The third in our series on Aaron Ramsey is penned by James “Raul” Stokes. James is a regular blogger of delicious post and this is a particularly succulent titbit .You can , and should, find James at ” The Armchair Gooner” and on twitter @JamesRaulStokes
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Meteoric rises aren’t uncommon place in football. Every so often, a player leaps majestically from the waters of obscurity like a glorious salmon to land smack-bang into our collective consciousness. It usually only takes a mere moment of brilliance to catapult a young man into the throes of superstardom. Some reside there for years, others only enjoy the success fleetingly. Few can claim to have gone through the entire gamut of emotions before bursting through as Aaron Ramsey can.
Potential
When Aaron arrived from Cardiff City in 2008 for the seemingly paltry sum of £5m, I knew little or nothing about him, only that it was well documented he was one to watch for the future. Having beaten off the grubby advances of Sir Alex Ferguson and his assembled minions to secure the deal, Arsene Wenger was delighted to have gotten his man. Whilst appearances were few and far between, reserved usually for cup ties against so-called ‘lesser opponents’, there were immediate signs of Aaron’s potential and ability; he had a good touch, determination and an engine to rival that of a Ford Mustang.
Now, as with any blathery piece of writing pertaining to Aaron Ramsey, we all know what follows the initial parts of his Arsenal career. One moment the young Welshman was dancing through the midfield exchanging passes with Cesc Fabregas, the next his leg broken in two thanks to the neolithic contribution of one of football’s greatest morons. It shouldn’t be underestimated how much impact, both physical and mental, that Shawcross challenge had. Imagine a similar situation befalling yourself; the world is your oyster, only for that bright future to be taken away and replaced by the very real prospect of your career being completely in tatters. Personally I can’t relate to it, and I sincerely hope I’ll never have to.
Maligned
The road to recovery was one wrought with peril and apoplexy. From this point, I should be honest and admit that I am one of the people who doubted Aaron’s ability to succeed at Arsenal. Not because I believed he lacked the ability or desire, but because of that injury. Past occurrences of a similar nature have seen both Abou Diaby and Eduardo have promising tenures cut drastically short. A compelling case can be presented for both players having never fully recovered from their respective injuries. I feared Aaron would very much go the same route.
For a long period, his performances, whilst some distance from woeful, fell short of the high standards we would expect from him. I see no issue with saying that. I’m sure most Arsenal fans, and Aaron himself, would admit it. What he was subjected to from a certain element, however, was truly appalling. Questioning a player’s ability to progress after such a harrowing event is normal, as is pointing out poor performances. What is loathsome to me is scapegoating a single player in a team sport and unleashing despicable bile across the internet at a young man simply because there’s a deep-seated hatred within you.
Every football team has its supporters and every football team has supporters to be ashamed of. Arsenal are no different. Whilst, mercifully, the anger and viciousness of some of the remarks directed at Aaron came from a select, idiotic few, it was almost impossible to ignore. Some followed the startlingly opposite stance and defended his every move with a similar opprobrium to the aforementioned detractors. My Mum always used to say to me, “James, you take the two frothing-at-the-mouth extremes and look somewhere in the middle to find the truth” and that’s the best way to look at the situation.
Realisation
To his immeasurable credit, Aaron never gave up, he never went missing on the pitch and always maintained a high level of professionalism. Even on the days nothing went right for him on the pitch and the cacophony of dissenting voices echoed throughout the stadium his head never dropped and he kept trying to make things happen. When you consider the emotional turmoil heaped upon a boy of his meagre years, I find that to be truly remarkable.
And it has paid off in spades. Slowly but surely he began to show us what he was truly capable off, his performances began to catch the eye and those voices of hatred became less apparent. In the past 18-20 months, Aaron Ramsey has rightfully established himself as one of the finest midfielders in Europe, the previous season being the breakthrough his perseverance warranted. There was a time I would have struggled to see a place for him in the starting 11, now it’s inconceivable to selected our best side without him in it.
I didn’t think he’d come back from that injury. I was wholly, breathtakingly, unabashedly wrong and I have no qualms admitting that. Aaron deserves each and every plaudit, each fantastic moment on the pitch and all the numerous, glorious moments I am sure will follow. I think the best way to end this conglomeration of words is with a brief moment of cogitation. Picture Aaron wheeling away, glee etched across his face, as he scored the winning goal in an FA Cup final and ponder wether you’d have believed it likely as little as two years ago. I didn’t, but I’d wager Arsene Wenger did. That’s why I’m sat behind a computer desk and he’s managing a football team at the highest level.
