Mikel Arteta accused of ‘trying to be clever’ after what he did at Everton
Mikel Arteta justified his choice to swap Aaron Ramsdale with David Raya in Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Everton by foreseeing a future where goalkeeper rotations become commonplace.
He also admitted that he previously lacked the confidence to make such substitutions.
Raya, on loan from Brentford since the summer, had a quiet game and made his first appearance for Arsenal, while the team displayed dominance, culminating in Leandro Trossard’s impressive second-half winning goal.
Arteta expressed his immense satisfaction with the team’s performance but expressed frustration at the excessive attention given to his goalkeeper choice.
The Arsenal manager firmly stated that both Ramsdale and Raya will see action this season. He also lamented not making goalkeeper substitutions on two specific occasions during last season’s title pursuit.
Arteta’s choice to replace Ramsdale with Raya has sparked mixed reactions, with Simon Jordan accusing the Spaniard of attempting to appear “clever” and suggesting that he’s being overly “innovative for innovative sake.”
Ramsdale has held the No. 1 position for nearly two years, making Raya’s acquisition a topic of surprise, particularly considering Raya’s prior statements about wanting to establish himself at a prominent club.
Arteta’s decision has faced criticism on TalkSport, where Jordan remarked, “It feels like a bit of innovation for innovation’s sake.
“It feels like Arteta is making sure that everyone thinks he’s a clever, innovative manager who isn’t just following in the footsteps of Pep Guardiola.”I don’t understand the context of this interview and the structure of why he said it and what benefit this wisdom gives us.”
Asked how he expected Ramsdale to react to losing his place as Arsenal’s established first-choice goalkeeper, Arteta said: “The same way as Gabriel Jesus, the same as Kai Havertz, like [Takehiro] Tomiyasu. Exactly the same. We play with 11 players, not 10 plus one or sometimes with 10 or nine. Exactly the same.”
Mikel Arteta accused of ‘trying to be clever’ after what he did at Everton
