“I Don’t Mind Admitting”: Pundit Admits He Was Wrong About to Question the Signing of “Brilliant” Arsenal Player
It takes a big person to admit when they are wrong, and the success of many Arsenal signings during the Mikel Arteta era has led several pundits to reassess their opinions.
Ally McCoist was among those who expressed surprise when Arsenal made a particular signing that stirred significant debate and raised questions in the summer of 2023.
Given the events that followed, it’s easy to overlook that Aaron Ramsdale had been largely outstanding as Arsenal came close to ending Manchester City’s dominance in the Premier League the previous season.
Yes, there were some notable errors during the crucial stages of that season. The memorable clashes with Southampton and City come to mind.
However, when Arsenal acquired David Raya from Brentford, the general consensus among many was that the Spanish goalkeeper’s signing was somewhat unnecessary for the squad at the Emirates Stadium.
Ally McCoist Admits He Was Wrong About Arsenal’s David Raya
Fourteen months after initially joining on loan, Raya became a permanent Arsenal player in a £27 million transfer the following summer. Once a Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper, he can now arguably be considered one of the best goalkeepers in Europe.
If not the very best, he is certainly one of the most complete. His exceptional reflexes and distribution, reminiscent of Pirlo’s precision, have reached new heights in the early stages of this season.
“The goalkeeper, I’ve got to say…” McCoist tells talkSPORT. “I don’t mind admitting it, when he first came, I’m thinking; ‘Do you really need that?
“‘Will you give yourself a problem with Ramsdale?’”
In his debut season, Raya clinched the Premier League’s Golden Glove and soon displaced Ramsdale from the starting lineup. Acknowledging his defeat, Ramsdale completed an £18 million transfer to Southampton on the deadline day.
Ramsdale has since struggled, conceding 10 goals in just four appearances for Russell Martin’s side, who were easily dismantled by Bournemouth on Monday.
That tally is double what Raya has conceded all season.
Raya added another clean sheet to his record as Arsenal triumphed over Luis Enrique’s PSG in the Champions League this week. He had already produced a Save of the Season-worthy effort in the first matchday against Atalanta, blocking Mateo Retegui’s rebound following a penalty.
“The one when gets back up from the penalty and saves the header at Atalanta, brilliant. Brilliant,” McCoist adds.
“I think with the goalkeeper and the two centre-backs, I think they might have the best back four in Europe. The full-backs are solid as well.”
In other Arsenal news, Mikel Merino Assessment Made as Martin Odegaard Injury Update Emerges After Arsenal Beat PSG in the Champions League
