One of the keys to the unbelievable success story of the Welsh national team has to be the great performances of Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey. Ramsey has already contributed to five goals in this European Championship, which is 50% of all goals scored by Wales in the tournament. But this makes Arsenal fans wonder, why isn’t Ramsey playing on this level when he is wearing an Arsenal shirt?
At the start of the tournament everyone was concentrating on Gareth Bale, as the tournament has progressed however, there’s been another man that all eyes have been on, Aaron Ramsey. Ramsey now has the joint most assists in the tournament and has been vital in Wales’ progression.
One of the reasons for the form that Ramsey is in, is the freedom he gets on the pitch – something he didn’t have had at Arsenal in the last two seasons. With both Joe Allen and Joe Ledley next to him in midfield, Ramsey can focus more on the attacking side of the game, something we hope the signing of Granit Xhaka offers the same to the Arsenal squad.
The last time we saw Ramsey in such a great form, was the 2013/14 season, in which he was undoubtedly Arsenal’s best player with 10 goals and eight assists. The main reason for his success in that season, was the fact that he played alongside Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta. Playing with Arteta gave Ramsey all the freedom he could get on the pitch, and this proved vital in his style of play – something many fans hope he could replicate with Granit Xhaka.
Another reason that freedom is necessary for the Welshman, is the fact that he registered four assists in five Euro 16 games, which is as many assists as in 31 League games for Arsenal last season. It’s also worth mentioning that when he plays for Wales, he doesn’t try to do the fancy things that he tries when he plays for Arsenal, such as unnecessary flicks and shots from 30 yards, these things are great when they work, but the problem is, that they don’t work on so many occasions, it only leads to the frustration of both the players and the fans.
So, in my opinion, the reason that Ramsey isn’t playing as well for Arsenal as he plays for Wales, is the fact that he has way more freedom when he plays for the national side. Let’s hope that Granit Xhaka can offer this to the Welshman. Of course, we haven’t seen Ramsey play in an Arsenal jersey since he dyed his hair, which may be another reason for his success at the Euros.
