Arsene Wenger joked that he’d have loved to have called on Aaron Ramsey’s versatile qualities during his own playing career after the Welshman’s latest two-goal salvo helped Arsenal extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points.
Asked whether the 22-year-old was as good as Gareth Bale, the boss dodged a direct comparison with the Real Madrid man instead suggesting that his own career in the French top flight might been more successful had he possessed such talent.
“I was a midfielder and I would have loved to have what he has. He can defend, he can attack, he can score goals – what more do you want? And he’s young – another quality that I have lost as well.
“That shows you that he can develop more when you look at his improvement in the last two years, why should he stop now? I think there’s a lot more to come and if he continues to play like that you have a good future with Wales.”
With all the pre-game headlines focusing on Ramsey’s return to Cardiff, the club with whom he began his career and had a short loan spell in 2011, the press unsurprisingly pushed for further juicy quotes following his latest man of the match performance.
Asked if the £4.8 million fee paid in 2008 now looked like a bargain, Wenger continued: “Look it was a good price at the time. We have to put that into perspective a little bit because the transfers have gone up in the last two or three years but when I bought him it was a good price.
“No we don’t want to sell anybody,” continued the boss when mischievously asked if a blockbuster bid from a rival might tempt him to part ways.
“We just want to keep our team together. I suffered enough for years for having to sell the players and now we are in a stronger position financially so we are not out there to sell our best players.”
Treated like a returning prince by the home supporters Ramsey chose not to celebrate either of his goals and even performed Cardiff’s famed ‘Ayatollah’ gesture both before and after the game.
Speaking about his reception after the game, Ramsey noted: “It was one of those moments that I will never forget. It was a really nice feeling for me. Even though I didn’t show that I was too happy with the goal, everybody else in the stadium showed their appreciation for it. I was delighted with the reception and the way they reacted to when I did score.
“It was a nice feeling for me personally, having a great reception like I got today. Hopefully I gave something back to them with the performance that I showed today – this is where it all started for me and they helped me on my journey to become the player that I am today. I hope they realise that and I gave them my respect as well by not celebrating my goals.”
Is it not time to rest some players next game? Like some of Ozil, Per, Kos, Ramsey. After all we have very capable replacements now and a tough schedule ahead. TV5, Walcott and Rosicky would be very hungry if used!
TV5..TW14..TR7.. December come and the real test has began..
In one way I agree with you, on the other hand I think the upcoming two games are crucial to get 6 points off ahead of the two “top-rival-matches” (Man C/Chelsea). Then again, we really need our top starting XI to be fully fit for those two games… Let’s just say we’re all happy Wenger’s the one calling the shots.
It was really Fun to watch Flamini go all “get the fuck in!!!!, i scored a goal..wuuuhuuu!! im gonna date all your mothers…….” especially after Ramsey had a muted celebration.
“Is he better than Bale then?”
Wenger: “Well, he is better than me.”
Usually, all of the hype over a player celebrating/not celebrating is annoying, but this was different.
The Cardiff fans were just booing Giggs last week (some anyway), so it says something that they all clapped Ramsey and chanted his name. Can’t recall seeing something like that for such a young player returning home. And Ramsey himself looked like his dog died when he scored.
Lesson to you know who: You can’t fake class.
Song of the match at last weeks Cardiff v Man Ure game as told to me by a Cardiff fan:
To Ryan Giggs-
“Welsh when it suits you…
You’re only Welsh when it suits you..”. Sums the man up.
I wonder how long the hater will hv to put up loöking at us at the top. It must be neck breaking
AW when he was a playing as a midfielder…would love to clips of his game…bet he was a cultured maestro then
he did indeed look like one http://angryofislington.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/young-arsene.jpg
nice hairstyle he has got there
Holy crap, that’s Peter Frampton!
Arsene Puyol!
How come I always thought he was a CB?
that was because he was very versatile and could play at almost any position and actually played in defence and forward positions regularly. one of his coaches said that he doesn’t know what is is his actual position, because he was equally good wherevver he played. No wonder he is a fan of total football.
Thanks. A bit more on Wenger the ‘goal-scoring midfielder’ here: http://angryofislington.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/standard-15may1998-aw-feature.jpg
I wonder if it was his height that saw him labelled as a CB by a lazy English tabloid press? Or was that the position he filled for his ten game pro career?
When the hair cover his forehead and the eyes a bit squinted, he resembles steffi graf. esp in that photo of him resting.
I’d have loved Ramsey’s wages.
‘He is young, another quality I have lost” . Wenger is just bloody great.
Someone in a recent post said “Ramsey to score….i can feel it in my testicles”
Those testicles really are something!
And a goal for each testicle, too!
Last i heard in the news, those testicles were auditioning for the Shawn Spencer character in Psych.
He was having them tickled by Paul the Octopus, that’s why.
The battle for Europa league spot had fair results for everyone. well everyone else but them. has been a fruitful week but could even be more if hull and southhampton could get at least a draw.
Bleh. That’s a lie. Who’d want amazing goalscoring tact, a superb engine and brilliant tackling ability.
Oh Sky Bet, when will you learn? They gave me a £10 free bet (because I’m never on Sky Bet) which I of course put on Ramsey to score first at 8-1. I was singing “he’s better than Bale” all day long.
Ramsey’s reminding me of the feeling i got when cesc used to play with us, always wanting the ball, always looking to control the game. Not comparing the two i’m just comparing the feeling of security that this squad and player gives me. Everything that is arsenal makes me proud at the moment.COYG
I know this Ramsey joke about somebody dying is terrible but how about playing “I will survive” (Gloria Gaynor) in the Stadium when he scores! 🙂
RIP Paul Walker
who?
the guy in fast and furious. dead within hours of ramsey scoring.
this might be off topic, but arsene wasn’t wearing lavin, was he ?? does anyone know why ??
Suits / suit sponsorship only applies for home games (this also addresses the complaint regarding wearing uncomfortable suits on long away trips)
“Might” be off topic? No shit sherlock.
Off topic but Liverpool – ha ha!!
off topic, the commentators on the spuds/manure game were a bunch of cunts. They made it seem the scums were a sort of super team. One of them even went as far as saying the spuds had millions of fans worldwide.
Hundred million quid, hundred million signings, hundred millionth in the league.
Perhaps they confused millions with ‘tens’. They probably earn millions for their commentary.
I think Wenger should consider selling TGSEL to a rival when a blockbuster bid comes in.
Happy to be Gunner…
@Pim: Spuds will need a backup striker with Defoe leaving, Soldado being Soldado, and having their Adebayor disability…
You know he’d come alive every derby day and consolidate all that wasted talent into 2 performances a season…
Nah sell him to brondby or FC Twatte
I still have this feeling in my nads that Bendtner will score one more goal for us, and a very important one – maybe a last minute winner in the Champions League semi-final, Giroud having limped off in the 85th minute. It’s written in the stars…..there must be reason we have had to put up with him for so long.