Positively Arsenal 
pedantic george
July 17, 2014 at 3:59 pm
rvp? – how many games did they play together?
tr7 was injured for nearly two years and has been back the last two so his injuries coincided with that era where he (cesc) was alone if you think of it.
arshavin….fantastic in patches.
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yes and 11 assists …. with 22 apps…….
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Somewhat different to 15 goals though? Eh?
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sorry is your point to correct a figure of speech which was made in haste to show his importance and contribution or to be pedantic for the sake of it ? if you can find me many midifelders his age averaging 8-9 goals and 14 assists per year in a 7 year period from 17-24 in a club with no money punching way over above their weight/height then im all eyes, ears…..
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Where Cesc and Mesut are concerned the saying “comparisons are odious” – as individual players – comes into its own. They are not a likeness of personal styles and attributes. Ozil is not a deeper pivot, Cesc does not have the speed and wing play dimensions of Ozil, both have a final assist pass but very different, Ozil’s being the statistically more effective especially from either flank, while Cesc has a better shot and goal scoring ability. All in all, honestly, Ozil for me has the greater range of potential moves, and has 2 years to fully develop, while Cesc is more limited in his range of plays being a bit slower (and a tendency to slow play down in style) and no flank play at all, but supreme at what he does (jinx, pass and distribute into and through central midfield). No, Cesc and Mesut are not like for like, people missed the point about Mesut v. Cesc. I doubt it was like for like, but overall combination. To add, Cesc’s career has not developed at Barca. His potential attacking false 9 role didn’t work, and his Xabi role didn’t quite work and he’s not Eniesta. If anything the rise and rise of Aaron, and the most likely role of Jack, the future potential of Gedion and to a less degree the more advanced role of Santi directly obstruct Cesc more than Mesut does. But I think something else was at play, and the information is still outside our knowledge. I think the answer is more likely the type of deeper, stronger midfielders we are currently being associated with is most likely. Another factor would have been how the hell does one treat a former captain, first name on team sheet player, whom the team was once built around when he might not get on the team sheet for weeks. What does that do to Cesc’s morale, play and effect on others? People make shit up when ‘concluding’ why Le Boss does this or that, how on earth would any journalist or pundit know? It is likely a combination of many factors and a firm idea of future strategy that decided Wenger.
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What we do know is that Arsene didn’t want him, And that “Arsene Knows”
That is all I need to know.
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this is the third time i say it ” but if we have to compare….”
anyway…..
as far as this goes
” All in all, honestly, Ozil for me has the greater range of potential moves, and has 2 years to fully develop, while Cesc is more limited in his range of plays being a bit slower (and a tendency to slow play down in style) and no flank play at all, but supreme at what he does (jinx, pass and distribute into and through central midfield).”
i believe people are thinking of the barca cesc and not the arsenal cesc…and they are comparing the barca cesc to the madrid ozil.
the arsenal cesc could play behind adebyaor spectacularly. he could also play next to denilson, in front of gallas, and occupy the right midfield if necessary( not winger though..just right midfield).
secondly the “supreme” you mentioned above ranks higher than the role of a winger or wide player for the simple reason one has to think /develop/orchestrate from way back and include 9 other players in his mapping/planning while the wide players will primarily focus on the 2-3 players attacking with them in the final third. in terms of role/responsibility what cesc did for us eclipses the role/responsibilty of any wide player.
it is not a coincidence that wenger assigned the roles of cesc to two or even three at times seperate players…to replace cesc and what he did for us wenger has used a combination of three players (maybe even four) ..arteta, ramsey, ozil ( and maybe even jack)
cesc had to receive ball, avoid markings, help the whole team advance, set tempo of atatcks and carry it, and assist and score! ozil has others doing the receiving/organising/advancing thats what i mean by him ebing the software….in a pc the software is more important than the graphs card…..no? obviouly for a successful set up you need both.
i agree that not bringin him back is mostly due to dresing room harmony reasons, rather than a tactical/formation decision
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“i agree that not bringing him back is mostly due to dressing room harmony reasons, rather than a tactical/formation decision”
Agree with who ? Paul just suggested they might be considerations.
