Arsenal: Unai Emery needs to accept Aaron Ramsey truth

Aaron Ramsey struggled once more in the number 10 position in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Everton. It’s time for Unai Emery to accept the truth about the midfielder: he can’t play as a number 10.

Aaron Ramsey is a uniquely brilliant footballer. In the modern game in which every player seems to be a specialist in one aspect or other, Ramsey is a throwback. He is a well-rounded, complete, polished player who is not special at any particular element but is extremely consistent and capable at almost every element.

Catch the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal podcast right here

The Arsenal midfielder has great energy and stamina; he has burst but is not a burner; his passing is accurate but not especially creative; he scores goals but is not a ruthless finisher; he is a committed tackler but not a full-blown game breaker. He is good but not great at almost every single aspect of the game.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

This rounded shape to his style makes him the perfect candidate to play right at the heart of the team: a box-to-box midfielder that influences every area of the pitch, getting forward from deep with late runs into the penalty area, linking the play by feeding teammates in wide and advanced positions, as well as providing protection for the defence. And Ramsey’s best performances throughout his career have predominantly come when playing in this position.

But Unai Emery is not playing in his this position. Unai Emery seems insistent that Ramsey is not a box-to-box midfielder, but, rather, is a number 10, an attacking midfielder who plays off the central striker and is asked to almost exclusively impact the match in the final third and in and around the penalty area. It isn’t working.

Prior to Sunday’s 2-0 win over Everton in which Ramsey provided two assists but was largely anonymous for much of the game once again, his shots-per-game is the lowest its been since 2012/13; his passing accuracy is the lowest in his career; and he’s completing the fewest amount of passes since 2009/10 also. Put simply, Ramsey is having a lesser effect on the game.

Now, one area where Ramsey has improved substantially as a result of this position change is the number of chances he is creating, currently at 2.4 per 90 minutes, which is the most in his Premier League career. That is extremely encouraging and paid testament on Sunday with his two assists, the first direct contribution to a goal that he has provided all season. But it has come to the detriment of Arsenal’s most creative player.

Mesut Ozil has topped three chances per 90 minutes in every Premier League season since Arsenal signed him in 2013. This season, however, he currently stands at 1.7 chances created per 90 minutes. That is less than half of what he was a year ago and just over a third of his best season, 2015/16, during which he created a staggering 4.3 chances per game. To put that into perspective, of players that have played more 300 minutes this season, only two players have more than three chances created per 90 minutes. Ozil is arguably the best creator in Premier League history. And because of Emery’s usage of Ramsey, his influence is being substantially stinted.

It’s time for Emery to recognise that Ramsey is not a number 10. It’s time for Emery to recognise that Ramsey’s positioning is hurting the overall efficacy of the team. It’s time for Emery to recognise the truth: Ramsey is a box-to-box midfielder.