Wenger reckons fans needed to be more patient with the super-talented Welshman…
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has criticised Arsenal fans for their impatience over Aaron Ramsey’s form in previous seasons, reports the Guardian.
After the young Welshman suffered a horrific leg break in 2010 against Stoke City, he spent a lengthy period on the sidelines, and when he returned, his form was inconsistent at best.
This season though, he has emerged as one of the most dynamic and impressive central midfielders in the country, playing a vital role in Arsenal’s table-topping start.
Wenger reckons that supporters should have allowed Ramsey more time, and less pressure to come good.
“Let’s not forget that one year ago people were saying to me, ‘It’s difficult to play him at the Emirates’. You could see there was an impatience with him at the Emirates,” said the veteran French boss.
This season, Ramsey’s form has been as good as anything in Europe. In the Champions League and Premier League, he’s scored eight goals and assisted five more. He’s also made 57 tackles, which is more than any other player in the top flight.
Wenger does admit however, that at times he wondered whether it was right to continue throwing Ramsey in at the deep end after his lengthy periods of poor form.
“As a manager you think, ‘Do I push him through and he can go more down or do you give him a breather to get him a fresh start?’. That’s always difficult to assess because it is linked to their mental state. When their own confidence is down, of course they are in trouble. But he is a confident boy,” the longest serving manager in England continued.
Despite the faith shown in Ramsey by Wenger, his manager gives him all the credit for his rapid rise.
“But you have to give him credit for that transformation – the credit goes to him because he could deal with that. He could come back, never give up and convince everybody that he has the needed quality.”
Ramsey should start this evening at home to Marseille in the Champions League, knowing a victory will all but guarantee Arsenal’s progression into the knock out stages.
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