Arsene Wenger believes Aaron Ramsey returned from EURO 2016 mentally stronger and predicts the midfielder will have a big impact on Arsenal’s season now he’s back from injury.
The Welshman earned plaudits for his performances in France and was even included in UEFA’s team of the tournament after Chris Coleman’s underdogs embarked on an impressive run to the semi-finals.
A sensational summer has been followed by a frustrating start to the campaign with Ramsey picking up a hamstring injury on the opening weekend of the season. Now back fit and with game time under his belt during the wins over Sunderland and Ludogorets, Wenger believes his player will go from strength to strength in the coming weeks.
“I’m certain that mentally he feels stronger [after Euro 2016],” Wenger told Arsenal Player.
“Tuesday was his first start since August 13, that’s 11 weeks, so it will take him some time to come back to his best. Mentally he certainly feels stronger and he’ll have a big impact once he’s fully back.”
Ramsey had been due back a few weeks ago but was eased back into full training slowly with other midfielders doing well in his absence.
“I’ve never met a football player who is patient – they all think when they come back that they are 100 per cent there,” added Wenger.
“After, with retrospective analysis, they know. [Impatience] is normal, that’s what you want them to be. He’s ready to play, he’s ready to fight. Of course it’s not magic, it’s a slow process to come back to your best as well.
“Aaron has his specific qualities – going into the box, playing forward, having the drive to push the team forward. He has interesting qualities and has a big engine as well. That’s vital in modern sport.”
Santi Cazorla aside, Wenger has a full complement of midfielders to choose from ahead of Sunday’s North London derby with Sp*rs.
I am not convinced about Aaron…
I see no point in underrating Aaron. He’s a very good player and works hard. He’s not Ozil; but again, who is? If Aaron doesn’t do well, it always seems to be a function of the entire team as well. He’s one of the few players I trust to put in a good shift given the chance. He was one of the best players at Euro. And Coleman should not credit for his performances. Wenger should. Many would have given up on him but Wenger did not. In fact, his worth last season when our players were injured was very… Read more »
“Partnering with Flamini served as more good than harm. He brought stability when we were really exposed by injuries to Cazorla and Coq.” Actually, no, it did not, and no, he did not. He was dreadful through pretty much that whole difficult spell in the middle of the season. Before that I attributed his inability to find his best form to the fact he was asked to play on the right, and was actually kinda happy that the Cazorla injury gave him a chance to stake his claim in the middle again. Boy, how wrong I was! All of our… Read more »
Any team that has a position in it’s starting eleven for Ramsey can’t win the league.
You’re not our manager, so no worries, mate. You don’t have to be. 😉
I am not convinced about Paul …
Next time Aaron plays count the amount of times he gives the ball away and then come back to me…;-)
He doesnt give the ball away any more than our other players. Its more that every game he makes 2 or 3 absolutely bad passes which in turn makes people think he is a bad passer or gives the ball away
2 or 3 absolutely bad passes per game must be up there in the realms of not very good?
Sorry I have been talking rubbish today.
Time to smash the spuds!!!
COYG!
Hope he doesn’t start. Good squad player. Could add something coming off bench.
I think he has definitely dropped down the pecking order. Theo Ox and even iwobi to a large extent, have been playing well on the flanks. When Santi is fit he is a starter with coq or xhaka alongside him as protection. However, he still offers a lot. Full of running on and off the ball and if he can discover his goal-scoring touch again he can come back into contention for sure.
Great to have him back. Just please please please don’t play him on the right, Arsene.
Or in the middle ?
I think right wing is his second best position after playing no. 10 or part of a three man midfield. And no chance he will play in front of Ozil. When has he ever performed for Arsenal or for Wales as part of a two man midfield behind a no. 10??
2013-14? his best season? he played alongside arteta behind Ozil?
That’s right we conceded 6 against Chelsea and city and 5 against Liverpool.
He only played aganist city that year
Stringer Bell and Harsh are both right: the former, in that (right now) Ramsey is as much of a liability in a big game like tomorrow from the centre as he is on the right (not like he ever stays on the right anyway!); and the latter in that he really was fantastic for us in central midfield in that period in 2013-14, not just his goals, but his all around play. But: 1. Arteta is retired, and it’s not yet clear that Xhaka or anyone else can get the best out of him there. Happy for us to try,… Read more »
We’ve got the best “squad’ in Europe.
If Arsene now used the “we only need super quality’ line , it would actually be true.
Hes a Henderson with some actual football ability. if he plays like he did for Wales then we are in for a treat, depends if we give him that freedom?
Out of all the players in world football, you decide to compare Ramsey with Henderson???
In all fairness, he does have a good engine. Just needs to work on his tactical discipline, he doesn’t get the same amount of freedom as he would Wales.
Not on the right he won’t…
He’ll do the job but somehow by cramming him on the right unbalances the entire team with too many players crowding the center and not enough width on the flanks.
Well he just came back after 11 weeks, and he is not match fit yet to judge him if he will play good on the right wing, but he has played great games as right wing vs liverpool 3-0 and man.utd, and also note that he was playing with jenkinson who didn’t done anything to give him support in the attach with bellerin it will be a different play especially when ramsey cuts in the middle and release bellerin behind defenders with a pass, he has that final pass in him I have seen him many times done that, but… Read more »
C’mon Aaron … do a Pires on Spuds !
