One Arsenal player who has probably had the most ups and downs during his time at the club is Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman was quite promising as a teenager, only to see his wonderful progress stunted by a horrible tackle that frightful night at Stoke. Nevertheless, he came back strong and was one of the team’s best performers last season. This year, he has had good games but more often than not has been the focus of much frustration. The Welshman, due to other injuries to the squad, was able to play in his preferred position, in the centre of the park. His performances were far from stellar. All too often he gave the ball away in the middle of the field and made darting runs forward, leaving the team unbalanced. With him in the midfield, the team looked unstable – to say the least.
Now during Ramsey’s short spell on the sidelines, Mohamed Elneny has emerged and staked his claim on the role. The Egyptian has been everything Ramsey wasn’t this year. Elneny recycles attacks quickly, switches play effectively and most importantly helps Francis Coquelin in winning the ball back in midfield. All this plus the impending return of Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla, with rumors of Granit Xhaka coming in during the summer window, could the Welshman be left without a key role to play? Which begs the question – does Ramsey have a role to play in this Arsenal team?
The answer is yes. While Ramsey may well be crowded out of the middle of the park due to his poor performances and the impressive moments of others, he could still be vital to this team. Ramsey’s game does provide a special something that nobody else is often capable of bringing to the team. His ability to drive the team forward and provide constant options for the front four in the final third is special. He makes more incisive runs than the attacking players at times, cutting through opposing defences to be found by a teammates pass.
His trailing runs are irreplaceable. These make the team dangerous on the counter because it provides another runner into the box on a consistent basis. The Welshman could come into the middle of the park as a substitute when dealing with a team that is difficult to break down. Additionally, he could see time back on his unfavoured right wing. Ramsey was quite effective out wide and is still the second best option. Currently, Alexis Sanchez have that role locked down, but the Welshman does a better job on the right than Alex Oxlade- Chamberlain or Theo Walcott. While Ramsey doesn’t provide the same running ability, his superior runs make him the perfect person for the role. On the right, his incisiveness would not leave the team exposed and, in fact, would increase fluidity and speed in the attack.
Ramsey’s poor form is something to worry about, but that doesn’t mean he can not contribute to the team anymore. Maybe a stint out on the right will see him reclaim his form and then open up the possibility of returning to the middle of the park. For now, he will have to be patient and take advantage of any opportunity to prove his worth to Arsene Wenger.
