After Arsenal dispatched Sp*rs 3-1 in the North London derby on Saturday, Aaron Ramsdale spoke to the press afterwards and made it clear that the pain of last season’s final few games are a serious motivational factor this time around.
The 24 year old had plenty of time to think about what to say as he was completely untroubled by the opposition during the second half, and if the win at the weekend felt like some small measure of revenge for what happened at White Hart Lane last May, there’s plenty more to come.
“We spoke about it before the game, to play the game and not the occasion and that’s what we did,” he said.
“The experiences at the end last season are adding to our team spirit and mentality.
“It’s not just the lads who have come in who have brought this winning mentality. We all have this fire burning inside because of what happened at the end of last season.
“Any time something has happened this season — Fulham, Leicester, when we concede a goal — it is like we have scored a goal with the noise the fans are making and it gives us a boost. It is a never-say-die attitude, the way I would word it is a ‘F*ck-it mentality’. Who cares we have conceded?
“We have got 10 minutes, 70 minutes, we will play our way. We never run out of time. That is the big thing for us and the manager — we don’t stop working.”
The importance of the game wasn’t lost on him either. A win for Sp*rs would have seen them leapfrog us in the table, but the win ensured we remained top of the league, despite the best efforts of a rampant Man City.
“After the international break it was huge for us to get three points,” continued Ramsdale.
“We’ve a tough run until the World Cup so, yeah it was a lovely afternoon and the fans can celebrate over the weekend.
“It’s huge. Every game is tough in the Premier League. At the minute there are some results right now that you wouldn’t think would be happening in today’s games.
“Every game is tough, but when it’s a local rival and also a rival at the top of the table, it’s definitely a step in the right direction.”
The team is on fire. Even a loss to ‘Pool won’t dent the team spirit.
We shouldn’t lose to this Pool side. They are not at the level they’ve been in the last three or so years.
Our defence should be able to handle their attack.
A draw would be grudgingly accepted by me at the moment; but I believe we can put them effectively out of the title race come Sunday. 3-1 to the Arsenal.
I hope you’re right, but I expect Liverpool to be really fired up for playing us after their poor start and especially since a loss will out them so far behind us. Plus they have 2 more days to prepare than us,
We can beat them, but we should be ready for them to put in one of their better performances of the season
Pool lost their pressing identity when Mane left for Bayern. There’s no one at the tip of their spear who can replicate his effort. Jota’s been injured and miscast with new arrivals Diaz and Nunez. The rest of that cast are a year older and it shows. Pool’s defense has been exposed so often this season. VVD hasn’t been VVD very often.
Klopp is back to having to outscore opponents– as when he first arrived. Arsenal can do that too now.
If we can control possession– we’ll win.
Yeah, don’t think so. We can win, but it will take a great game. They are still a very good side, fundamentally much better than Spurs or Man United.
I really think we need the three points as I’ve a feeling that if City get ahead of us, we (or, indeed any other team) may not be able to regain the top spot from them. Liverpool do have a good recent record at The Emirates but they clearly aren’t on their top form. If we’re going to break that run, now is the time to do it.
One game at a time. City are clearly still the superior team but anything can happen with injuries to any team that derails their plans. It will be hard to maintain this level of dominance for an entire season. It will be fun to watch this team grow, game by game, both as a collective and as individuals. Up the Arsenal!!!
On the injury front – that surely applies to both City and us – and given Partey, Tierney and Zinchenko are all particularly injury-prone, I’m not sure we come out any better than even on that. Who knows who may get injured across the season but looking at the squads, they do seem to have more strength in depth. On maintaining a level of dominance over an entire season – a look at recent PL history is the answer to that (linked, obviously, to the “experience” point). I’m not saying we can’t do it, but I am saying that over… Read more »
If we can control possession and take our chances, we will win
We were very close to the CL last season, a luckier start without Covids, a better striker than few goals Laca or not behaving Auba, less injuries to TP (we get so many more points with him than without).
Keep it going (with hopefully no injuries to Jesus and TP) and we will be top 4 definitely. Well done to Mikel and the team for Saturday and what they are doing. COYR!
Yes, but the bottom-line at the end of last season was that the team blew it, didn’t they. It was all in their collective hands (or feet), nobody else’s. We should acknowledge that and move on to better things this time around. As to this season, a totally different mindset prevails so it’s unlikely we’ll see a repartition. Like you, I think a top four finish is certainly an achievable target. That doesn’t exclude going for “the big one”, but if I had to put money on it currently (which I wouldn’t) I’d say City will prove too experienced and… Read more »
*repetition (bloody spell check)
Don’t agree “that they blew it” was just a mentality thing. They were also knackered physically. It was a combination of not being there before mentally but we were a thin squad at the end of the season that were physically spent.
Well, on the mentality point that’s down to the coaching staff to an extent but if the players can’t “push on” for a handful of games having got so near and knowing the prize that awaited (CL football and big bonuses for the players, by the way) then I don’t see who else is to blame really. On the physically knackered point, that’s highly debateable – did we really not have enough players for the few games left? Sp*rs played the same number until that point and it didn’t stop them ploughing on – if only! Sorry, I think we’re… Read more »
Call me a blind revisionist, but I think we might look back at missing out on CL football as a defining moment for this team.
You’re a blind revisionist
Yeah pull yourself together.
Oh wait. That’s curtains
Using the bad times to build the good. Great mentality.
One thing that would be nice is us back in the CL and Spuds relegated to ECL at best.
That first Brentford game last season and the S*prs and Newcastle games were very painful. We took our revenge from Brentford and sp*rs, now let’s smash Newcastle next time we play them.
I’m glad that the unpleasant memory of what happened last season is a strong motivation for the players this time around. We don’t want to re-live those last few weeks unnecessarily, but we all know that the way the team collapsed in those remaining few games was unacceptable. That said, there’s obviously a fresh, new, spirit amongst the players now so it’s unlikely something similar (and at such a key moment in the season) will happen again. Last season does provide a wider, more general, cautionary note though – no matter how well things are going you should never take… Read more »
“The 24 year old had plenty of time to think about what to say as he was completely untroubled by the opposition during the second half… “
😀
He had some good moments in terms of distribution in the second half. But as far as a goal threat was concerned, he could have listened to the latest Arsecast without being overly distracted.
There is no doubt that Ramsdale’s form dipped at the end of last season, for various reasons….but I find him a goalkeeper I can really get behind as a fan. He seems to understand the fan mentality and the crowd feeling at that moment in time.