On Friday we sat down with friend of the site and Sheffield United fan Arty Bianco to get his take on Aaron Ramsdale’s impending transfer to Arsenal. Arty is the man behind the Arsenal Ultimate Team Print as well as being resident Sheffield United matchday programme artist.

Aaron Ramsdale was only back at Sheffield United for one season; how did you rate his performances?

It was a season of two halves for Rammers. It felt that for a very long run of games at the beginning of the season he got nowhere near any of the goals we conceded.

There were contributing factors to his slow start – the entire team was out of form, defenders making mistakes, injuries, inconsistent defensive partnerships but he looked like a rabbit in headlights at times.

He was clearly a talented young goalkeeper but was perhaps out of his depth; but we did not have the luxury to bed him in.

In the second half of the season he showed just how good a keeper he is… (It felt he’d arrived away at Everton Where he really contributed to us winning the points).

It was the good form that saw him picked for England’s Euro 2020 squad at just 23.

What are Ramsdale’s strengths?

He is blatantly a good professional with the right attitude and bags of potential. He was well thought of by everyone at Sheffield United. He is a likeable guy and his move to Arsenal shows he has a drive to play at the highest level.

And his weaknesses?

Like any young player he needs game time. Throughout last season we saw him improve the more he played.

He needs the opportunity and environment to prove himself consistently over the course of a season or 2. You can have all the faith in your own ability in the world and so can your coaches but until you’ve been there and done it, what’s in your head does not count for much.

Would you have liked Ramsdale to stay?

Of course, but taking into account the circumstances – the fee, it being Arsenal, our relegation – it was always unlikely he would remain. Once one of the “traditional” big 6 comes in and offers £20m+ for any player in the Championship, they are gone.

Is £24million a good deal?

Had we been able to keep hold of him another year, he might have been worth even more ‘if’ we had managed to secure promotion, but without a win in 3 games that seems a long way away.

The other side of the coin is if his form had have dipped again and we fail to come straight back up, his value might have dropped next summer.

From Arsenal’s point of view, they are getting a talented young goalkeeper. If he fulfils his potential £24million could be seen as a bargain for them.

What should Arsenal do with Ramsdale?

I genuinely think the best thing Arsenal could do would be loan him to a to a top end Championship club (that ‘should’ be defending less) so in theory replicate where they want Rammers to be the season after.

This will see him making less but more important saves ones win points – and hopefully keeping clean sheets whilst doing so. That would stop the ‘he’s been relegated twice’ narrative the media keep peddling.

Anything else?

I really want Ramsdale to do well. I think he could become England’s number 1. All the best Aaron, go smash it.

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Thank you to Arty Bianco for answering our questions. His Arsenal Ultimate Team Print can be bought HERE.

Arsenal are have signed Martin Odergaard and are close to confirming Aaron Ramsdale.

Both have been fairly long term targets for the club this summer and plenty has been written about the pair, so let’s not go over old ground.

With less than 2 weeks left in the transfer window the question to ask is “after Odegaard and Ramsdale, who next?”.

And the answer to the is “it depends on who leaves.”

I have seen a few on social media say “now let’s go for a striker”.

The issue with the statement is we have 5 strikers at the club already.

Unless we sell 3 of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alex Lacazette, Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Martinelli and Folarin Balogun, there will be no new striker.

And it is unlikely we will sell 3 of the above named players considering it will mean two of the 3 are Aubameyang and Lacazette.

What is more likely is one of the 2 leave alongside Nketiah. That will leave us with a senior striker being backed up by Martinelli and Balogun.

If Lacazette of Aubameyang does leave, it is more likely that we will bring in a left sided player.

At the moment we have been playing Aubameyang on the left win to accommodate the pair; it is a tactic that clearly doesn’t work.

If Aubameyang leaves, we then need to reinforce the left hand side. If it is Lacazette then Aubameyang is used centrally and we still need a left sided player.

The options would be either go for someone like Houssem Auoar who will come in off the touchline and add further creativity. He would then create space for Kieran Tierney to bomb into. Or go for Marcus Thuram who will now hug the touchline.

If we want someone to hug the touchline, we have that in both Nicolas Pepe and Bukayo Saka.

Auoar would give us another options and a midfield 3 of him, Odergaard and Saka would have plenty of creativity, mobility and flexibility.

The flip side is someone like Thuram also adds 10 goals a season.

The only other place we will likely strengthen is right back. But only if Hector Bellerin leaves.

With Bellerin still an Arsenal player, we just do not have the space for a new signing. We are not managed by Gareth Southgate with us 4 right backs.

If Bellerin does leave the man to watch is Emerson Royal at Barcelona.

Despite their financial troubles, Barcelona spent €9m bringing Emerson back from Betis. This just have been done in the hope they could quickly sell him on for profit.

A quick sale has not happened and with their financial insecurity, they might look to cash in for not much more than what they paid for him.

Emerson is just 22 and combative right back.

For Betis he would often drop inside to create a 3 at the back as the left back went forward. This is certainly a tactic Arteta has looked to use in the past to try and free up Tierney.

Circling back, however, a new right back will only come in if Bellerin leaves.

So less than 2 weeks to go and plenty still to hopefully happen.

Keenos

Against Tottenham in a pre-season friendly, some sections of the Spurs crowd clapped Bukayo Saka onto the pitch.

“Showing their class” was the response on social media.

Nah, not for me. But I will give them the benefit of the doubt as it was a friendly.

Then against Brentford, the Hounslow based club did the same.

Again, I will give them the benefit of the doubt as they are a small club. Basically the Leyton Orient of West London and the majority of fans in the stadium probably did not support Brentford.

During the Manchester United v Leeds United game, it was loud and clear.

“You let your country down” aimed at Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho. And it was glorious.

What differentiates going down the football in comparison to cricket, rugby or any other sport is the rivalry. The edge.

It is like war. You hate your opponent. Boo everything they do whilst cheer your own team.

Their player goes in high on one of yours, you scream for blood. Our player goes in high on one of theirs, he is cheered. A hero.

Without that edge football is no longer enjoyable. You might as well be at the theatre, applauding politely regardless of if the performance is mediocre.

Now there is a fine line when abuse can go too far; but that does not mean there is not space in the game for you to abuse an opponent.

I grew up when David Beckham got dogs abuse for flicking out at Diego Simeone, getting himself sent off and costing us a World Cup.

The abuse he got went too far – with one South London one pub lynching an effigy of him outside.

But we grew from that and a few years later when Wayne Rooney get sent off against Portugal the abuse was not as vicious. Just the booing and “you let your country down”.

Now as I say, there is a line. And Racist and homophobic abuse is clearly the wrong side of the line. As is wishing death on someone, their family or kids. This is appalling behaviour.

But there is certainly space in the game for “you let your country down” and for fans to boo players who missed a penalty or causes us to be knocked out of the World Cup (or in this case the Euros).

Now it might seem odd I am saying this as Saka was one of those who missed a penalty, and would therefore get abuse from opponents.

I just find the clapping of him ludicrous. It is all a bit soft. We do not go to football to hold hands with everyone.

Abuse from opposing fans helps build a player. Makes them mentally stronger. Builds character.

The abuse you get in England is nothing in comparison to what a player receives in Italy or across Eastern Europe. You can not have sports stars wrapped up in cotton wool. They need to be both physically and mentally strong to succeed.

So on Sunday I will raise a smile if Chelsea let Saka know he let the country down. Give him a god boo. But then I will be straight back at them. Backing my player, booing the Chelsea fans booing him. That is football.

Lets stop with all this clapping bollocks.

Keenos

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