I think we can cope without Santi against Spuds and Manu. We’ll need him back for the City game though.
Yes but man.utd away and against that cunt is my only worry, i’m not worrying taht we play manu.td oly the cunt with the tactics and that wenger never beat him so we will need cazorla for that game dictating the game and not making mistake in the middle i’m sure the cunt will set them play on counter and waiting a mistake in our midfield so cazorla will be vital, and with the international break I hope he will be back in time for the game.
Aaron Ramsey deserves to play alongside le Coq until Santi comes back. After that we can deal with the right wing headaches.
Absolutely not.
I agree. Not with Coq. Plus Elneny and Granit are way fitter at the moment. He should be eased in carefully till he finds the best position for his unique blend of skills.
His unique blend of skill ?? does a pirouette like no one else can
I am really torn about Ramsey as he is a dynamic, ambitious and charismatic talent but other than when partnered with Arteta in 2013-14, he tends to imbalance the team. I understand that folks do not like him on the right side as he is not a natural winger and does not give them width due to his lack of pace and desire to go inside. I also see the value in him playing centrally as he makes great runs in to the box and most definitely has goals in him. But claiming he wants to make the number 10… Read more »
I think he managed 5 goals last season.
How on Earth does he “deserve” to play, especially with Xhaka and Elneny, who have worked hard, who give us the calmness and vision in possession that we need in that position, and who have already contributed significantly more to this campaign than Ramsey, as options too? Why should he start in front of them? Plus, he’s never looked good in partnership with Coquelin, as we lack the ability to control the football with those two.
I am convinced about Aaron!
I agree Paul. He was never as good as some thought, what was it 4 seasons ago now, and equally never as bad as some thought before and after. He is just not good enough to start for us. Lacks the technical ability that we require, slows play down time and time again. He could blossom in a mid table team, think Wales, where they build it around him in the middle and he can play Roy of the rovers. Doesn’t operate on level we need.
^ that isn’t me…lots of kids on here today?
Really happy seeing Arsenal in this light, proving the doubters wrong and paying the boss for his iron faith and solidarity with this squad. But they should not get carried away with the media hype, cause they will just build them up to send them crashing to blazes. Don’t believe the hype stick to the plan, with the boss and squad. We are here to support and be entertained! COYG!!!!
I can’t help wondering whether Ramsey might be better-suited to the left wing than the right. Consider the way that we have been using Iwobi there – cutting inside onto his stronger foot and driving into the box. It is a role that demands a fine balance of scoring and creating for others. Ramsey, also right-footed, could surely do that. True, he doesn’t have Iwobi’s speed, but he is a more mature and confident player – and at his best a very good finisher. It would be an interesting contrast with speedster Walcott over on the right.
No, Ramsey doesn’t have Iwobi’s fantastic touch in tight situations, nor his sense of when to hold onto the football and when to pass it. The youngster is miles ahead in terms of combination play with Alexis and Ozil.
Ramsey scored our best goal of the season against Spurs last season with that back flick.
I support Ramsey totally being an Arsenal player.
Wenger trusts him.
Don’t forget Wenger also trusted Denilson
The only man doing a Pires on the Spuds is the man who holds his shirt number.
Alexis Sanchez Baby!
Wouldn’t be surprised if Rosicky somehow made it to the game and scored a blinder though.
Okay, i’m totally ready for the thumbs down, but have to slightly agree with Paul. Three seasons ago Ramsey was up there with the best midfielder’s around, however, because of injuries he has to vertualy start all over again to reach that level once more. The problem he has at present is Arsenal’s level has risen significantly. Three seasons ago it would have been extremely easy for Ramsey to walk back into the team, now his level will have to rise to that of three years ago. This is very encouraging for all Arsenal fans because this means we are… Read more »
Ramsey can win a game, he can also dominate a game, he certainly has those abilities in his locker. But for a long time now he gives the ball away more than anyone (coud that be excused as he has the ball more than anyone?) He also loves “Hollywood” football too much, trying to pull off too many flicks and back heels.
I just hope he can locate his locker…and it’s not next to Davy Jones’ one! 🙂
Exactly this. I hate to play the amateur shrink with our players, but I’ve always felt all the adulation during that great season kinda went to his head and he stopped concentrating on doing the simple things well and decided he needed to be a hero at every opportunity. The constant comparisons to Lampard/Gerrard didn’t help him either: as if what we need is an overrated British-style player obsessed with Hollywood balls and shooting from the edge of the penalty area at every opportunity! He’s got more ability on the ball than either of them ever had, but like Lampard… Read more »
Please you people should always be with,and encourage our players when they are doing well. and the otherwise.
Every Rambo article should come with a quote from him, i enjoy how pleasantly airheaded they are.
Every Arsenal fan is entitled to their opinion on Ramsey as long as those doubters don’t let it affect their support of the team. I would suggest though, that you only need look at Theo (and perhaps to a lesser extent Giroud) and see how quickly popular opinion has shifted this season, to see how ridiculous it is to write off a player that Wenger so wholeheartedly believes in.
COYG. Big win today please.