Should We Send Aaron Ramsey Out On Loan?

I love Aaron Ramsey. I love him like a little brother. So when he gets a bit of unfair stick from Gooners (and he has done) it gets my back up and I have to defend him.

Now don't get me wrong, I see the flaws in his game like everyone else. He isn't perfect and to be honest he probably hasn't had the best of seasons.

Of course people have an opinion on everything, that is the beauty of freedom of speech, and if they want to criticise Aaron in a fair way (not a golf course fairway) then so be it.

But when I see him being slaughtered like the way we ironed out S*urs at the Emirates, I do feel sorry for the boy.

And that is all Ramsey is really. A boy. A lad who has a career-threatening injury already at his age due to some caveman who snapped his leg into pieces.

Think back to before Aaron suffered his leg-break. He was coming on stronger than a world champion weightlifter and becoming a first choice in the team. His progress was astounding.

That progression has been put back a couple of years due to his injury and, to be honest he was hung out to dry a little in the last campaign.

In my opinion the Welshman was overplayed. He looked jaded from February and Arsene Wenger must take a share of the blame.

In defence of Wenger though, the injury to Jack Wilshere had a big influence on Ramsey being more overplayed more than my Barbie Girl cassette.

Nobody, not even medical experts or Stephan Hawking, could put a time scale on Jack's injury. Well, nobody would have known he was out for the whole season anyway.

So whilst Wilshere was expected to be back at any time, poor old Ramsey was being flogged like an old horse. And his performances suffered.

Now I think that Aaron will be much better next season. And stronger too. This was his first full season since his leg was broken.

I wonder though whether he would be best off on loan somewhere to get a bit of confidence back because to me it looked like he had lost some.

I have every faith in him becoming the top player that he was progressing into one day. And I believe he will achieve those goals wearing an Arsenal shirt.

But I think he could do with a bit of 'freedom' (not from George Michael) to help his progression.

When he makes a mistake playing for the Gunners you can hear the moans and groans from Jupiter. And I worry in case he is becoming a bit of a scapegoat. And we seem to like having a scapegoat recently.

At times the support from Gooners this season has been unbelievable. Its definitely been the best year we've had at the Emirates. Most of the time the place was rocking more than a Rolling Stones concert.

As for the away Gooners, best in the land by far.

There is still that little element, borne out of frustration, that gets on certain players backs. Ramsey is one of them.

I know he can frustrate. I get frustrated too, but I can't have a major pop because he plays for Arsenal and it kills me to have a dig at anything Arsenal related.

Maybe he would be best off on loan, to another premier league club, to help him get his confidence back and be able to grow under less pressure?

Then maybe a rejuvenated boy can become the player and man we thought he would be.

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The Curious Case Of Nicklas Bendtner

Well, Nicklas Bendtner has walked back through the Arsenal door after his loan move to Sunderland ended and I'm sure many Gooners would prefer it if he just strolled back out of it again.

His exit could happen too if rumours that Borussia Dortmund are set to put a £2.5m bid in for the Dane are true, although I think that amount of money might just cover the price of his ego.

When I look at Nikki B I think its a shame at how his Arsenal career panned out really. Deep down, hidden behind the bravado, is a decent player in my book. I think Arsene Wenger believes so too.

I know that Bendtner borders on delusional with how good he thinks he is and that arrogance doesn't really endear him to anyone. Except Steve Bruce's daughter. Who he slept with. Apparently. 

And that is his biggest problem, that belief that he is better than Pele and Maradona combined. He probably, and honestly, thinks he is better than those two.

Now there is nothing wrong with believing in yourself. Every top footballer has that steely belief that they are the best. Look at Robbie Savage. 

But Nikki went too far with how he viewed himself. He and his father (his agent) piped up so much last season, or the campaign before, that Wenger had no option but to let him leave the club.

He only left on loan though, and I happen to think (I may be wrong) that was down to Arsene not wanting to let him go permanently.

In my view (however misguided it may seem) the Arsenal gaffer wanted to keep Nicklas at the club in the long term and let him go short-term to see what life would be like outside of the Emirates.

To give him a taste that the grass isn't greener on the other side as it were.

I mean no disrespect to Sunderland but maybe Wenger thought that a move to the North-East would bring him down a peg or two. Or three or four. 

What has happened is the Danish striker hasn't exactly set the world alight, at The Stadium of Light, and to be fair the ego remains the same and his comments about leaving means there is one option open to him.

Germany would probably be a good destination for Nikki to ply his trade. The style of football over there would suit him and I honestly think he would thrive in the Bundesliga.

As I've said he is a decent player and I honestly believed that had he knuckled down and stop thinking he was world-class for 5 minutes he could have developed into a seriously decent striker. Or a self-publicist. 

