Even Aaron Ramsey’s biggest fans will think this comparison is a bit unrealistic.
Ramsey has the potential to be a great player, when he’s fit and on his game, but manager Arsene Wenger has perhaps gone a bit over-the-top in his assessment of the Welshman’s potential.
Wenger has compared Ramsey to arguably the greatest midfielder ever to grace the Premier League, which has resulted in the latest wave of criticism aimed in the Gunners boss’s direction.
“In my head Ramsey was going to be a player between 10 and 15 goals a year,” Wenger said of Ramsey ahead of Arsenal’s FA Cup semi-final meeting with Manchester City.
“He is a Frank Lampard type. He is [about] getting in the box and he has a huge capacity to run. Physically, he has a combination of stamina, power and his capacity to repeat high intensity is certainly the best in the league.
“This season has been very frustrating for Aaron. I looked the other day, he has started seven games in the Premier League.
“When I realised that, it was unbelievable, but it’s because of injuries – and not big ones. Every time it’s a niggling one and when he came back from those – boom – a little calf – boom – a little hamstring.”
One look at the goalscoring records of both Lampard and Ramsey proves just how ambitious Wenger’s comparison is as Lampard found the net 211 times in 648 games for Chelsea, a return of roughly a goal every three games, while Ramsey has scored 45 goals in 248 games for Arsenal.
Lampard also reached double-figures for Premier League goals in 10 successive seasons while Ramsey only managed to score 10 league goals in one season, the 2013/14 campaign.
The biggest criticism of Ramsey has been his fitness issues and his failure to remain a consistent part of Wenger’s team also shows how very different he is to the Chelsea legend, who once made 164 consecutive appearances for the Blues.
It was a comparison that was never going to go down well and vocal #WengerOut campaigner Piers Morgan led the abuse.
Wenger thinks Aaron Ramsey is the new Frank Lampard?
Sure, and I'm the new Nelson Mandela.— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) April 23, 2017
Wenger trying to compare Ramsey to Lampard😐 How does he come out with monumental shit like this? Arsenal would be better with Gordon Ramsey
— Blues (@BluesSW6) April 22, 2017
https://twitter.com/arsenalawaytkts/status/856063747659624448
Wenger saying Ramsey is like lampard isn't just disrespectful but it proves that he's more deluded than his own supporters..😡😡😡#wengerout
— TeamArsenal (@gr8txx) April 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/SimplyLampard/status/856064522074951680
https://twitter.com/Igor_Stepanovs5/status/856062269805006850
Wenger said ramsey is like Lampard 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
The state of a manager we haveI guess Sanogo is like Lukaku 😂😂😂
— REDLINE WILL FALL® 🇳🇦 (@SNdjongolo) April 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/jasdgooner/status/856049938798661632
Aaron Ramsey can be Arsenal's Frank Lampard, according to manager Arsene Wenger. 😅😅😅
My reaction: *Check GIF* pic.twitter.com/D44OxFBzfy
— Sarthak Mondal (@some_sarthak) April 23, 2017
