Arsene Wenger Hints at Key Role for Aaron Ramsey—Should He Gamble?

It looked like a new partnership had been born, a partnership which many thought could be a long and fruitful one for the club.

Many thought that putting Flamini into the midfield was a bit of a gamble, but was it really? Flamini had been at Arsenal for a number of years, he’d taken the chance to impress in some of Arsenal’s less important matches and he excelled during Arsenal’s run to the Champions League final in 2006.

Yet, the reason that it was less of a gamble was the presence of Gilberto, an experienced campaigner who had won titles at Arsenal, who could replace Flamini should the player have a dip in form.

Unfortunately, Wenger doesn’t have this luxury anymore, as Flamini did to Arsenal what he did to his previous club and left on a bosman, while Gilberto, unhappy at being ousted last season, decided to make big money in Greece.

So that brings us swiftly onto Arsenal’s current midfield options. Fabregas is a given, but you have to worry that if he starts the season as the more experienced of two central midfielders, will the added pressure of this affect his form?

I suspect that it probably won’t, but as an Arsenal fan I’d prefer it if we didn’t have to find out the answer to this question.

Who will play alongside him? The candidates are Diaby, Denilson, Song and, of course, Ramsey. If only we had kept hold of Diarra.

Out of the four, Diaby would be my choice. Firstly, he is the most experienced of the four, and the team can benefit from his physical presence.

When Flamini left, it was a obviously a disappointment, but I have wondered whether it could be another blessing in disguise. It will force Wenger’s hand into fixing a problem that maybe he wouldn’t have if Flamini had stayed at the club.

My worry was that Flamini and Fabregas have to similar with regards to their stature. Both players are both lacking in height, and while Fabregas is un-droppable, the same couldn’t be said for Flamini.

The weakest aspect of their partnership was that between them they often struggled to win aerial battles in the middle of the park and I often wondered if a Vieira-type figure played alongside Fabregas, would this be a problem?

I believe that if Diaby came into the team, Arsenal fans would find out the answers to this question. I think the benefit as well would help with set pieces, both in offence and especially defence, where the benefits of a gangly midfielder who is good in the air are obvious.

Over the years Arsenal have been vulnerable when defending set pieces. One reason is the lack of height throughout the team.

Maybe having a midfielder like Diaby who can come back and help defend would allow Arsenal to clear their lines a lot better.

What we do know about Diaby is that he can break forward from midfield, with his unique dribbling style can take him past players with ease in the way the Vieira used to, and of course, there are goals in his game as well. The screamer against Derby and the goal at Anfield in the Champions League immediately spring to mind.

My worry with Diaby is whether he is good enough defensively. While the player can tackle, and can read the game, he often strikes me as being a bit clumsy. Occasionally, Diaby can be guilty of losing concentration, or his touch lets him down.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?