Unfortunately the boy won't be fulfilling his potential at Arsenal and I think when he has left the club permanently he'll realise that he had a good thing here. Or maybe not. 

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Keep It Goonerish......... 

Of Course Robin van Persie Is Going To Be 'Coy'

I wouldn't read too much into Robin van Persie being 'coy' about his contract situation at Arsenal.

He is bound to be after all isn't he?

Robin's next contract, wherever that may be, is going to be the most important one he will sign in his life. Well, except for his next mobile phone contract I suppose.

It will be his last 'big' deal and of course he has to weigh up his options. And his free minutes.

If it's any consolation, and I doubt it will be, at least he won't weigh up his Golden Boot to get the best deal on eBay like Samir Nasri would.

I'm quite calm about the whole thing actually. Obviously I want him to sign a new deal at Arsenal, but I also want to marry Kelly Brook, and I realise I'm not going to get everything I want in life am I?

In my very honest opinion, I honestly think that he will stay with us and sign for life.

Now I know that counts for nothing. I have no inside information on him. Its only my gut feeling. Although that feeling could be the dodgy sausage roll I had for lunch earlier.

Regardless of how that feeling in my stomach came about I still believe in it.

Of course some players out there earn a lot more than Robin does. And the worst thing is the Dutchman has more talent in one of his little toes than most of them.

This would turn anyone's head. And I'm sure he could earn nearly double somewhere else.

But, for me, it's not all about money for RvP.

Obviously whatever deal comes his way means he won't go starving. He could probably afford to have caviar at least twice a week. Sharks caviar too.

But there are some thing's money can't buy and more importantly he wants to see his wife and kids happy.

And going by what his missus has said recently she is more than happy with him staying at Arsenal.

I know he wants to win things. And he can. At Arsenal. This season hasn't been the greatest but a bad one has still seen us finish above Chelsea, S*urs and Liverpool.

And I thought we were in a relegation battle.

Robin wants to see Arsenal compete. He is a Gooner and when he wears that Arsenal shirt his chest swells to twice the size of Pamela Anderson's.

He wants trophies, for Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger and the club need to show we will compete next season. The early signing of Lukas Podolski suggests to me a change of transfer tactics and I expect some decent players to arrive.

I've said it before, and been wrong, but I think the penny has finally dropped at Arsenal. We need to start showing how big a club we are and show our intent in the transfer market to do that.

Try to ignore all the 'crunch' contract talks in the coming week or you will end up going barking mad.

What will be, will be. Regardless of what happens Arsenal will still be standing. Unless several raving lunatic Gooners pull it down.

As I've said, I think Robin will stay. I might be wrong but its very rare that I am. I have a 20% success ratio.

Don't get sucked into what the media say. The most important thing is the club and Robin are sitting down, having a cup of coffee with a bit of cake, to discuss the contract.

In the mean time bombard him with tweets, messages and use emotional blackmail to the best of your ability.

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Steve Bould May Replace Arsene Wenger Too

Firstly, I would like to thank Pat Rice for everything he has done for Arsenal Football Club. 

He has been at Arsenal so long that he is part of the furniture. And the shorts. Oh those shorts. It will be strange not seeing Pat buzzing round the technical area in them shorts, that's for sure.

Steve Bould has replaced him as Arsene Wenger's number 2, a move that was possibly the worst kept secret since Harry Redknapp was announced as the new England manag...........Oh. Oh my.

This is a great move in my view. Steve Bould was a fantastic defender and one thing Arsenal need is too learn how to defend a little better. In fact, at times, our defending is about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Hopefully Wenger will allow Bould the opportunity to drill some of his defensive nous into the team. I'm sure that he will. 

I also think that promoting Steve to being his assistant is a telling move by Arsene. 

Maybe I am reading into things too much, like I do with a Playboy magazine, but I'm starting to think that Bould might be the next manager of the club too.

Forgive me for jumping the gun here. In fact, I might be losing the plot. But I reckon that the gaffer will have a big say in who is his successor at Arsenal.

I've often wondered who would eventually succeed Arsene. Pep Guardiola is the candidate that has always sprung first and foremost to my mangled mind. 

And I think that Pep would love, yes love, the chance to manage our club. The structure and foundations are here to achieve whatever he would want.

But I'm starting to think that an internal move is more likely.

Steve Bould has played at the club, knows it inside out and would command instant respect. But most importantly, he would continue the philosophy of Arsene Wenger.

I think Wenger's contract ends in 2014. Or is it 2040? I'm not sure, but while he isn't going anywhere yet, one day he will be and this is a big statement for me.

Bould has moved up through the ranks at Arsenal. And it wouldn't surprise me if he was appointed number 1 when Wenger's time as manager ends.  

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Keep It Goonerish...........