Aaron Ramsdale has said that by picking up an injury earlier this season, he felt like he let former Southampton boss Russell Martin down.
Aaron Ramsdale was signed in the summer transfer window. While some Southampton fans aren’t entirely sold by his recruitment, most Saints fans notice the impact he’s made on the team.
Ramsdale has kept two Premier League clean sheets. Considering he was missing for a chunk of time through injury and, of course, plays for a contender for the worst Premier League side in history, this is a pretty impressive individual record.
This is why Ramsdale’s recent comments about his former boss Russell Martin might come as a surprise to Saints fans…
Aaron Ramsdale’s bold claim about former Southampton boss Russell Martin
After the match against Fulham, which was Ramsdale’s second clean sheet of the season and his first start after his finger injury, Ramsdale blamed himself for letting Martin down.
In his own words (quoted by Daily Echo), Ramsdale said: “We all let the gaffer (Martin) and Gilly down. We didn’t perform at our best, not through anything other than it just didn’t work for us. We didn’t stop trying, we didn’t stop running. I came to the club mainly because of the manager, and not being able to play under him because of my injury, I felt like I’d let him down.”
It might come as a surprise to Southampton fans to see Ramsdale blaming himself. It’s not his fault he was injured and Southampton should have been better equipped to deal with absence.
After all, it is not Ramsdale’s responsibility to find his own replacement when an injury, which was out of his control, occurred to him.
Still, this is likely a reflection of the incredibly high standards Ramsdale holds himself to. Playing for Arsenal beforehand, one of the best clubs in the world, Ramsdale knows that he must somehow control the uncontrollable. Not that the competition is as high at Southampton as it was at Arsenal, mind.
Of course, the poor Southampton form which led to Martin’s sacking was not entirely Martin’s fault. While it could be attributed towards his stubbornness and failure to adapt to the Premier League, the players didn’t exactly help his case to stay either.
So, it is quite refreshing to see Ramsdale taking accountability. I don’t think he personally needs to, but it shows the respect he has.
