Arsenal's Lionel Messi: Should Wenger Give Carlos Vela a Chance?

Recently, I have been feeling a little frustrated about the lack of chances that Carlos Vela has been afforded at Arsenal. My frustration has only increased due to the fact that the players keeping him out of the squad haven't been playing well enough to do so (by players, I of course mean Andrei Arshavin).

Now, this is by no means an attack on Arshavin. I am big fan of his and have been since seeing him for Zenit in the UEFA cup and then for Russia in EURO 2008. After that tournament I gave up hope of him ever playing for Arsenal after he declared his love for Barcelona, but miracle of all miracles, Wenger shelled out for a ready-made star and we actually bought him.

Fast forward one season and a half later, and you have a player low on confidence, with Arshavin himself stating that he has lost his "sparkle." Whilst he is performing well enough on paper, as five goals in 10 matches will attest, he continues to divide fan opinion with some citing his low work rate and apparently disinterested attitude as reasons for him being dropped from the team.

Whatever the reasons are, many are starting to question whether he deserves to be played as regularly as he does, with Wenger seemingly picking him whenever he's fit (except for THAT game against Chelsea in the F.A Cup). The question then becomes, if you drop Andrei, who should be given a chance in his place?

My answer would be to play Nasri/Rosicky on the left and play Vela on the right. In our current formation, Arshavin plays on the left-wing and Nasri/Rosicky and Eboue usually take the position on the right-wing (Theo was first choice there before his injury). 

As far as Eboue goes, I think he should be played as a fullback and only put on the wing if no other player is available. And as for Rosicky and Nasri, I think if played on the wings, both are better when played on the left as it allows them to come infield on their stronger feet and then either link-up play or take shots at goal. 

And with Vela, I'm certain most have noticed that he is an extremely one-footed player who almost never touches the ball with his right foot. This, along with his short-quick steps running style, low-center of gravity and close control remind me of Messi. 

Now I'm not saying that Vela is as good as Messi, but he certainly could be very effective in the same position. He could cut in from the right, and with his dribbling and finishing abilities, he would provide us with a goal threat that the current right wing incumbents do not.

I like Vela and feel that he has shown enough promise in his limited performances to suggest that he deserves a proper chance in this Arsenal team. His best position for me would be upfront alongside Chamakh/VP or Bendtner, but in this formation, I feel his best position would be on the right side. Failing that, he'd also be a good option on the left as he would add some width and directness with his pace.

Either way, I feel it is imperative that he be given a run in the team before he goes the way of Ryan Babel.