I have to eat a lot of humble pie re Ramsdale.
i know still early days but i was one of many who didn't want him anywhere near Arsenal as he was crap.....
His first few performances have been excellent. Very comfortable with the ball at this feet and love the way he comes for the ball and claims it.
Also seems to have a great personality and authority about him compared to Leno.
Hope he continues making me eat humble pie.
I hope the rumours of Leno getting the spurs game are just that!
Arteta would be an absolute idiot to take out Ramsdale who is riding high on confidence but who would actually be surprised if he did bring Leno back in.
Surely Balogun didnt sign a new contract to be put back in with the Under 23s??
He hasnt even made the bench the last few league games. Seems he is in direct competition with Martinelli for a place on the bench. I hope he is one of these kids who will be humble and bide his time. Unfortunately no european football to give these kids some game time which is why the Europa league conference was a big miss.
Also please no Xhaka on sunday.
What sort of message does that send to Lokonga and AMN if he comes straight back in.
Make him wait and stick with the winning teams of last 2 games.

Also loving the look of the new defence.
They must all play v Spurs.
Let them build an understanding and stop the chopping and changing.

You might be right! Although I hope not.

Thought that was excellent. Obviously he's not going to criticise the club much being an employee, but he comes across really well and reinforces a lot of what we've heard about the plan for Arsenal going forward. Just hoping all of it can start translating into performances and results, because it seems we're trying to move the club forward in the right way.

So let’s gets this right ..

Arteta was an idiot for signing him
If he plays badly it’s Artetas fault
However he’s playing well right now so if Arteta rests him even if it’s for logical reasons then Arteta is a complete idiot for doing so.
If he has a drop in form the moment he does Arteta will get blamed though.

Great stuff, terrific. See how easy it is ?

Saka’s current contract expires in 2024. I think the key factor in whether he stays or goes will be if he extends it (as with many if not most players these days). If he does, I reckon the club will keep him. If he doesn’t, I reckon he’ll be sold.

The club should be looking to get him to sign an extension two years beforehand in 2022, so next year when Darren reckons he’ll leave. Myself, I think that’s a year early because selling him would surely have a massive negative impact on the Arsenal project, if that’s what building a younger improving side can be called.

So even if he doesn’t renew it I’d expect the club to keep him until 2023, so the end of next season. But if he hasn’t, I simply don’t see the club being willing to run the risk of losing him on a free in 2024. His transfer value is simply too big to allow that. That’s why I reckon Darren was a year out. I believe Arsenal should and will wait until 2023 before selling him, even if he shows little or no inclination to extend it.

Satisfying Saka’s wage demands will be the least of Arsenal’s problems, however big a pay rise he wants. Nearly all top players not only want money. They can all live in mansions and drive Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s, Bentley’s or whatever. Even a relative footballing nobody (as a Premiership star) like Reiss Nelson had a £3m property in Hadley Wood. I think the issue will be if Saka can be convinced he can win things at Arsenal, in addition to earning a ton of money.

Even Harry Kane, a lifelong Tottenham fan (despite the photos of him wearing an Arsenal shirt when linked with us as a schoolboy), eventually decided he wanted to move on to win things, even though he’s still there for now. As far as I’m aware, Saka has never pretended to be a lifelong Arsenal fan. Hopefully he can be persuaded or become convinced he can win trophies at Arsenal and sign a new deal. Otherwise my bet is we’ll have him for this and next season before selling him for a very big transfer fee.

https://arseblog.com/2021/09/tactics-co ... t-burnley/

This did a good job of analysing Ramsdale's strengths v Burnley. I was looking for some clips because when I watched some highlights I noticed at least a couple of times where the corner was swung right in oder the crossbar and Ramsdale confidently caught it when 95% of GK would punch that away and the pressure remains on the defence. Some still images from that are in this report.

There is one image, 84th minute, 1-0 up away from home to cloggers, corner swung in and there are 12 players in and around the 6 yard box including 4 within a foot of Ramsdale and he makes the catch. Superb

Like i said i'm happy to eat humble pie re Ramsdale.
Clearly Arteta can do no wrong in your eyes.
Cant think of many who would legislate dropping a keeper high on confidence and on form last couple of games to bring back someone who is out of form.
But hey whatever suits your narrative.

