Wednesday 8 August 2012

To Keep or Not To Keep Part 2: Aaron Ramsey plus transfer update.

Morning all,

As the dust settles on yet another quality signing this summer (can’t believe I just said that) speculation is rife as to who our next arrival might be. There has been constant links to established stars brandished in the media but one seems to have more legitimate ground then the others, perhaps just due to the frequency of the reports. I am of course speaking of Nuri Sahin, the midfield maestro of Real Madrid.

He hasn’t played much in the past twelve months which has put the brakes on a very promising career so let’s hope this one plays out. As for the rest of the names, I severely doubt any more spending unless we manage to sell some players as I cannot see us raking up a huge deficit, but hey this transfer window has been full of surprises.

Aside from the transfer rumours the only real bit of news is that Afobe scored a hat-trick on his Bolton debut last night in a friendly against Tranmere. Let’s hope this is the start of a fruitful spell at the club and that he can be recalled early and perhaps be sent out on loan to another Premiership club to aid his development. Also since when did playing in a friendly become a debut? Interesting.

Well with little else going on it seems the perfect opportunity to continue the mini-series of “To Keep or Not To Keep”. Last time we looked at the inconsistent but occasionally lethal Theo Walcott, who I thought was a keeper. This time we shall move on to someone who receives much criticism and who many on Twitter have called to be shown the exit door. The ferocity of some of the criticism is something that surprises me given all the lad has been through in his short career. Of course, I am speaking about Aaron Ramsey.

Where to start? Despite such a short career, so much has happened in to Aaron Ramsey, from a runner’s up medal in the FA cup to a major club signing him. He made the step well and was beginning to show why Wenger was so keen to secure the teenager’s signature. That was until an Ogre went on and shattered more than just Ramsey’s dreams ensuring that a hugely promising career would be unceremoniously halted and for the best part of a year, Aaron Ramsey was unable to kick a ball.

Despite the horrific incident, Aaron Ramsey returned and was thrust in at the deep end. He did not falter. He took part and produced a match winning performance against Manchester United at the tail end of the 2010-2011 season where he scored the winner. As full fitness followed the sale of both Samir Nasri and Francesc Fabregas, many looked for Wenger to make some serious reinforcements. What we got instead was Aaron Ramsey.

That for me is the source of much of the disgruntlement. He was sent in to fill the void left by our two most creative players when the fans wanted someone else. He never really had a chance, especially when you consider this was his first full season as a starter. Sure he had a couple of bad patches in form but no more so than the rest of the team with the exception of Mikel Arteta who was as faultless as his beautiful hair.

A lot of Arsenal fans I talk to say how he should be sold and that he was useless last season. For me he was in one spell at least (from late October to early December) one of our best players. In this period he carried the attacking burden and was always very active in the match, never looking for a way out, linking the midfield with the attack very well.

Even if you look at his season stats you will see that it was not all bad. In fact if we look at the stats they highlight very much this point. He was a useful player that had many positives in a season seen as very negative. Do not get me wrong, I do not think he was brilliant, in fact far from it. I am in fact of the belief that he should have never been expected to carry the attacking burden for the majority of the season. For instance if we look at the assist statistics you can see there is much to be desired.

Player
Appearances
Minutes played
Assists
Assists Per Match
Assists Per Minute
Song
34
2999
11
0.32
0.004
Walcott
35
2747
8
0.23
0.003
Gervinho
19
1685
6
0.32
0.004
Rosicky
28
1759
4
0.14
0.002
Ramsey
34
2465
4
0.12
0.002
Arteta
29
2475
2
0.07
0.001

As you can see he created just 4 assists for his team mates, which is low for the attacking fulcrum of the team. Although level with Rosicky in terms of productivity, it is clear that he has some way to go in terms of reaching his full potential. Again I think that is key. This is by no means the finished article but someone that can in fact be an important player. A lot of fans point to the fact that he missed numerous chances. I however point to the fact that he, through movement and intelligent play, often created those chances and with a bit of luck/better finishing, it could have been a much rosier picture. But we cannot look at if’s or maybe’s, we have to look at the hard cold fact that in this department, he just wasn’t good enough… yet.

To support my optimism I would like to show you how he was far more productive than a number of other attacking players in other facets of the game. Something which I don’t think is fully appreciated.

Player
Appearances
Minutes played
Chances Created
Chances Per Match
Chances Per Minute
Arteta
29
2475
58
2
0.023
Ramsey
34
2465
51
1.50
0.021
Rosicky
28
1759
37
1.32
0.021
Song
34
2999
35
1.03
0.012
Walcott
35
2747
33
0.94
0.012
Gervinho
19
1685
30
1.58
0.018

As you can see, in terms of chances created, he was very much on par with our top performers, Mikel Arteta and Thomas Rosicky. To be second to Mikel Arteta is nothing to be ashamed of but to create more chances per match than Thomas Rosicky, in my opinion highlights his potential.

