Regardless of what happened behind the curtain about his contract, Arsenal should drop Aaron Ramsey from their lineup. More importantly, they should do it fast.
There are three main reasons on why Arsenal should drop Aaron Ramsey; Skillset, Contract, and Supporters.
Skillset: Where Should Ramsey Play?
Some would say that Aaron Ramsey is a great box-to-box midfielder. Some would say that he is a number 8. Other, more foolish people, would say that he is a number 10 playmaker.
All of these statements might be true, to some extent. That explains a lot about him. Aaron Ramsey is too much of everything but not really anything. He press, he track back, he thread passes, he attack the box, and everything else. But if anyone take a deeper look at it, he’s not offering any significant quality.
Is Ramsey a better defender compared to Torreira? Does he offers the same energy like Guendouzi? Is he as handsome as Xhaka (Jokes aside, Xhaka seems like the better passer)? Is he a better threat going forward than Iwobi/Auba/Mkhi? Ultimately, for sure he is not even better than Ozil in number 10 even on his bad days.
Football is a team game and having a do-it-all attitude is good, but sometimes it is hard if someone else do specific things better than you ever did. On that kind of situation, you can’t really expect to ask a pay rise.
Contract: How Much Should Ramsey Get Paid?
Ramsey is on the verge of leaving. Seems like it is certain that he is going to leave for a discount price or even for free. Having him on the field seems dumb compared to developing much more promising and committed player such as Iwobi or Guendouzi.
To be honest, club legends like to spew bullshits. But I couldn’t agree more with Wrighty for this one. Arsenal lost many players on so many similar occasions. Arsenal got bullied by their own players. Sadly, on those occurrences, Arsenal was not taking any strong stance or making any statements. This situation with Ramsey is the right time.
Apart from the arguable technical things, seems like Ramsey also didn’t do much on the financial/branding front. True he might be popular locally as a Great Britain’s natives but jersey sales said something else.
At the end of the day, it is true that losing an international caliber for free is not truly ideal. This leads into the last reason on why Ramsey should be dropped; to teach supporters to respect how the club is the one with final say on things.
Supporters: Why Should Ramsey Received More Love Than the Club?
I am supporting Arsenal since long time ago. I watched Ramsey grows with the team too. Watched him broke his leg and came back. He is a good loyal guy. But let’s get on the same page, he is playing for Arsenal and not the other way around.
Sure he scored 20+ goals a season once, sure he is great in Euro with Wales, and of course those cup winning goals too. But does he ever provide Arsenal with a consistent top class performance? Does he ever reach Lampard’s or Gerrard’s level of class?
The answer is no and this is another reason why he should be dropped. Arsenal need to teach not only players but also supporters that if the only direction to go to is the one with the club. If you are not willing to go with the club’s terms, then go and do not expect any special treatment. Furthermore, not seeing him on the field is probably good for us supporters to move on from Ramsey.
Side Note:
Apart from this, having Ramsey not playing is also good for Ozil. Having paid so much for Ozil, let’s not waste his prime year on the field with Ramsey trying to outstyle him all the time and disturbing his magic. Yes I’m a big Ozil fan.
On another note, I will write something about Juventus and how the way they deal with such situation with players might be the best way to do so.