Arsenal: Aaron Ramsey close to becoming a legend

The much-vilified, oft-criticised Aaron Ramsey is the beating heart of this Arsenal team. The Welsh marauder is close to becoming a legend. He should be revered, not reviled.

Aaron Ramsey is a player who often divides opinion amongst the Arsenal faithful. He is a player who picks up unwarranted stick, is an easy target to criticise and question, and is often used as a scapegoat when the team lose matches, even if not a direct result of his own, individual performances.

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The abuse he took when Arsenal drew 3-3 against Bournemouth in the January of 2017, for example, was severe. Similarly, and more recently, he was highly criticised for his roles in the loss to Liverpool early in the year and the Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City in February. He doesn’t deserve any of this.

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When emotions are put aside and the facts are solely considered, it is clear to see that the Welsh marauder is close to becoming a club legend. As of this date, Ramsey has 54 goals for the club, along with 50+ assists to his name in all competitions. The only other central midfielder to have better numbers in the history of the club is Cesc Fabregas, who is an unquestioned legend.

So why exactly do people hate on Ramsey for? He can be clumsy at times with the ball, and perhaps he doesn’t always look too pleasing to the eye. grinding out his progress, battling his way through games, in stark contrast to the more elegant and graceful Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla. But does that really matter? What is most important is that he helps the team get the job done, and there are few in recent years that have done that as well or as impactfully as Ramsey.

Moreover, Ramsey turns up when the moment matters most. He has scored two FA Cup final winners for the club, possible saving Arsene Wenger’s job on both occasions, he oozed class in the middle of the park in two most recent legs in the Europa League against AC Milan, and has often delivered timely and telling performances throughout his near-decade tenure, especially in his more recent, more experienced years.

It becomes very difficult to man-mark a player like Ramsey. He is always moving, always making runs to exploit the spaces left by the opposition. He never relents, his engine is outstanding, his will is unrelenting. He gets into very promising areas and is always an option in the box.

He is now entering the peak of his career. It is very important that Arsenal tie him down to a new contract. Some of English football’s top midfielders like Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are huge admirers of him. So is Wenger. Nevertheless, his future is uncertain. If he were, though, to remain in North London, his legend status might well be up for grabs.

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There is a reason he is one of the first names on the team sheet. Truly, he is a class apart. There is only one Aaron Ramsey.