Former Premier League goal keeper turned pundit, Mark Schwarzer has criticised Mikel Arteta for how he has handled dropping Aaron Ramsdale at the beginning of this season.
Since signing for Arsenal in the summer of 2021, Aaron Ramsdale quickly displaced Bernd Leno of the number one shirt and has been a constant starter in the Premier League for the Gunners ever since. However that changed just over a month ago when David Raya started his first game for Mikel Arteta against Everton with Ramsdale dropping to the bench.
The England international started Arsenal’s first four Premier League games this season but David Raya has started the last eight in the league, as well as all four games in the Champions League group stage. Ramsdale is yet to make his UCL debut, despite being a big reason why the Gunners find themselves back in Europe’s elite competition for the first time in seven years.
Mark Schwarzer has said that Arteta should have pulled Ramsdale aside for a chat at before making the decision: “I would hope that Arteta had said something to Aaron Ramsdale, but it doesn’t look like he has.
“And obviously his father’s come out and said he didn’t know anything about it and he hasn’t spoken to him about it, and that’s really poor management. I’m actually surprised with Arteta because I would have thought that would have pulled him aside.
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“And they’re the conversations as players you want to have with a manager. As much as you don’t like it, I would rather the manager was completely honest with me.”
Mikel Arteta has insisted that Ramsdale hasn’t been dropped for Raya and instead the pair are still competing for the number one spot. However it’s hard to see it that way with Ramsdale only starting two games in the Carabao Cup since being dropped.
Despite the difficult situation Aaron Ramsdale currently finds himself in, he is expected to stay in North London and fight for his spot back in the starting eleven beyond the January transfer window.
Graeme Souness recently urged the England international to stay and fight at Arsenal, citing Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay as two players he can learn from.
Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay have both fought back under Erik Ten Hag to win their places back in the Manchester United first-team and Graeme Souness has urged Aaron Ramsdale to do the same under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal.
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