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i would also safely claim that a cesc goal or assist decided more victories for arsenal than an ozil goal or assist decided a victory for madrid a/o germany. look they are both amazing players, i just dont agree with the belittling of cesc when he has offered much to the club whereas ozil has just arrived and we are still expecting to see if he will offer what his talents promise. obviously i dotn expect ozil to come collect ball from per and organise arsenal attacks but i expect him to be a huge presense in important games for arsenal next season.
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because of this george
“Another factor would have been how the hell does one treat a former captain, first name on team sheet player, whom the team was once built around when he might not get on the team sheet for weeks. What does that do to Cesc’s morale, play and effect on others?”
the way i read it it allures more to dressing room reasons and or team harmony reasons rather than whether cesc and ozil can fit in same line up or whether cesc will block the development of jack or others, which i consider tactical reasons.
sorry if i read it wrong…….
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Cesc has gone, he will never come back…. he now plays for the chavs and the Russian Gangster and Maureen the cunt. What else is there to argue about.
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you see anyone arguing ?
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yes, why argue the comparisons between a chav and a Gooner…. it seems pointless Hunter. Unless it’s debate for the sake of debate, which is fairly pointless as well.
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argue, debate, discuss….. it’s all only semantics
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northbank…the whole concept of blogging is pointless ….. all that shit you write on a keyboard..utterly pointless…made to kill your time… 😉
however, as per your poor choice of words, i dont see a debate…i see a conversation attemtping to clariffy the qualities of two great players, a conversation brought to a halt because of a negative prejudice that im here to argue/debate with anyone…..
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We would not like to see anyone belittling Cesc, his ability and character, his role and services for our club, his footballing pedigree. I would argue that Wenger sets the tone for that stuff, and Wenger has been nothing less than respectful, and tactful; gestures reciprocated by Cesc if anyone noticed. It’s the way the game ought to be played, and perhaps Maureenovichthebitch might learn how professionals act.
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I struggle to understand how a comment stating that both Spain and BBB should’ve dropped Xavi for Cesc some time ago, whilst declaring a personal preference for Özil “belittles” anyone.
To quote Kubrick:
What is the major malfunction?
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We would not like to see anyone belittling Cesc, his ability and character
fair game zimpaul….. and thats t the only reason i decided to reply to fins original post.
for the sentence “see Southampton away, goals against Norwich, Everton etc…) allows him the versatility in his game to fit into an eleven as required, he can play in more then two positions on the pitch!” and the nasty remarks about twats and gentlemen
cesc can play many positions, multiple roles and the situation/conditions of his departure were unfortunate and tragic… thats all…..
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…and including a quote, from a Barcelona fan who has written a critical article, indicating how successful he will go on to be…
*sighs*
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finsbury
July 17, 2014 at 5:25 pm
oh …only your personal preference??? well…. and my personal preference is SUAREZ.
and is that why you went all mad? just because i wanted to discuss the part of your comment where you talk about abilities and roles/ positions?
is really that it? ……
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Hunter: “its all nice to show the respect and recognition aaron deserves but i take note of the last para. yes james raul stokes ..thats why youre sat behind a computer and arsene is where he is.
the point of the ramsey story is not ramsey’s rise necessarily (the signs were there from the start) but the sickening behaviour of fans of arsenal not showing faith to their manager and his methods and allowing popular media/narratives to form their opinions on our players.
wenger was ‘educating’ aaron playing him in various roles and positions but the fans in their frustrations started calling him shit and not good enough……mainly because the media had programmed the arsenal fan to think that it was a travesty not to spend and win titles in a period of massive transition for the football club.”
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
Well said.
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finsbury
July 17, 2014 at 5:25 pm
mate…
just cause barca are mugs and dint use him properly dont mean YOU can call ozil better than cesc alright?
if its your personal preference …then by all means …perfectly acceptable…just dont react like a girl if someone dares challenge your preferences with solid points.
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And my personal preference was SANCHEZ.
And I guess it was AW’s too.
“The proof is in the pudding. And the pudding in this case is a football.”
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lmao fins….you scouter you…..itk!!!!!
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My original comment explained my preference.
