Wenger praises Aaron Ramsey for his transformation

Aaron Ramsey

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that he was advised not to play Aaron Ramsey in home matches last season to prevent abuse from the stands on both himself and the Welsh midfielder.

Ramsey received plenty of criticism for his below-par performances last season but has turned his form – and the fans’ opinions – around having scored 11 goals in 19 matches this season.

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“Let’s not forget that one year ago people were saying to me it is difficult to play him at the Emirates,” the Arsenal manager said.

“You could see there was an impatience with him. As a manager, you [find yourself] in a period where you think: ‘Do I push him through and [risk] him going more down, or do I give him a breather to regenerate, to give him a fresh start?’

“That is always difficult to assess, because it is linked to their mental state. When their confidence is down, of course they are in trouble. But Aaron is a confident boy.”

Wenger added: “You have to give him credit for that transformation. The credit goes to him because he could deal with that [criticism]. He could come back, not give up, and convince everybody that he has the requisite quality.”

Former players Thierry Henry and Robert Pires have been training with Arsenal in the past week and it has been noted that Henry is finding training with Ramsey more satisfying than with most other players.

When asked about the midfielder’s effect in training and how satisfying it is work with someone like Ramsey, the Frenchman said: “Yes, of course, football is not like tennis, where you know in November who is No?1 and who is No?15 in December.

“When I look back at someone’s career, I do not judge people because they were or were not world class. I always think: ‘Has this guy done the maximum with the potential he had?’ The respect I have for a guy is how far he has gone towards his potential.”