Why It's Time for Arsene Wenger to Switch Calum Chambers to Centre-Back

When it comes to Arsenal’s problems in defence, Arsene Wenger has no-one to blame but himself.

Entering the season without experienced cover for Laurent Koscielny, whose Achilles problem was already known to the medical staff, was inviting trouble. The subsequent injury to Mathieu Debuchy was unfortunate but merely exacerbated a problem of Wenger’s own making.

Within weeks of the season’s start, the Arsenal manager found himself down to the bare bones. However, he is not entirely without options. Given Arsenal’s dire defensive form, it may be time to consider a reshuffle at the back.

At present, Nacho Monreal is starting at centre-half alongside Per Mertesacker, with Calum Chambers at right-back. Monreal has admitted to feeling uncomfortable in the middle, per Arsenal Player (h/t Arseblog), but Wenger clearly believes his experience is advantageous to the team. 

The benefit is not immediately obvious and early evidence indicates that this will not be one of Wenger’s more successful positional switches. The Arsenal boss cannily converted Thierry Henry to a striker and Kolo Toure to a centre-half, but there is nothing to suggest that Monreal is ready to take up permanent residency at centre-back. 

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The Spaniard was at fault for goals against both Anderlecht and Swansea. In the first game, he needlessly conceded a penalty by tugging at his man. At the Liberty Stadium, his unsuitability to playing in the middle was laid bare when Bafetimbi Gomis towered above him to head the winner.

One feels for Monreal: He is doing his best in an impossible situation. His manager’s inexplicable oversight in the transfer market has left him cruelly exposed.

Monreal began the season with some impressive performances at left-back, but this spell in the centre could do serious damage to his confidence and credibility. There are still those who argue that Andrey Arshavin’s Arsenal career never quite recovered from an equally bizarre stint as a target man. 

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Calum Chambers is also enduring some difficulties. Chambers is a curious case: although most of his senior football has come at full-back, he looks much more comfortable at centre-half. Against Swansea, his lack of pace was exposed by the skill and speed of Jefferson Montero. Other fleet-footed opponents will have taken note.

The logical move seems to be to switch Chambers to the middle alongside Per Mertesacker, where he performed so impressively in the first few games of the season. However, that would mean introducing Hector Bellerin at right-back, and Wenger is seemingly loath to field a back four featuring two 19-year-olds.

Inexperience is the price Arsenal must pay for their insufficient transfer activity. Throwing young defenders in to the fray is not ideal, but it can be the making of a player.

At Manchester United, Louis van Gaal deserves credit for the courage he has shown in thrusting first-team football upon both Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair. Mistakes are inevitable but at least he is able to field a vaguely balanced back four. Moreover, there may be a long-term benefit to be had from accelerating the development of these young talents. 

There is no long-term reward to reap from playing Monreal as a centre-half. It’s a stop-gap, and an inadequate one at that.

United are Arsenal’s next opponents, and the likes of Robin van Persie will be licking their lips at the prospect of facing off against the disorientated Spaniard. Chambers may be unseasoned, but he would surely provide Van Persie with a sterner physical test. Bellerin, meanwhile, has the speed to cope with the driving runs of Angel Di Maria.

Wenger might as well give it a try: as far as Arsenal’s defending goes, it can’t get much worse.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout the 2014/15 season. Follow him on Twitter here.