Which is why for the now the third as in the 3rd time I am having to explain to you in fairly simple language that in your haste to shoot your load at this “girl” that you have been just a little, erm, premature.
Carry On Hunting.
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were you analysing sanchez qualities and contract over scype then? wenger in brasil, you wherever…i can only praise the technology that brought yours and arsene’s minds together!!!!
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Who you calling a pudding ?
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Cesc aside, the midfield permutations are interesting. We have, in the mix, Mikel/Diaby in potentially similar roles, Flamini/Coq as more defensive options, a pitch being made for Khedira or Bender …. OK, so far so … inconclusive, Kim as backdrop. I am wondering whether that final mix might be 3 … Khedira/Bender, Mikel, Diaby; so Flamini more as a all-rounder 15 games a season from left back to stand-in last minute hoofer.
We have Aaron, Jack and Lil Mozart in potentially similar roles. We have Santi, Mesut and Ox in similar roles. We have Gedion as a bit-part youngster wild card.
Of course a number of the players mentioned play multiple parts and can switch roles, play flanks, so the permutations are far more complex and ‘real’.
Anyway, eleven central midfielders, if Abou stays fit.
Wide, Theo, Gnabs, Ox and even Alexis can play right; Alexis, Lukas, Ox and even Santi can play left in different ways, and I reckon Campbell is destined as a left sided player, Ox- like in that role and perhaps better.
Of course Alexis may well play more centrally, but I’m not sure. I suspect AW has more confidence in Giroud, Sanogo (as a type, strong, central) and Campbell than we do.
All conjecture, pointless good fun, I have no idea but I do enjoy ‘playing’ manager.
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“My original comment explained my preference.”
and your subsequent ones showed you missed the point entirely….. hunt you? nah mate i dont go for easy prey….thats like unleashing suarez on a defence of jagielka and djourou ..ahahaha
humour fins!!!! humour!!
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Puddings can be tasty I’ll have you know.
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God its hot, sun beating down – and now we have the internet I can announce that to you all so that if you wonder why you are feeling warmer than usual now you know #ITK
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Hunter, Mourinho is not going to play Cesc the way Wenger did, so you can forget how good he was at all those positions for us. At the Chavs he’s going to have defensive responsibilities and they’re going to rely on him to create/push up through the middle. What Fin may be thinking is whether he has the ability to be as creative as Ozil despite lacking his pace and versatility.
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This was interesting:
https://twitter.com/mixedknuts/status/489661357252698112
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Seems like a case of “Love the one you’re with” here.
Can’t wait for the 1st game btw us and the Chavs.
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Debuchy done! I believe a celebratory jig of some sorts is in order gentleman.
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Gains,
I think I disagree with you and that I (tried to!) agree with the Barcelona fan. I guess the reason why he thinks the player will have a better time in Fulham is because JM won’t play the F-word in those wide areas, he’s going to play him ahead of two CMs? But that’s not what you think…interesting. On reflection I suppose with the Romanov directive to play the likes of Oscar and Willian (hah! Used him more then Shirley? Haha! As long as Mendes is happy…) and others what you say may be true, We’ll find out!
Do you think JMs previous management of Ozil indicates that he might rehabilitate the F-Word a little after his regression/drop in form?
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Fin, I know he is going to be played through the middle in front of two defensive mids, but since Mourinho doesn’t like to leave his midfield vulnerable, Cesc is going to have to help out a lot.
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Mourinho don’t do rehab, Fin. He either works out or he’s on the next plane to Spain.
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Interesting thingy on Gibbs. Seeing how Poldi played in front of him for large chunks of the season, I would assume Arsene told him to sit back a bit.
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Thanks Gains.
I look forward to a back heel or two from the F Word to one of the worlds best players on the opposition side a minute before the whistle blows whilst standing on the edge of his own pelanty area the next time the Arsenal visit Fulham.
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Yeah, it’s going to be interesting to see the variations between Debuchy and Gibbo. My only criticism of Gibbs was that he should have scored the winning goal with his right peg in the final! Hehe.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140717/arsenal-complete-mathieu-debuchy-signing
FH wrote Debuchy had a good game opposite Özil (don’t ask me!). Will the attacking bias we have seen towards Arsenal’s right continue? I guess that with Sanchez sorry I mean SANCHEZ starting the season onto the right that the old patterns will continue for the time being at least? No idea!
