Ramsay is hoping Rangers spell will help prepare him for World Cup qualifiers
Aaron Ramsay shocked world football when he sealed a deadline day move from Juventus to Glasgow Rangers. The Welshman agreed to a short-term deal in Glasgow to work under Gers boss and former World Cup runner up Giovanni van Bronckhorst. His game time had been severely limited in Turin and knowing just how important he is to his nation’s chances of playing in Qatar later this year, the talented attacker understood the need to get minutes in the legs and build sharpness.
Wales will play Austria in Cardiff on Thursday 24 March with a 19:45 GMT kick-off. Interestingly, if they come through that match – as the leading sports betting sites expect them to – Wales could face Scotland. The Tartan Army, who qualified for Euro 2020 through the playoffs, host Ukraine in Glasgow on the same night. Wins for Scotland and Wales would set up an all or nothing shootout between the British teams with the victor booking a team hotel in Qatar for November.
Could Ramsay’s time in Scotland help prepare him for a game against the national side? It’s looking increasingly likely but there’s much work to do for all parties concerned. Wales must beat Austria, Scotland must bypass Ukraine and Ramsay must get a move on following a slow start to life in Glasgow.
Rangers missed Ramsay at Tannadice
The Welshman missed his team’s 1-1 draw at Tannadice on Sunday after picking up a knock in training but his absence was thought to be little more than a precaution. The coaching staff at Rangers have been handling their loanee with kid gloves so far, wrapping the expensive player and property of one of European football’s top teams in cotton wool but that can’t go on for too much longer.
Rangers don’t want the pressure of sending Ramsay out to be injured or pushing him too hard in training, especially when the eyes of the world are on them. But they also don’t want to pay to have Ramsay sitting in the stands, attracting media attention without contributing to the cause. That has never been more true than it is now following Sunday’s share away to Dundee United. Rangers fell behind to a first-half goal in that match and needed a late drive from Joe Aribo to avoid a second defeat of the season at Tannadice.
Last season’s champions have let their lead slip and are now second in the Scottish Premiership behind Old Firm derby rivals Celtic, the Bhoys three points clear of their neighbours. The title-winning team in Scotland will, for the first time in many years, gain automatic entry to next season’s Champions League group stages, enjoying a £40m windfall in prize money. That’s why the board at Ibrox and many of the fans are demanding Ramsay is let off his leash.
Gers fans want to see what all the fuss is about. They are under pressure, dropping a seven-point lead to end three points behind Celtic in the title race. They need a hero and in Ramsay, they have a player with the quality to turn games in their favour and get their season firmly back on track.
In Wales, fans know they need Ramsay with a clean bill of health for next month’s World Cup playoff semi-final but they also understand he needs to be sharp. He must walk into the Welsh camp injury-free, high on confidence with a few important goals behind him.
Ramsay isn’t the type of player who will be happy sitting on the sidelines either. He came to Glasgow to play football and wanted to reward the Scottish side for giving him game time by helping deliver the league title, making it a famous two in a row while shooting down Celtic. The Juve employee said as much during a recent bullish interview when he spoke of his teammates’ defiance. He took to the press to remind fans that the league isn’t over and Rangers will keep battling, both domestically and in the Europa League where they scored a stunning 4-2 away win over Borussia Dortmund recently.