He's a very good keeper but has his dodgy periods - thrown a couple in the net this season as well. Let's hope for a poor performance from him on Saturday. Is ridiculous the number of ex-keepers we have around - Martinez, Fabianski, Turner, Leno in the Premiership, Szczesny in Italy. Fairly sure Mart Poom will turn up at Luton before the end of the season
Emery must have changed, man...
I specifically remember the game at the Emirates, under Unai, when we beat Villa (2-1, 3-2?) with a very late Aubameyang free-kick and was appalled at how our defenders kept dropping off and dropping off, eventually into the area, inviting shots and free movement from Villa. Obviously an instruction from the manager.
Jack Grealish had a field day.
After the 20+ game honeymoon, we were dog**** under Emery. Especially at the end of the season.
“Other clubs never came into my thoughts once I knew Arsenal wanted to sign me.”
I think the scale of Arteta's rebuild gives a good window into the absolute **** show that Emery inherited. He never stood a chance in the short term and our transfer activity was all over the shop while he was here.
He is clearly a very, very good coach and under different circumstances he could have done well with us.
He is a very good keeper but he isn't too hot with his feet and he has far too much to say for and about himself for Arteta's liking. I suspect the 'values' were an issue in him staying with us.
Despite current form, I would think Raya is the slightly better keeper. Both have exceptional handling, Raya is better with his feet. Martinez is more aggressive and full of himself (in a positive sense).
Villa and Anfield are going to be incredibly difficult games.
found it...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49705154
that team, smfh
Leno
Maitland-Niles
Papastathopoulos
David Luiz
Kolasinac
Guendouzi
Xhaka
Pépé
Ceballos
Saka
Aubameyang
Subs
Özil
Torreira
Chambers
Nelson
E Martínez
Willock
Martinelli
Perhaps you have a point, P.
“Other clubs never came into my thoughts once I knew Arsenal wanted to sign me.”
You look at that list and it isn't just that it isn't a great team. Think about what the dressing room was like. Big egos on the likes of Aubamayang, Ozil, Luiz but no real sense of leadership. Younger players with a bit of attitude like Guendouzi and Maitland-Niles.
Then the relatively useless, such as Kolasinac, Pepe, the big Greek lad. No thought has gone into that squad, or if it has it is the various thoughts of too many cooks.
Total mess. No wonder Edu and Arteta set about dismantling the entire thing and starting again.
This keeper mess lays squarely at the feet of Arteta. He saw something he liked in Raya but overlooked the pressure in playing in front of 60k for a top 4 club. He also underestimated the loyalty to Ramsdale who played a huge part in last seasons success.
It was a stupid move in my book. We had other priorities and hooking Ramsdale without the requisite string of poor performances, was ill conceived.
We now have two keepers who are a bundle of nerves every time they take the field.
There’s a fag paper between them in terms of ability where their ought to be an obvious step up in class with Raya.
Certainly the dressing room was a ****show at that time. Auba and Ozil hoovering the life out of it. Emery didn't deal with either of them.
Villa finished 17th that season and made us look as bad as they were.
We only finished 8th. Behind Wolves.
As good as Emery might be. We didn't see it.
“Other clubs never came into my thoughts once I knew Arsenal wanted to sign me.”