As Celtic chose to shore up midfield and attacking options in the January transfer window, with the signings of Yosuke Ideguchi, Reo Hatate, Matt O’Riley and Daizen Maeda, theRangers took the press accolades with the loan ‘marquee’ signing of Aaron Ramsey.
While all of Celtic’s January signings have made an impact already – bar Ideguchi who was injured against Alloa in the Scottish Cup but is now returning to action – Aaron Ramsey has still started only one game for the Ibrox club, and whilst few in the mainstream media wish to question Ramsey’s signing, Kris Commons in his Daily Express column https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/sport/football/aaron-ramsey-rangers-spell-no-26402080 has decided to tread where few others will.
“We’re now well into March and (the)Rangers fans are fully entitled to ask what the thinking behind the signing of Aaron Ramsey was all about. He was an unused substitute against Aberdeen on Saturday. If a player of that talent is able to take his place on the bench, why wasn’t he involved?
“I always felt this was a marquee signing to give (the)Rangers fans a pick-me-up. No matter his talent, I never thought Ramsey was a player who was going to take the Ibrox side to the next level.
“(the)Rangers’ midfield already has the likes of Scott Arfield, Glen Kamara and Ryan Jack. Was it an area of the team that badly needed upgrading? No one should be surprised by the way this is playing out.”
— david clark (@daviebhoy1888) March 5, 2022
theRangers huffed and puffed at the weekend as they struggled to break down a resilient Aberdeen defence, yet Ramsey remained plonked on the bench. A strange decision indeed, if you assume he was actually fit enough to play, rather than given a spot in the match-day squad just to deflect attention.
Ramsey’s signing has indeed been an impactful one for theRangers, but all for the wrong reasons.
Not only has he made no discernible impact on theRangers first team, his expensive arrival may also have put a few noses out of joint in the Ibrox dressing room, players had believed they were in negotiations about extended contracts at Ibrox, only to be told there wasn’t enough money to meet their demands.
Rangers trying to get Aaron Ramsey match fit: pic.twitter.com/uJWGFHWEFZ
— ⛷ (@smn___67) March 1, 2022
Imagine the impact then of Aaron Ramsey rocking up and spending more time booking out Cardiff restaurants for Valentine’s celebrations and family days out at Gleneagles, than impacting a title race? Not a good look, is it?
Yet none of this should have been a surprise. Despite Ramsey’s talents, meaningful appearances have been far and few between for Ramsey at club level, first with Juventus and now with theRangers. It’s almost as if the only team Aaron Ramsey bothers himself with is his national team.
And while Commons is right to question his contribution, you can be sure in the coming weeks Ramsey’s fitness will improve, and gametime will materialise, just in time to help Wales and their play-off hopes for the World Cup in Qatar.
That first encounter with Austria takes place on 24 March and may then include a game against Scotland, all being well. As such expect a return to fitness and form in the next few weeks, and a surge in headlines heralding the player’s return, before Ramsey gets back to picking up a wage, ticking along in training and causing great discontent in the Ibrox dressing room as he coins it in whilst complaining of a sore back.
For a signing heralded as being on a par with the arrival of Paul Gascoigne, Aaron Ramsey appears to be doing more harm than good to theRangers title tilt.
Meanwhile over at Celtic, Reo Hatate, Matt O’Riley and Daizen Maeda are making an altogether different impression of what a good signing looks like, by playing games, scoring goals and ensuring some January arrivals in Glasgow made a meaningful impact. And don’t discount Yosuke Ideguchi making an impact at Celtic either, Ange Postecoglou was after all very keen to bring him to Glasgow.
Shaun Riley
Our Aaron getting fit for World Cup matches sounds good to me. Then can have a few months off before joining another club and getting ready for the World Cup.
CYMRU AM BYTH