Arsenal: The Importance of Wenger Integrating Multiple Formations into the Team

As Arsenal go into the final nine games of the season, Arsene Wenger needs to find a way of motivating his team more than ever. The disappointment of West Brom on the weekend did, however, bring a sign of possible things to come.

Arsenal must reintroduce the 4-4-2 formation.

It's so important for a team like Arsenal to have more than one formation integrated into the squad, especially with their injury record.

Its obvious that Wenger opted to change to the 4-3-3 formation two seasons ago to accommodate and get the best out of Cesc Fabregas. He has had the freedom to go forward and really dictate Arsenal’s play, knowing that he and the team had the safety of two other midfield players behind him.

Arsenal’s problems always arise when Fabregas is out of the team. Yes, he is their captain and he is the player which makes the whole team click. But to attribute Arsenal’s failure due his absence is not the whole story.

Arsenal have many attacking threats. In fact, it was only this weekend that they were described as attacking like men but defending like boys. Wenger needs to find a way to get the best out his team with the players he has available to him.

This 4-4-3 formation is just not as effective without Fabregas in the team.

Wenger likes to talk about the pace of Theo Walcott as an advantage. He’s right, Walcott’s pace has been used exceptionally well in the past to dispatch of teams like AC Milan, Chelsea and even Barcelona. So why not use him through the middle with another striker?

The prospects of Walcott running at pace against slower opponents would not only help Arsenal’s attacking threat, but lift a weight off their defence.

But with all of Walcott’s injuries, there are other options. What about Carlos Vela? Another player gifted with great pace and the ability to finish.

It's no surprise that we’ve not seen the best of him yet, as he’s been shunted out to the wings, an area he’s not as familiar with. He was brought in as a striker, but unfortunately he’s one of the many victims of the 4-3-3 formation and has had to go on loan to find game time.

The team are also lacking in quality midfield players. Abou Diaby has not been able to build up enough game time due to injury and Denilson seems to be public enemy No. 1 at the Emirates due to his lackluster performances.

Removing one of those midfield players would loosen the creative burden on those who are clearly not as gifted as Fabregas and allow for more attention to be focused up front and out wide.

The team have three strikers over 6'0'', and yet Wenger cannot see that using two of them together with their ability against tall, powerful teams in the absence of Fabregas would be beneficial to the team.

It's so important that this Arsenal team can learn to play to their strengths because, frankly, their brand of football is becoming stale and predictable. It's something that the whole league is aware of and they use it to their advantage to break Arsenal down.

This Arsenal team have the makings for wonderful attacking football, but Wenger needs to find a way to  use all the players properly and to their strengths.

More importantly, a Plan B.