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“Hunter, Mourinho is not going to play Cesc the way Wenger did, so you can forget how good he was at all those positions for us.”
i know that dear gains hence i made the distinction earlier when talking with zimpaul of the cesc of arsenal and the cesc of barca
the cesc of arsenal vs the ozil of arsenal …we cant compare cause one played 7 years and was instrumental and the ohter has just arrived and it would be unfair.
the cesc of arsenal vs the cesc of barca will only prove that without wenger players will lose themselves and their confidence.
the cesc of arsenal vs the ozil of madrid/germany is the only valid comparison that can make some sort of sense and in that context the roles and responsibilites cesc had to perform for arsenal, imo, outshine the roles and responsibilites of ozil and madrid/germany. they both have versatility, both have supreme technique and vision but i give the edge to cesc mainly because he was the logismic software while the other i see mostly as a stealth weapon…thats all.
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Good conversation on the midfield, on Cesc and Ozil, on Arsenal’s options going forward. I haven’t quite caught up, but I thought I’d at least indicate my appreciation for the discussion all around. It’s better to have these footballing discussions on the blog, I think, something to learn from in the trading of views. (And Hunter, PG was right about how you mischaracterized my points but I was happy to point it out to you in a civil and constructive manner myself in the interests of further discussion!)
More importantly, has anyone noticed that Gains had something nice to say in response to Hunter!
My own contribution is that I love Ozil’s game. He’s with us now and the boss decided to pass on Cesc. Instead he bought Sanchez, and, as ZP points out, if there is any fire to the Khedira/Bender smoke, it suggests he is looking for some physical, defensive dynamism behind the attack. I think without Walcott and the Ox for much of the season, Ozil’s best qualities weren’t as easy for Arsenal to exploit. AW seems to be refashioning the side around what might allow Ozil to be most effective: speed from wide forwards and a rigorous and mobile central midfield to cover the flanks, shield the back four, win the ball back in midfield and power forward in support of the attack when possible. Sounds delightful to me! I look forward to seeing it in action and hope we can get the complementary players to achieve another dimension to our play and improve our attack without sacrificing the general solidity we showed in our defence last season.
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At Madrid Mourinho played Ozil the same way he played Oscar last season, stuck out on the right as a playmaker. At Arsenal he plays more like he did for Germany, floating about making himself available for his teammates and carrying the ball forward whenever he can. Can’t you use the Madrid Ozil to compare him, sorry.
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Welcome to the Posidivas world view Stokes.
We have been quite a fan of the Welsh Jesus since he was doing his GCSE in woodwork.
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Hunter: “both have supreme technique and vision but i give the edge to cesc mainly because he was the logismic software while the other i see mostly as a stealth weapon…thats all.”
Ozil is not a stealth weapon, he is a ten who organizes the attack. What makes him different, and quite fascinating to watch, is the fact that he does the same as a traditional number ten without asking for the ball. Watch the 7-1 drubbing of Brazil again and you’ll see him drawing Fernandinho and David Luiz toward him with darting, little runs. It was because of him that it seemed as if Germany could drive a parade float through the middle of the Brazilian midfield. Ozil passes the ball without touching it.
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Hunter 7:15
That’s a fair point about Cesc and Özil, but I just can’t see Moutinho investing the love into the relationship to get the best out of Cesc.
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“The carping commentary from Arsenal fans was that they did not understand why he was leaving them to be dumped onto the Barcelona bench.”
Arsene knows, huh, Fin? Not only did Cesc end up in the bench, they never quite found a place for him during his time at the club.
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Lime: “I think without Walcott and the Ox for much of the season, Ozil’s best qualities weren’t as easy for Arsenal to exploit.”
Bingo. Can you imagine what Ozil would do with the pace of Theo and Alexis’s movement at his disposal? I think we’ll start seeing a lot of teams playing a 8-1-1 formation next season.
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I think Stokes has been a pretty positive supporter of AW all along, judging from his Goonersphere podcast. Of course, as a subtle doomer, I am no authority on the subject of ranking someone on such a scale… (a banned smiley face would be so appropriate here, George!)
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Gains: “Ozil passes the ball without touching it.”
Absolutely poetic and incisive a statement!
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