for the Europa league places but we have evolved now. We're interested in the title and not just top 6.
Ramsdale is of course still young and might improve but right now the reality is he's not among the absolute best. What i find particularly concerning about him is his weaknesses tend to amplify in the toughest moments. Last season he started well as did the whole team. But when the going got tough towards the run-in his form also dropped. Against City in a huge title showdown he let that De Bruyne long-range shot in pretty tamely. Imagine if we had a top level keeper who kept that out. Would we be title holders now? Of course there's no point in wondering what might have been but just saying, an "amazing" keeper can make a big difference.
So all i'm saying is. If someone comes with a world class offer for this potentially world class keeper, and we then also have an opportunity to reinvest that world class money into an already world class keeper, i wouldn't necessarily be against that.
18 Nov 2023 10:09:29
Hi Ice do you think Raya is world class? If not I see little sense in swapping one non world class keeper for another non world class keeper.
18 Nov 2023 10:57:04
G62 i don't think Raya is quite up there either, but let's see how he develops over the season. Still early days for him. I believe we have no obligation to buy so that opens up a chance to sign someone else next summer if Ramsdale ends up leaving and Raya's not seen as good enough.
18 Nov 2023 10:57:12
No disrespect taken g62. We all have our opportunity. We have all given ramsdale a good amount of time to prove his worth. I think we need to give raya the same level of opportunity. Arteta has taken him on loan and needs to be given the opportunity to satisfy him if he needs to make the purchase and weather that be as first choice keeper or 2nd. I fully respect ramsdale if he can't wait and wants to move on but the club has made a decision.
18 Nov 2023 12:37:37
Hi G4 I agree it's 100% Arteta right to make whatever choice he thinks best and I equally think its Ramsdale right to choose how he personally reacts to Arteta choice.
I hope for our sakes Arteta choice is proven correct in the long run and equally I hope Aaron has a brilliant career wherever he chooses to pursue it. I personally feel very loyal to Ramsdale but I am equally open to him being replaced by a much better keeper, as things stand that's not what's happening.
19 Nov 2023 08:36:39
Ramsdale is still at the club so obviously no replacement needed as of now. I like him as well and hope he would improve. When he came forward to talk about the miscarriage and all the struggles that came with it it instantly earned my respect. I thought he showed incredible bravery and maturity being able to publicly talk about such a difficult issue.
That being said i'm happy Raya is here as well. In my opinion when your best goalkeeper isn't quite convincing enough it's the right thing to bring in some competition. It may not last for long but i hope at the end of it we will either have an improved Ramsdale or a slight improvement in Raya as our number one keeper. Or who knows maybe Arteta and Cana will find a way to keep both keepers happy.