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‘Oh diddums’: Graeme Souness stunned by what he’s heard about Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta now
Graeme Souness has become the latest pundit to wade in on the discussion about Arsenal and their goalkeepers.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has prompted debate and some controversy after replacing Aaron Ramsdale with David Raya in between the sticks.
Ramsdale has been superb ever since he dethrtoned Bernd Leno in the Arsenal goal, barely putting a foot wrong.
Then, in the summer, the Gunners moved for David Raya, signing him on loan from Brentford with an option to buy.
And last week, Arsenal named Raya in goal, dropping Ramsdale to the bench. Arteta repeated this for their Champions League encounter in midweek.
Now, with the North London derby on the horizon, some fans are fearing for Ramsdale’s future if Raya gets the nod once again.
That would all-but rubber-stamp Raya’s role as Arsenal’s new number one, with Ramsdale potentially consigned to the bench long-term.
‘So much the better’
Souness, writing in the , has rubbished such criticism, stressing that competition is part and parcel of the game.
“I like the fact that David Raya and Aaron Ramsdale are competing for the goalkeeper’s jersey,” he wrote.
“And (I) certainly do not subscribe to this modern view that you ‘make the goalkeepers nervous’ by having them vying for the spot.
“Nervous? Oh diddums! Are you seriously going to tell me next that Ramsdale, who’s missed out in the past two matches, should be heading straight to Arsenal’s HR department?
“If someone challenges the established goalkeeper, then so much the better.”
Our view
Souness has a point. Football is a very high-stakes industry, more so than ever in the present day, and any marginal gains are key for prosperity and development.
We haven’t heard as much about, say Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu slipping down the pecking order despite being top players too.
This is very much the same thing. Ramsdale is a great player, but by the looks of it, Arteta may feel that Raya is just a bit better.
And then we also have the prospect of having both players competing for the No. 1 spot and alternating them in the league as well as the cups.
The winner in this sort of scenario? Arsenal Football Club. Quality, standards and competition are all increasing, and that benefits the club.