“He took all the criticism on the chin” - Graeme Souness urges Arsenal star Aaron Ramsdale to follow Manchester United duo to regain starting berth
Former Liverpool player Graeme Souness has urged Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale to take a feather from Manchester United duo Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire's cap.
The Red Devils' pair were dropped from the starting XI by Erik ten Hag after a string of poor performances but earned their way back into the team.
Ramsdale was dropped from the Gunners' lineup by Mikel Arteta as the club signed David Raya on loan from Brentford, with the Spanish custodian becoming the new first-choice 'keeper. Since joining, Raya has been immense for Arsenal, keeping six clean sheets in 12 competitive appearances.
In the wake of these developments, Graeme Souness offered the Gunners custodian some advice.
The Scotsman urged Aaron Ramsdale to be more tough mentally and to fight for his place in the team. He also drew comparisons with McTominay and Maguire at United.
"It is time for Aaron Ramsdale to do his own fighting, rather than his dad doing it for him after his appearance on a podcast this week. The Arsenal goalkeeper has to show what he is made of and deal with the situation in which he finds himself.
"I would ask him to look at the example of Harry Maguire. He took all the criticism on the chin, all the disappointment. He dealt with it and finds himself back in the team at Manchester United. Scott McTominay, too. He was being pushed out the door at the start of the season, and now he’s in the side. That’s football!
"For Ramsdale, this a tough, mental challenge."
Aaron Ramsdale has even been linked with moves away from the club, with Chelsea interested in signing the England international, as per football.london.
Many have speculated that Ramsdale's comments could have led to him being dropped from Arsenal's XI.
He appeared on the Premier League's YouTube channel over the summer and explained how he keeps himself occupied during matches.
"If you ask me to concentrate on a game of football for 90 minutes, I'm finished. I can't do it. So that's why I got involved with the fans and I'll sing along with the songs. Someone's giving me abuse, I'll turn around and I'll give them a bit back.
"I've had my two/three minutes of sort of madness in my head, straight back to the football. I've got 10/15 minutes of pure concentration again. Next thing you know half time is around."
However, seeing how McTominay and Maguire have turned their fortunes at Manchester United around, Souness has urged Aaron Ramsdale to do the same at Arsenal.
It remains to be seen how the former Sheffield United man responds.
Ben White in Arsenal contract renewal talks
The Gunners could look to tie down their first-choice right back to a new long-term deal, as reported by Fabrizio Romano.
As per the reports, the talks are underway and both parties are expected to arrive at a conclusion sooner rather than later.
Ben White joined Arsenal from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2021 for a huge fee of £50 million. Since then, he has made 101 appearances for the club, scoring three goals and providing five assists.