Did you start watching football yesterday?

That’s literally the only reason to excuse this rant.

I didn’t think you were talking about Ramsdale, Raya and Arteta because none of that first paragraph applies to them…

Chopping and changing never works, in the early days of Given & Harper together at Newcastle in late 90s there wasn’t much to pick between them , both were good keepers (though Given couldnt kick beyond the half way like) until Given got a run in the team and really cemented his place and became a much better keeper

I think it’s made a big deal out of it because:

(1) It’s Arsenal, big 6 club just naturally get more attention.

(2) Ramsdale appeared to have really settled at Arsenal, and appeared to have a solid (although not necessarily great) season.

(3) They paid quite a bit for Ramsdale, it was seen by many as a mistake at the time. This fee is largely because he’s homegrown and is capable of starting. When you’re signing a home-grown player, you usually pay big with the intention of starting them most games (e.g. Declan Rice), or you go cheap/free rotation option (e.g. Young at Everton). They spent serious money on Ramsdale, which normally indicates he’s going to start unless you sell him.

(4) He just signed a new contract. Ramsdale is stuck there unless Arsenal are happy with the money offered. There’s no chance he signed that thinking he isn’t 1st team goalie, he surely can’t be too happy.

(5) Raya - stats wise - did better than Ramsdale last season. However, when it comes to ‘the eye test’, to the average fan you wouldn’t consider him a huge improvement on Ramsdale. Given Ramsdale proved he can play at this level, replacing him is a big risk to squad dynamics, especially the improvement Raya offers isn’t night and day.

(6) Cara made the point that clubs that rotate goalies in the league, usually do so in situations where neither goalie is particularly great. If you had a properly good goalie, he’d start most games, and the 2nd goalie would either accept his place or quickly leave to get playing time.

Simple reasons why the specific situation is in the narrative.

1. Arsenal are a big club and therefore we tend to stay in the narrative.
2. Ramsdale is English. If he was foreign it would barely be discussed.

Arsenal situation is not the same as Brighton’s. Ramsdale was the set #1 after being bought quite recently for €28m and 25yrs old. He’s also part of the England squad.

Steele was a free transfer, broke through as a 2nd GK, 33yrs old and not near the England set up. Brighton’s model is based around young players, so sharing time with Verbruggen (a 21 yr old prospect from the Belgian league) is probably not unexpected or controversial in the slightest.

If having 2 goalkeepers is to Brighton’s detriment, at least it comes with a long term plan. Arsenal’s situation is unstable and comments from Ramsdale’s father make it a better story for the media. This isn’t just a “everyone wants to have a pop at Arsenal” moment.

You mean bigger clubs get more attention than others? Who’d have known.

But the Arsenal situation is still a topic to discuss - it’s not just a pop at Arsenal but rather than an interesting area. Ramsdale was generally praised last year so them getting another player of Raya’s ilk generally doesn’t happen all too often. Arteta then said he would rotate them much like he would rotate outfield players and said he’d thought about changing them in game - however that hasn’t happened and Raya has had a couple of iffy moments so people have questioned his choices.

These things happen to all the big clubs.

Having two ‘number one’ goalkeepers is fine in and of itself, if that’s what the manager wants to do. I would say that if you are going to do that, maybe stick to your word when you say your going to rotate them? Seems pretty clear to me who the number 1 goalkeeper at Arsenal is. And as far as Arteta is concerned, there’s just one of them.

I think the media make a meal out of the two no1’s situation. Not nearly the same thing, but I was a goalie and on an apprentice contract with a pretty elite club at U19 level. Me and another guy competed for the shirt, and played about 50% of the games each, give or take.

All you did was train harder than usual, prepare to play every weekend, slight disappointment if you didn’t, but monday you started again. It really should be no different than for outfield players on the fringes of the starting 11. Think they switch off if they didn’t get to play the last game, but play in the next one? All nonsense.

Still amazes me as a Sunderland fan that Jason Steele is playing regular Premier League football

My man over here using big club bias (which does exist, mention Liverpool or United and you get clicks) instead of noticing that Ramsdale is English and in that title chasing Arsenal side could have pushed Pickford out of the No.1 spot just before the Euros.

if Ramsdale played for Wales I can guarantee nobody would be talking about it this much.

Further Arsenal spent a fair amount of money on a relegated keeper who came in and not only did well but became a big presence in a title chasing team.

The situation at Brighton doesn’t have the same factors and therefore lacks flair.

Big clubs stories will always get more attention but that doesn’t mean that it’s just an excuse to have a pop at arsenal. Arteta claimed that he would be using 2 number 1s and rotating when in fact he was dropping ramsdale for raya. If he’d said that at first there would be so much less drama.

Also ramsdale is English and was a fan favourite last seaosn. He was talked about as a potential England number 1 and now he’s number 2 for his club. That’s always going to genesate more interests and gossip.

that’s despite neither of them being able to keep a single clean sheet this season which shows it’s obviously hampering the team.

While this is possible, we can’t make this conclusion. There’s other factors at play. For example, I’m pretty sure they haven’t won since Estupinan got injured.

Usually a consistent back line helps a team, but we can’t say this is obviously hampering them.

The media have had their pants in a twist all season over the situation with Ramsdale and Raya, despite there not being a situation at all, Raya is clearly number one and Ramsdale, well, isn’t

So why has this been made such a big deal out of when Brighton quite literally have and use two number 1 goalkeepers to their detriment and no one has said a word?

I think it’s because that was initially what was thought, Arteta’s quotes early on, people overrating Ramsdale so it’s newsworthy, Arsenal being a bigger club with more fans, Ramsdale in the England team.

Joe Hart

Jesus all i read is over the top positive stories about Arsenal and how they play wonderful football. You had to go digging for this one.

Persecution complex, i genuinely think Arsenal fans are the weirdest people