Raya joins Arsenal: Page 29 - The Arsenal discussion community: One More in the Tolly

Raya joins Arsenal

JazzG

He's definitely looking the part in recent games. Claiming catches is so helpful to relieve pressure on the defence.

Burnwinter

Posting compilations of Raya catching easy balls under zero pressure 🙄

I watched about half that video above and I couldn't see a single time he'd claimed a cross under real pressure. Zero duels or even bumps. We're facing 0.1 or 0.2 xG each match for now.

Don Pacifico

Yeah, I'm somewhere in the middle. His catching is great and he's definitely less ponderous when distributing the ball (which was what I expected from the start, but maybe he needed time to get used to his teammates) and that in itself has really contributed to our attack in recent weeks.

As per Burnsy though, I'm still skeptical about some of the more traditional goalkeeping attributes (eg. save ability). Let's also not forget him letting in a cross from Mudryk because of his weird positioning. I think I'll feel more comfortable when I see him perform in a game where we're really under the kosh.

So in summary, really positive improvements in the last few weeks as he's settled but I still see a negligible/questionable upgrade versus peak Ramsdale. I can't help but feel if we were going to upgrade GK, this was not the guy to bring in to raise the ceiling.

Mirth

Don Pacifico agree, although it's clear that Arteta gives much more weightage to the former and less to the traditional aspects of goalkeeping. Either way, as a unit this is the best our defence has ever looked - both in terms of keeping the ball out and distribution.

Burnwinter

I'm not sure exactly what mistake we're supposed to imagine Ramsdale having made since the New Year.

Sicario2 - Tier 1

Burnwinter

His error led to Liverpool’s first goal in the FA cup (from the corner). One game one error #rayain

invisibleman18

Before Sicario calls it kneejerk and "we'd have been out of the tie long before the goal if Ramsdale played" etc, is it just me or did Raya seem flat footed and jumped a second too early there so he was already on the way down when the ball reached him? It was a good shot of course but wasn't in the top corner. Not making any comment on whether anyone else would have done better etc as bored of that debate, but the shot seemed saveable IMO.

GooneriC

A keeper at this level needs to save that. Whether it's Raya or Ramsdale or whoever , just really poor to let that in

Sicario2 - Tier 1

That was a good goal.

You want to see a fuck up? See Ramsdale v Portuguese opposition last season

RocktheCasbah

Sicario2 - Tier 1 I know I'm never going to convince you otherwise, but that goal last season is not nearly as on Ramsdale as you believe it was. A genuine worldie.

Put another way, there's no way, if Raya had been in goal for us that night, he'd have saved it either. He'd have been exactly where Ramsdale was, maybe even further out..

goon

I don’t think it’s a mistake, but there was the potential for a good save there that didn’t happen, which is a bit of a recurring theme for Raya.

daredevil

goon

This is my issue with him, the unit in front of him is sturdy and resolute, but you occasionally need your GK to deliver exceptional saves to shift the margins in your favour. Lehmann and Seaman are perfect examples of that. This guy doesn't save anything he shouldn't save, and let's in shots he probably should have saved. His passing and kicking is good, but it's also not great. Being more alert to launch counters is so basic that any GK instructed to do it, could do it.

Meatwad

i find it funny to see this constant debate about two average keepers.

Qwiss

It was savable but it's the sort of save where you talk about it like a goal and Raya doesn't really do that. What annoyed me more tonight, especially in that late spell of Porto pressure was his lack of composure with the ball. He didn't do the stuff he's supposed to be good at. The stuff that makes up for not being able to save those shots.

Burnwinter

First actual test in terms of a save he's had in weeks. Many ways to look at it, but for those of us who are a bit dubious about him, it's all victuals for confirmation bias.

Don Pacifico

This is the thing - you can't fairly say that Raya is directly at fault for the goal but it's another occasion where he doesn't inspire confidence to make a crucial save when we need him. If a GK is never there for you to make those big saves, then frankly I don't care how much he contributes to our attack.

Tam

Don Pacifico
Yeah, if we're looking at goalkeepers being involved in game-defining/winning moments, I'd rather it was in saving goals than assisting them. There's 9 other players to chip in to help a goalscorer.

I get it seems unnecessarily picky on Raya, and I don't think he was massively at fault in this particular instance, but at the top end of the game the margins are so fine that issues like that are what can make the difference between winning games and trophies.

HomeSteak

A taller keeper saves that easy. But I'm not that angry with him. If Martinelli clears the ball or makes the right pass to start a counter we don't talk about it. But he was brain dead and he fucked us over. It happens.

Gurgen

I honestly don't understand why he didn't save that. It was a slow, looping shot.

Burnwinter

Tam I get it seems unnecessarily picky on Raya

He's on a hiding to nothing with some of us for a simple reason: it seems he was hired to upgrade a keeper who's as good on the balance of his qualities. I don't blame him for that but the jury will be out until he truly exceeds Ramsdale—or fails to do so.

JazzG

His positioning was wrong and looked like he got his dive wrong as well, should be saving that.

invisibleman18

It was poor technique. He was flat footed and stationary and dived a second too early so he was already on the way down as the ball reached him. If he's on his toes and makes a small shuffle to the left to give some momentum to his spring then he probably gets there. It wasn't necessarily a howler but a top level keeper should probably be saving that.

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