To give this a wider context in terms of the Premier League, have a look at the following.

Player
Appearances
Minutes played
Chances Created
Chances Per Match
Chances Per Minute
Mata
34
2,531
89
2.62
0.04
Silva
36
2817
89
2.47
0.03
Nasri
30
2172
67
2.23
0.03
Lampard
30
2250
50
1.67
0.02
Ramsey
34
2465
51
1.50
0.02
Young
25
1572
37
1.48
0.02
Scholes
17
1169
18
1.06
0.02

Whilst he is not creating the most chances, as you can see, aside from the top three of Mata, Silva and Nasri, he is competing with Lampard, Young and Scholes in terms of chances created. This however does certainly indicate that a big step up is needed in order to compete with the top players in the league.

He is equally adept with his passing. As you can see below, he has a good pass completion rate, better than Thomas Rosicky whilst also attempting far more passes.

Player
Appearances
Minutes played
Attempted Passes
Passes Completed
Pass completion
Passes completed per minute
Arteta
29
2475
2229
2023
91%
0.82
Ramsey
34
2465
1925
1681
87%
0.68
Rosicky
28
1759
1275
1087
85%
0.62
Gervinho
19
1685
615
521
85%
0.31
Song
34
2999
2248
1895
84%
0.63
Walcott
35
2747
839
665
79%
0.24

His pass completion in the context of the Premier League:

Player
Appearances
Minutes played
Attempted Passes
Passes Completed
Pass completion
Passes completed per minute
Scholes
17
1169
1137
1058
93%
0.91
Nasri
30
2172
1587
1446
91%
0.67
Ramsey
34
2465
1925
1681
87%
0.68
Silva
36
2817
2020
1759
87%
0.62
Lampard
30
2250
1537
1335
87%
0.59
Mata
34
2,531
1486
1293
87%
0.51
Young
25
1572
734
615
84%
0.39

As you can see, he outperforms a number of key players at our rivals and competes with some of the biggest names in terms of his passing completion. What is really surprising is the Nasri stats. Not only because he was such a good passer but the fact that he played that much football. What is also interesting to note is just how good Paul Scholes still is.

It is worth noting that all the players he was compared to completed far more assists than he managed with the exception of Paul Scholes. This, some might argue makes the other stats meaningless.

I don’t know if that has been enlightening, but I certainly feel as though, given the stats, that we have a promising YOUNG player on our hands that, if given the time and support to develop, could well be something special. He is not supremely talented in the way that Cesc was, but he does have tenacity, hard work and is never scared. Things I am sure we can all appreciate.

I have to say we have another keeper on our hands.

I am sure this is going to split opinion so please let me know your thoughts below.

Also remember to give me a follow on Twitter at @GoonerVerse.

Good day to you all,

GoonerVerse.

(Stats compiled using EPLIndex powered by OPTA)

18 comments:

  1. Great analysis as always! I just don't think he is good enough

    ReplyDelete
  2. ok stats can prove wot u want em to prove, sure he attacked a bit, passed a bit and kept up with some others who are considered big names. thats not the problem, the problem is that
    when things aint going his way he stops playing and burys his hands in the sand. case in point the sweet
    swansea game. he lost the ball cos the lads from swansea decided to chase everything, Aaron couldnt cope with that. as the game w
    went on he made poorer and poorer and choices on the ball and when he tried to take the ball out of defence and lost it resulting in the 3rd swansea goal, what was his reaction??? to hold his back and wince as if he was injuried or sore and thus couldnt chase down and rewin the ball. that is why Hes a liability. he has some skills but he has not got a
    winning mentality and will go missing when things dont suit him. injury or no injury at his age in the position he plays he should be mature enough to at least chase the balls he loses. look i like the guy Hes a good player Hes just not good enough and i personally dont think he ever will be good enough to wear our beloved shirt. most folks agree that theo hasnt developed to his full potential but in comparison at the same point in his career as Aaron is now theo was 100 times better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Completely disagree. Ramsey was never one to hide, even when other members of the team did.

      This magnified any mistakes, as when we needed a player to take a game by the scruff of the neck Ramsey often stepped forward.

      The fact that this isn't his role only highlighted any errors and then you get the shallow fans comparing him to Naasri and Cesc, which he isn't.

      at 21 years old, and a full season out after a terrible injury a little patience is needed.

      The negativity from fans like the above does nothing to help support the team or the player.

      Delete
    2. Finally, a comment from someone who appears to understand the game and the player.