Really don't care who's in goal Sunday. Just do the job they're hired to do Sunday. Like not letting Spurs win is a start.

For me Ramsdale has grabbed his chance with both hands. Leno should have to wait for an opportunity to get back in. Ramsdale deserves to stay in the team.

Paddy being a wee bit ecnomical with his part in it all..haha

Will his Chelsea side evetually replace Liverpool as the City's biggest challenger?

Forgot about Balogun...he needs minutes.

[quote="AmericanGooner"]Will his Chelsea side evetually replace Liverpool as the City's biggest challenger?
I think they're the team to beat this season. I make them favourites. The depth of quality in their squad is unrivalled.

Arteta just might go with experience, but who knows. If it is Ramsdale he most likely is aware of the pressure of this derby

I agree about Xhaka. But surely Balogun does need to bide his time? We shouldn't be getting worked up if he isn't on the bench. And I don't agree that it would be idiotic to rotate Leno and Ramsdale. Apart from any promises or plans that may have been made, its early days with Ramsdale so Arteta may feel more confident with Leno for the big games for now.

Our heavily deplete team got whupped by no less than City and Chelsea and the keeper is the villain.

Then our full strength side beats the two bottom teams in the league and our keeper is the hero?

I'm excited by Ramsdale, and unlike you, thought highly of him before we signed.

But I would like a bigger and more representative sample than that before drawing any firm conclusions.

Don’t know how to tell you this mate but we don’t play spurs till Sunday and I doubt he’s getting dropped anyway. You’re talking about nothing.

It’s all extremes right and the moment Ramsdale makes an even borderline mistake both he and the manager will get it both barrels. It’s all so predictable and boring now. It’s not even anything to do with the manager, support your club d*******.

If Leno plays tomorrow it’s Ramsdale Sunday. The manager has given major clues Ramsdale will play in some of his comments but you never know. Over the next few weeks it’s par for the course Ramsdale will finally get a shot smashed past him and it will be painful having to listen to the complete divs in our fan base start questioning him again.

You’re right Decaf. It’s very early days but Ramsdale looks good in the air and confident in dealing with crosses. But, and at this stage it’s an important point to make, he hasn’t kept out a shot that you wouldn’t expect a semi-competent keeper to keep save.

I’m not going to say all the shots he’s saved so far would have been kept out by my mother-in-law who’s in her eighties. I will say, however, that if he’d let any of the shots he has saved for Arsenal so far go in, they would and should have been put down as a goalkeeping error.

Ramsdale has started well but it’s a little early to declare him the next Neuer.

The main issue about Leno or Ramsdale is exactly the same as the main issue about Leno or Martinez (imho). Ramsdale seems to work as part of the defence, as did Martinez. Leno may be a better shot stopper but, even if he is, that doesn't make him the best gk for us.

Personally, I'd expect to see Leno tomorrow and Ramsdale at the weekend. Chopping and changing keepers rarely works, unless there's a very good reason for it. It might be a high pressure game, but Ramsdale looks as if he has had plenty of those over the last three years. He's got experience of working with this defence (+ Partey) and Leno hasn't.

I'm going to be the forum worry wort and say winning tonight is not a foregone conslusion. I hope we aren't looking past this game.
It's a great opportunity to give young players some first team minutes but we can't blow it either. We have to be prepared to throw some weight around the pitch with first team players off the bench if need be for the win.

I'm glad we now have a GK who is willing to come forward and claim the crosses. That's being proactive. And gives defenders confidence too.
Waiting on the line to save is reactive.

Surely the most important factor is choosing the right occasions to come for crosses or stay on the line. Sometimes it’s right to come for crosses. Other times it’s the wrong decision to come for crosses. Likewise it can be the right decision to wait on the line but there will be times when it can be the wrong decision.

I suspect if one over-generalises, and I’m not saying you do, you’re likely to ignore the probability that it is wrong for keepers to do the same thing all the time. The better ones will make their decisions according to the specific circumstances they are faced with.

Having the ability to come for crosses gives you an option you don't have if you can't. (Nearly) Everyone has the ability to wait.

That’s true but I’m struggling to think of many professional, at an established (lots of games) Premier League level, which is what I predominantly watch, goalkeepers unable to come for crosses. I can fully understand why on the basis of three games some argue Ramsdale looks more accomplished at it than Leno. I think that myself. But it would be majorly unfair to the point of almost being laughable to claim Leno was unable to come for crosses. There are gross exaggerations and there’s stupidity. I’ve seen Leno catch many high balls.

