Though
he’d never admit it, Coach Mikel Arteta has put his club into a needless quagmire. Since he took over from
fellow countryman, Unai Emery, his rebuild has steadily improved the team, but
for some few hiccups, and the immutable capabilities of Pep Guardiola’s
Manchester City FC, they’d have won the 2022/23 English Premier League.
During
the August 2023 transfer window, Mikel Arteta strengthened his goalkeeping unit,
even when no obvious weakness was identified amongst his crew, and brought his
countryman, David
Raya from Brentford United FC.
Whilst
he stoutly defended this decision, several fans considered it obtuse!
English-born Aaron Ramsdale has grown progressively from his time at
Bournemouth FC, to become a capped player of the English national team, the
Three Lions. His remarkable exploits got him the transfer to Arsenal FC and
nobody would dispute his immense contributions to Arsenal FC’s near-perfect run
last season that got them 2nd position in the league and a UEFA Champions
League ticket.
Ramsdale
vs. Raya
Arteta
is known for his tactical nuances, like his compatriot and former boss Pep
Guardiola. The best coaches and analysts in football always affirm the
goalkeeping area, as a unique position that requires consistency and stability
for the chosen player. The goalkeeper and his defenders always need good
communication and understanding between them to make their job simple; the
goalkeeper serves as the on-field coach, making his role of extreme importance.
Fast forward to the current times, coaches now clamor for keepers with good
ball-playing attributes. With these attributes, both keepers are fairly gifted.
When
Arteta made his move for Raya, he permutated the likelihood of swapping goalkeepers
during a single match for tactical reasons and did everything to reassure fans
about his wisdom of having two equally gifted keepers. His defense for this
action revealed how ill-advised it was. When he dropped Bernd Leno for Aaron
Ramsdale, it never caused the same grumble as the current; the fans identified
Ramsdale’s edge.
Dropping
Ramsdale
Aaron
Ramsdale was dropped by Arteta by the week 3 EPL and thereafter made David
Raya, his number one both for the EPL and UEFA Champions League. It has
obviously been a difficult situation for him and he’s voiced his frustrations,
though there’s very little he can do to change his situation. Raya has still
not shown an undeniable edge over Ramsdale, and this would continue to make him
tense in trying to prove himself. Arteta’s action is not about genuine
competition but has usurped Ramsdale’s position for another player, without
showing appreciation for his dedication. It would never make the team better
and could create a backlash unless their good run continues. Raya
would be unnecessarily judged and compared with Ramsdale for every action that
goes awry.
David
Raya was heavily criticized for Mykhailo Mudryk's surprise goal in their duel against Chelsea FC, even when the cross
never looked deliberate. Again, rather,
than discussing the veracity of the refereeing and VAR decision to award
the goal against Arsenal FC, in their one-nil loss to Newcastle FC, fans have
Raya’s missed efforts to stop the cross, and not the push on Gabriel Maghalaes,
or if the ball had gone off the field, amongst so many other questions about
the goal. It’s a situation Mike Arteta
has caused for himself and would remain so for a long time since his ‘coaching
decision’ appears skewed and one-sided!
It
is only a matter of time for the Arsenal FC fans to turn against him unless
the club continues with good results.
