Arsenal: Unai Emery’s Ramsey decision tough, but right

Unai Emery looks to have made a conscious decision regarding Aaron Ramsey’s Arsenal prospects, and while it couldn’t have been easy, it was certainly right.

I think we’re all sort of coming to terms with the inevitable departure of Aaron Ramsey from Arsenal. I still have this tiny kernel of hope but I’m trying to get rid of it so that when Ramsey does leave, I can be okay with it, and not be nursing any sort of dejection.

It presents the club with a bit of a conundrum, though, because Ramsey is someone who should be starting as often as possible, yet with his future almost certainly lying somewhere else, what’s the point in relying on him now when we can’t rely on him later?

This is the quandary that Unai Emery faced when Ramsey himself admitted that he likely wasn’t going to be staying at the club following a breakdown in contract talks. What was he supposed to do? Stick with the guy and let him become the heart of the team, only to rip it out when he leaves, or weed him out now and find solutions along the way?

From a long-time Arsenal fan who has always found Ramsey’s dedication to the club admirable, I wanted to see him utilized to the utmost with the hope that he would be convinced to revisit the contract talks. But gradually, common sense set in and I realized that what Emery is now doing is the right thing to do, though it can’t have been easy.

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Emery looks to be consciously moving Ramsey out of the center of the club, using him only in substitute capacity, or in side competitions, and letting players who are locked in for the long haul take the lead. Those players include the likes of Iwobi and Ozil, but watch out for more youngsters too, such as Emile Smith Rowe.

Emery was really excited to work with Ramsey, and he undoubtedly would have loved to keep him at the club for the heroics that the Welshman is known for. But it just hasn’t panned out, and for that, the decision had to be made. Ramsey can still have a big impact for the club, but I’d be surprised if they didn’t keep that impact confined to side competitions where he won’t be a major player for the core of the team.

It’s sad, and it’s tough, but it’s a necessity.