The stat about long pass completion percentage is the key here - Raya 2nd in the league and Ramsdale 22nd. That’s such a huge shift but people keep saying it’s a sideways move. You’ve gone from the least accurate long passing keeper in the league to the 2nd best. It doesn’t directly show up in highlight reel saves but in terms of game flow and ball retention arguably it is more important.
I remember the last 15 minutes against palace, down to 10 men and Ramsdale just hoofing it long and it going to a palace player every time and coming straight back! My heart couldn’t take it! He must have been told to do that because he kept doing it. But it didn’t and still doesn’t make sense to me, we trust our ball playing defenders and our ability to play out from the back. Why did we abandon it in that moment surely that was the best way to relieve pressure?
I’m pretty sure that’s why Ramsdale has been replaced. When the pressure came on him he chose to hoof the ball repeatedly and put his own image ahead of the needs of the team.
Raya will keep playing it short even after making a mistake.
Arteta wants a keeper to have his foot on the ball and draw the opposition in to create space. Raya takes those risks more frequently and while that can lead to a greater opportunity for scary moments or mistakes % wise he creates more of the situations that Arteta is asking for whereas Ramsdale has been more risk adverse.
Bear in mind that, comparing the statics from last season means nothing. You cannot compare the number of passes (be it short or long) between Brentford and Arsenal, when our ball is inside the opponent’s half most of the time.
People say it’s a sideways move because so far what we have seen is a sideways move. I don’t give a shit what stats you read out to me from his time at Brentford. I care about his performances for arsenal and thus far he has been worse than Ramsdale.
He hasn’t been worse, hasn’t been as good as he was for Brentford but he’s still been better than Rambo. People like Aaron so for them Raya’s mistakes stay longer in their minds than Ramsdale. But Rambo has been average to below average as a keeper for us since his first few months. If he’d kept the form he had wen he first moved to us, I’d be equally as aggrieved by him getting replaced but imo, he plays like a small club keeper. Needs to be busy to show his best.
Let’s not forget that this stat was key to our win at City. After the goal, we drained like 10 minutes just having Raya hoof it to the wings and then working the ball back to him. Ramsdale couldn’t have sustained that nearly as long.
Exactly - too many people still struggle to judge keepers past making world class saves when a keepers value is now so much more than that - and even then Rayas saves over expectation numbers are far better than Ramsdales
Fwiw, I also think keepers are the single hardest player to judge by eye, because good keeping is often about avoiding the memorable moments. Ramsdale will make a world class save from time to time, but Raya just catches the cross.
Completely agree which is why I tend to lean on the data (saves over expectation relative to xG, distribution and progression numbers, cross claiming numbers) and Raya excels or is at least very good in all these areas. Problem is the “eye test” that people remember is him misplacing a few 40 yard passes which have ended in a goal - for example the Lens goal from his misplaced pass to Tomiyasu - 95 times out of 100 that doesn’t end in a goal but Wahi just pulled some magic out of his arse and all of a sudden people are disproportionately attacking Raya because of it - and because its early into his “controversial” elevation to our starter it sticks in the mind more than it would with any other keeper
The stat about long pass completion percentage is the key here - Raya 2nd in the league and Ramsdale 22nd. That’s such a huge shift but people keep saying it’s a sideways move. You’ve gone from the least accurate long passing keeper in the league to the 2nd best. It doesn’t directly show up in highlight reel saves but in terms of game flow and ball retention arguably it is more important.
I remember the last 15 minutes against palace, down to 10 men and Ramsdale just hoofing it long and it going to a palace player every time and coming straight back! My heart couldn’t take it! He must have been told to do that because he kept doing it. But it didn’t and still doesn’t make sense to me, we trust our ball playing defenders and our ability to play out from the back. Why did we abandon it in that moment surely that was the best way to relieve pressure?
I’m pretty sure that’s why Ramsdale has been replaced. When the pressure came on him he chose to hoof the ball repeatedly and put his own image ahead of the needs of the team.
Raya will keep playing it short even after making a mistake.
Agree.
Arteta wants a keeper to have his foot on the ball and draw the opposition in to create space. Raya takes those risks more frequently and while that can lead to a greater opportunity for scary moments or mistakes % wise he creates more of the situations that Arteta is asking for whereas Ramsdale has been more risk adverse.
Clearly wasn’t instructed given he’s not first choice for those reasons
Bear in mind that, comparing the statics from last season means nothing. You cannot compare the number of passes (be it short or long) between Brentford and Arsenal, when our ball is inside the opponent’s half most of the time.
Even when you compare just their games for Arsenal Raya is a much better long passer than Ramsdale
It’s not comparing the number - it’s comparing a percentage
I hate to be all “ackshually” but it’s comparing percentiles. The difference usually doesn’t matter but it does here.
is that what the stat is saying? it doesn;t say anything about it just being for keepers in the article
Yes it’s just keepers.
People say it’s a sideways move because so far what we have seen is a sideways move. I don’t give a shit what stats you read out to me from his time at Brentford. I care about his performances for arsenal and thus far he has been worse than Ramsdale.
He hasn’t been worse, hasn’t been as good as he was for Brentford but he’s still been better than Rambo. People like Aaron so for them Raya’s mistakes stay longer in their minds than Ramsdale. But Rambo has been average to below average as a keeper for us since his first few months. If he’d kept the form he had wen he first moved to us, I’d be equally as aggrieved by him getting replaced but imo, he plays like a small club keeper. Needs to be busy to show his best.
How has he better than Ramsdale?
He has made four point dropping mistakes in 10 appearances.
It includes his stats from Arsenal this season…
Let’s not forget that this stat was key to our win at City. After the goal, we drained like 10 minutes just having Raya hoof it to the wings and then working the ball back to him. Ramsdale couldn’t have sustained that nearly as long.
Exactly - too many people still struggle to judge keepers past making world class saves when a keepers value is now so much more than that - and even then Rayas saves over expectation numbers are far better than Ramsdales
Fwiw, I also think keepers are the single hardest player to judge by eye, because good keeping is often about avoiding the memorable moments. Ramsdale will make a world class save from time to time, but Raya just catches the cross.
Completely agree which is why I tend to lean on the data (saves over expectation relative to xG, distribution and progression numbers, cross claiming numbers) and Raya excels or is at least very good in all these areas. Problem is the “eye test” that people remember is him misplacing a few 40 yard passes which have ended in a goal - for example the Lens goal from his misplaced pass to Tomiyasu - 95 times out of 100 that doesn’t end in a goal but Wahi just pulled some magic out of his arse and all of a sudden people are disproportionately attacking Raya because of it - and because its early into his “controversial” elevation to our starter it sticks in the mind more than it would with any other keeper