Because I am letting Aaron down by not believing in him. Yes I was devastated when he broke his leg. Yes I felt distraught. I even paid money toward a banner in his honour. But a few days later I got up and I walked around and I saw my friends and I lived my life and I forgot about him

With Stoke this week and Aaron Ramsey due to return to Arsenal at the end of the month I’ve been thinking to myself a lot recently about where the young man will fit in with our current squad when he comes back. Just before he was despicably scythed down while playing our next opponents he was starting to establish himself as part of our first choice midfield and it seemed he was on the verge of blossoming into the player we had hoped he would be when he arrived. But times have moved on – in his absence Wilshere has well and truly claimed that place as his own and it remains to be seen exactly how Wenger plans to use him when he arrives.

But there is something which keeps playing on my mind – and, I’m sure, the minds of some other fans – which I can’t ignore no matter how hard I try. Anyone who has read my articles before will know that I am nothing if not an optimist but even so there is a part of my brain which I can’t switch off that keeps asking ‘will he be the same player that he was before the injury?’

I feel so terrible for even thinking such a thought; guilty, even. Like somehow I am taking away from the young man’s chances just by thinking that way – as if anything I think will have a tangible effect on someone who is unlikely to ever hear my thoughts. But the fact of the matter is that, as Arsenal fans, we’ve been hurt before. We know what it’s like to have a talented player stolen from us by a reckless challenge and we want nothing more than for Ramsey to succeed where others haven’t.

The sadness everyone felt over what happened to Eduardo is still fresh in my heart and to be honest it will never leave me. That particular young man, in his debut season, already looked destined to leave an imprint in Arsenal history. Had he stayed fit I have no doubt he would have helped Arsenal to their first title at the Emirates but, alas, it was not to be. He has since moved on and, sad as it is, that is a chapter we have had to close.

But I still look out for Eduardo at Shakhtar (8 goals in 19 appearances this season) because I want to know he has a future. Just like I follow Aaron Ramsey at Cardiff, and followed him at Forest. 

The difference is that Aaron Ramsey can have a future with Arsenal. 

Maybe I am just impatient. I keep checking the results and match reports in hope of seeing an impact: a goal; an assist; a good shot; a great pass. When I don’t see one I get worried. I think ‘maybe he’s not the same player’. But that’s the easy option; it’s the coward’s option. 

Because I am letting Aaron down by not believing in him. Yes I was devastated when he broke his leg. Yes I felt distraught. I even paid money toward a banner in his honour. But a few days later I got up and I walked around and I saw my friends and I lived my life and I forgot about him. Maybe I thought about him a little, but did I really think about him every day for the next ten, eleven, twelve months? Of course not. But he did. Every, single day. 

Aaron Ramsey has been working every single day to get back to where he was, and if it is hard for me to believe he can still do it then think how difficult it is for him. He’s the one whose career is on the line, not me, and if he can believe in himself then the least I can do is believe in him too.

I owe him that much. We all owe him that much.

More so because there are plenty of reasons to believe that his case will be different, especially to that of Eduardo. 

He is much younger for a start. Wenger, the club and the fans would all have been patient with him anyway, knowing how erratic and unpredictable a young player’s develoent can be. He will be given time to bed in and if it takes a year or more to get back to the level he was at then so be it. He will still be in the early stages of his career even after a rehabilitation period that long. It’s not good that it happened but if it happened at all at least it happened early. 

The break was also a clean break in the middle of the bone which means it will have healed stronger and will not affect the joint. This is a massive, massive plus and one which cannot be underestimated. Eduardo’s break was on the ankle, almost the worst possible place (along with the knee) it could have happened and it certainly affected his running post-injury, and also lead to numerous small muscle injuries after his return. We can only hope that Ramsey doesn’t suffer from these but the medical analysis suggests it won’t. Thank god for that.

Also in some twisted way the mistakes following previous tragedies have provided a blueprint of what to do or, more importantly, what no to do and this means that we can be assured our medical staff will have prepared Ramsey in the best way possible for his return. This and the nature of his break have so far combined to produce some already encouraging news – to my knowledge Ramsey has been playing relatively regular football for a few months and is yet to suffer a setback. This is a completely new turn of events and incredibly positive to hear.

The truth is however that we may not know for sure what fate will befall Aaron Ramsey for a good while yet and so the only thing we can do for now is show him the support that he will need to find form again. 

It is for this reason that I ask, no, implore the Arsenal to faithful to give this young man the welcome he deserves. The first time he steps back on to the pitch in the red and white everyone needs to sing his name louder and clearer than ever before. Because nothing – NOTHING – will help him get back to where he was like knowing that he has the trust, and love, of thousands upon thousands of Arsenal fans.

So please, please, please, please, please – do it for Aaron. I know you will. 

Thank you,

WB

P.S.

I wanted to leave this article as it is because it means so much to me but before I go I feel I must congratulate Vela on his goal at the weekend, something which I meant to do yesterday but I forgot.

The reason this is so important? That was Vela’s first ever important goal in the Premiership – the first points he has won single-handedly in his life and (if memory serves) his first important goal in all competitions since he scored against Wigan in his opening season. 

While we are assessing the future of one Arsenal player it would be unfair to forget another who we have all doubted but for different reasons. It must have felt really, really good to him to score that goal and I hope it can kick start some sort of form. 

Whether this will have a genuine impact on his career here remains to be seen but again we can only hope. At the very least we can all show our support to someone else who has not always had it easy at Arsenal – victim of the same change to 4-3-3 which significantly reduced Eduardo’s chances at the club. 

So well done Carlos Vela, you’ve earned it. Now keep it up.