      Delete
    3. Van Persie went 7 games without scoring from open play, Song had many shockers, Walcott was absent through large parts of the season, Vermaelen had some real shockers.

      Point is, it happens.

      To focus on one game to highlight a season is just unfair. Like the guy above said, I think Ramsey never buried his head in the sands. In fact that was his undoing at Swansea. He knew he was having a bad game and tried too hard to get the ball and engineer moves. Ultimately cost us and the team.

      Delete
  3. I think to be honest Aaron does deserve another chance a few games last season he was asked to play a way more defensive roll that he is not comfertable playing. Considering the injury and the ammount of games he was asked to play so soon afterwards I think he done ok.
    Irish gooner points out he was bad against swansea and maybe so but you could pick any player last season name 1 game and say the same like where the hell was song for the qpr goals ? or wigan for that matter. Song was a far bigger liability if you take his position playing so far forward.

    I dont think Aaron has had a fair enough chance when you look at how badly eduardo and diabi have been effected after broken legs.

    Jurys out but there still is hope for him.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Did you actually watch any game other than the Swansea away game 'Irish gooner'? This kid is 21 and just had his first full season in the toughest league in the world. All that on the back of a double broken leg. Of course he's not gonna play to the standard us fans would expect of a player who is a starter in most games, however, if he is given as much time as Theo has been, we will see 'Rambo' grow into the potential that he showed at various times throughout last season. I wonder sometimes what the reaction of some 'fans' will be when Wilshere doesn't perform to the standard that we expect of him, when he finally returns to the team.

    Great analysis of Ramsey's season GoonerVerse. Keep them coming.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Where the club is at pretty much says how good the players are. We are mediocre and that makes the players mediocre. Such as it is.

    Get those stats out the window. Only one stat matters and we have 0 in 7 years and counting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you are an idiot.

      and that's being polite.

      Back to the Circus at the lane clown boy.

      Delete
    2. Too bad you can't handle the truth. Like all typical daft apologists on here, you prefer to dish out personal insults instead of putting up an argument. I guess it is much easier for retards.

      "You are a dimwit. and That's being nice. Back to the bottom of the well toad."

      Wow, I feel like a genius. =\

      Delete
  6. He's not good enough. Here's a statistic for you to consider from last season: Arsenal fare much better when he doesn't play or plays less than 30 minutes per game. If Ramsey plays more than 30 minutes per game, the team averages about a point less per game. Arsenal are stronger without him!

    His passing stats are more accurate than reality since most of his passes are backward towards his own goal. He provides less offense than Alex Song.

    ReplyDelete
  7. As usual when anonymous posting is allowed you get all the johnny-come-lately glory hunters trying to deface what is otherwise a very good blog.

    The only mediocre thing about Arsenal is the amount of followers constantly belittling the players and incapable of the slightest support.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well said. We need to support our players. Come on you gunners.

      Delete
  8. Aaron ramsey aint shit....dude has bad luck written all over him. He loses possession easily,misses chances my grandma wud av buried. He should jst safe us all 4rm cussin @ him like we did last season by leaving. He does nt deserve anoda chance. Otu oshi

    ReplyDelete
  9. Good work is done collecting the stats but one thing i dont understand is about the final stat table u have presented with scholes and nasri with 93% and 91% passes completion rate. Where is arteta there? is it not the table to show maximum passes complaetion rate in premiere league?
    Whatever the stat is, Aaron wasnt much inspirational or creative in our midfield last season and with the addition of santi, poldi, and probably improved gervinho, things looks difficult for him this season as well. maybe a loan deal to one of pl club is ideal. however, I wont say no if someone come with 15 mil pounds to buy aaron.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, the table is merely meant to show how Ramsey compared to some "leading" premiership stars. The purpose was to highlight, despite the absurdly high expectations he was not that far behind his peers. It was also sorted by completion rate as opposed to volume of passes.

      As alluded to by some, this is someone coming back playing their firs season after a double leg break. All things considered I think he had a good season.

      I also agree that he is unlikely to play anywhere near as much this season with new arrivals and players eventually returning from injury.

      Delete
  10. I see him getting just sub roles and cup games this season. Cazorla Rosicky, Diaby and Wilshere will be used ahead of him. I still feel he needed a loan this season in the prem to have game time and no pressure from our fans.
    He is good but if he doesn't look like the potential he was before the break then I'm afraid he should be sold.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great blog with some good details. I like articles like this, really makes you think. Ramsey now has a negative view surrounding last season so it is easy to forget any positives.

    This highlights that there is promising talent there and as you mentioned he was great in the first half of the season.

    His role will be reduced this season but that may be beneficial due to less pressure etc but either way I think he deserves more chance.

    Great blog, keep it up.

    ReplyDelete