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Aaron Ramsey Unhappy on the Wing but does Arsenal have an Option?
By Josh Sippie
Aaron Ramsey has been holding down the right wing for the past five matches, and in those matches he’s notched two goals and three assists and proven that no matter where you put him, he’s going to make a difference. He may lack the pace of a true winger and he may not be able to use the width of the pitch, but he’s making it work.
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So what seems to be the problem?
Well, the main problem is that Aaron Ramsey doesn’t like the position. “It’s not my preferred position,” Ramsey said as reported by the Daily Star. “I’m a central midfielder and that’s where I like to be.” Aaron Ramsey has made 22 appearances in the center of the pitch, scoring seven and assisting on four.
While the stats would indicate that Aaron Ramsey is doing better on the wings, the Welshman would again beg to differ. “I like to be involved a lot more in the game. When you are out wide you don’t touch the ball for three or four minutes and I like to be at the heart of everything, trying to drive the team forward.”
A lot of Ramsey’s success on the right wing just has to do with the form he’s been in. He was riddle with injuries throughout his tenure in the center of the pitch, but now that he’s found good health he’s confined to the right side. While Aaron Ramsey has said that he’s willing to do all that the boss wants (what a team player!), he has another idea as far as who should be playing on the right wing. “I’m not a winger, I can’t knock the ball beyond my man like Theo does.”
The problem with Aaron Ramsey being unsettled with his positioning is that Arsenal are in such a streak and Arsene Wenger has a tendency to not change a winning formula, even if it flirts with being a losing formula (which our current formula currently isn’t).
Santi Cazorla has made a home out of the holding role next to Francis Coquelin and he’s only played on the left of the pitch so far this year, despite being two-footed. So to displace him wouldn’t make much sense either at this juncture.
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Aaron Ramsey may well be better suited next to Coquelin. So is Jack Wilshere. But Cazorla has such a good run going that nothing is going to change. I’ve stated the need for a true right winger and Aaron Ramsey is reinforcing the point. If Theo Walcott is going to become a striker than that leaves the wing the sole responsibility of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Another reason that Aaron Ramsey has to be okay with the right wing is because he is getting consistent playing time. Having to compete with Santi Cazorla for the central spot would probably be good for both of their forms but not for their playing times.
For now, Aaron Ramsey is going to have to continue appeasing Arsene Wenger. It’ll probably remain the same for the remainder of the season, but next year is a whole new ball game.