De Gea isn’t great at crosses but his shot stopping more than makes up for it.

EDIT: Just to clarify, I’m aware you didn’t say Leno was unable to come for crosses. I was just saying why I think it would be verging on ridiculous if anyone did.

Go *%^@ yourself you *%^@.
*%^@*** hyprocite.
Seems only you can be on a downer when it suits. Xhaka spring to mind??
Forum of opinions.
*%^@*** deal with it.

Cannot stand self entitled pricks like TG taking on the guise of forum moderator and advising everyone how to support our club.
Prick.

Bernard
No one has declared him the next Neuer!
Just said he should stay in on form.

I appreciate that David. That’s why I didn’t say anyone had. I was just trying to find a slightly lighthearted way of emphasising my agreement with Decaf that it’s a little soon, three games against poor opposition, to make hard judgments.

I thought it was unacceptable when people started slagging Ramsdale off on other social media outlets when he hadn’t even played for the club. No one here has gone to that level here, in reverse, by praising him. But he’s played against WBA, Norwich and Burnley. Let’s keep calm. He still has it all to do.

Bernard
I agree. Totally unacceptable to slag off Ramsdale directly on social media.
i was one of a few on here that voiced his disapproval at us signing him because i genuinely didn't believe he was good enough.
But he is here now so i will support him as he is now one of ours.
I have been impressed, so far so good but still a way to go.
I am quite happy to hold up my hands and admit i was wrong if he continues how he is doing over a longer period of time.

Greetings Pode
If you are Burnley you want someone who can stop lots of shot and hoof it a long way towards where the neanderthals have gathered for a knock-down. I'm not sure if Sheffield United played that way, but I'd imagine that the kind of skills you need for an ambitious team would not be at a premium for the relegation fodder teams where Ramsdale cut his teeth. Not only does your keeper need to be good with his feet, you need a keeper who can 'sweep' and will allow you to play a high line, for example. That means the keeper has to be very quick, and be able to read the game excellently.

Also, the pressure is different, I think. For a lower level keeper, the odd cockup would hardly be noticed if it was mixed up with heroics. Completely different if you are playing for a top side.

My point was simply that the ability to make a decision only exists within someone's sphere of competence. The evidence suggests that Ramsdale has more of it with this skill, so he has more options.

Hi,
Sheffield United weren't expected to be relegation candidates when he went there; had bought ambitiously iirc. Nor were Bournemouth the year before (7th at the beginning of November). Ramsdale seems to be better with his feet than Leno.

I'm not saying he's better than Leno, but he's the one in position, he fits in well with the team and there's no obvious reason to drop him. He's also likely to be with us longer than Leno if it comes to that.

Looking forward to tonight’s game. I expect us to win, draw or lose. If Arteta drops Ramsdale he’s an idiot, likewise if he drops Leno he’s also an idiot. If he plays first team players I intend on accusing him of risking Sunday’s result and if he doesn’t I intend on accusing him of being an idiot for not taking the competition seriously.

Greetings Bernard. I think that decision making and mentality is what distinguishes the really great keeper from the average keeper.

I'm sure you could find lot of young men who are as big and quick as Neuer and have have as good reflexes. The mentality of a really top keeper is a much rarer thing: consistency (which comes from their power of concentration and resilience), the right sort of bravery and confidence (which doesn't cross the line to foolhardiness and lunacy), and most of all, football intelligence.

I do agree. However, where I differ from some posters is that I really don't think it would be a terrible decision to play Leno against Spurs.

With hindsight helping us, we can put the loss to Brentford in its proper perspective. They are a good team. They have been playing together. They barely missed out on promotion before. They were more prepared as a team than we were. I'm not saying we deserve to lose or should have lost but we would have to be about where we are now at the very least to have beaten them and a draw might have been the best we could have gotten that early.

Totally agree that the GK has to make their judgment call. I am happy Ramsdale made those decisions early and came out to claim the balls assuredly. He will make some blunders in the future, no doubt. But better being proactive and blunder (on the rare occasion), than preferring to be reactive, imho.

trying to be cute eh?