Aston Villa vs Arsenal - Squad Ratings

[kalleTheMan]

Think Ramsey should be rotated a bit more, but I agree he's playing in the right position in our current formation.

And he does some things very well tbf. He pulls of great passes from time to time, and he prevented a certain goal against Villa after a very important defensive run. The Song, Arteta and Ramsey midfield has generally looked good as a unit to me, altough Ramsey has stood out as the weak link.

 

[eye4goal]

It's true. I still don't agree with the lads points, in reference to Ramsey anyway, in general I agree though.

I rarely see Ramsey making errors because he's receiving the ball with his back to goal, I see a number of other issues which I guess would be a problem whether he played in his current role or Arteta's one, namely inconsistent first touch, often slow reading the game, choice of pass, decision-making in general, he's a bit rough in certain areas.

Agree with that. Ramsey has been dis-possesed 55 times. That's almost 4 times as much as Arteta(14) so even if his stats marginally improve he'd create a problem we can't afford to have in a more vital area. I think we also underestimate the defensive qualities of Arteta. His positional play and reading of the game is excellent, and some of his defensive stats are even better than Song. If you look at interceptions Arteta has made 33(Song 32) whilst for all Ramsey's running(not saying it's totally pointless) he has intercepted 11 times.

 

[DiamondGooner]

Has there been a more underachieving Arsenal player than Rosicky in recent times? What a frustrating career. Could have been absolutely immense.

Under achieving or plagued with injuries? I don't think there one and the same.

We could of been saying that about RVP before this season, Rosicky is a fine player with world class skills, we just don't give him enough pitch time to get in a run of form.

 

[outlaw_member]

Frimpong also played deep and he looked to have no space or time on the ball, Song can also be caught on the ball way too often.

When you play deep you won't have to deal with playing back to goal, but if your opponents smell weakness they will press you hard like Villa did with Frimpong. Even against Dortmund Arteta was allowed a fair bit of time on the ball as Dortmund focused their pressing on players who are more likely to concede posession.

It's not that it is easy to play deeper on the pitch, but that it's relatively easier, especially when the opponent is not pressing higher up the pitch. Facing the opponent whilst in possession is always easier than having your back constantly to them when receiving the ball. Weak players will suffer in either case, whilst technically capable players will look impressive deeper on the pitch. Song at CB(on the ball) or Wilshere as examples. It is true that certain players are targeted, Frimpong being a prime example, and he was really a sitting duck in that midfield. He made me yearn for Denilson's short passing game.

It's true. I still don't agree with the lads points, in reference to Ramsey anyway, in general I agree though.

I rarely see Ramsey making errors because he's receiving the ball with his back to goal, I see a number of other issues which I guess would be a problem whether he played in his current role or Arteta's one, namely inconsistent first touch, often slow reading the game, choice of pass, decision-making in general, he's a bit rough in certain areas. I was bringing this stuff up pre-injury aswell. Had a look at his City compilation there and I don't think his role is playing a huge part in his struggles(hard to define him atm, he's not really a dedicated AM, more like the most offensive-minded CM of the trio imo).

I think we have to persevere with him in his current role tbh, but Wenger needs to be a tad more ruthless/smart when he's having stinkers and pull him out more often.

I don't think Ramsey makes that many direct errors when running backwards to receive a pass, but his lack of technique tends to place both him and his team mates under pressure. He doesn't always have the cleanest of technique to maintain complete control of the ball, often over stretching as a result, and his passes are almost always backwards, or risky, causing pressure on the recipient.

I would also describe his role the same as you have done, and one of the benefits he has offered is the amount of ground he covers, which enables him to be effective defensively, and in providing triangular passing angles for Arteta and Song. I think his movement is generally superb all over the pitch, but he's lacking technically, and in the head. However, that is only by the standards of the very best of players in his position, so he's not exactly incompetent in that regard. I want any replacement to be a true box-to-box midfielder who relishes his defensive duties, but has the technical quality in the final third. It is major request, but I'm not keen on having a half-way house solution whose game is geared towards one or the other areas(defence or offence).

 

[outlaw_member]

Has there been a more underachieving Arsenal player than Rosicky in recent times? What a frustrating career. Could have been absolutely immense.

Under achieving or plagued with injuries? I don't think there one and the same.

We could of been saying that about RVP before this season, Rosicky is a fine player with world class skills, we just don't give him enough pitch time to get in a run of form.

I really like Rosicky in his current position. I was all for seeing him go in the summer, but I think the current CM position suits him perfectly, because it reduces the creative pressure that he suffered from on the flanks in a 4-4-2, or as an AM. Plus, he was always a hard worker, and really underrated as a tackler, so he's a very balanced option. I think Lansbury is another player who is perfect for our current midfield. He's another rounded midfielder, and is also highly conducive to our pressing game. I had high hopes for Diaby, but he doesn't offer the same energy that all of Arteta, Coquelin, Frimpong, Song, Wilshere, Rosicky and Ramsey display. He needs to change the way he defends, because he has a really bad habit of standing off, or not closing down space effectively.