Arsenal Tactics: Picking Gunners' Best Formation with New Signings

Ladies and gentlemen, I am back.

After nine refreshing days in Ireland, much of it spent glued to Sky Sports for any and all news about the Arsenal on deadline day, I can emerge from my time away from the keyboard delighted with the signings Arsene Wenger has brought to the club.

Of course, all that experienced new blood needs to be worked into the squad in one form or another, whether it be in the starting XI or on the bench.

It is a good problem for a manager to have, and one that I did not expect Wenger to create for himself. However, the boss finally wised up, bought quality and experience while also getting the good value that he so craves.

If not implemented correctly, though, Arsenal will struggle from a lack of cohesion and chemistry as they already have to such disastrous result.

Thus, Arsene Wenger must not only find the right balance of new signings and "old" heads, but use that blend in the correct formation in order to lift Arsenal to the Champions League once more and just maybe to one or two trophies.

But how to do it?

Well, Wenger doesn't need to change anything he is already doing.

In this new look Arsenal team, only a few heads will change in the starting XI, but the formation will stay exactly the same.

In Wenger's current 4-3-3 system, players can slot in and out seamlessly from the bench and are able to swap positions as well, which is what the Frenchman has attempted to achieve with the acquisitions of versatile players like Gervinho.

The basic blueprint, however, picks itself: a back five of Wojciech Szczesny, Bacary Sagna, Thomas Vermaelen, Per Mertesacker and Kieran Gibbs; a midfield trio of Alex Song, Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta; and an unchanged front three of Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott and Gervinho.

The bench would add further versatility and options, with the likes of Park Chu-Young, Aaron Ramsey, Yossi Benayoun, Andre Santos, Tomas Rosicky, Laurent Koscielny and Abou Diaby providing support in all areas of the pitch.

The real beauty of this system is that is allows young players like Wilshere, Ramsey and Koscielny to learn from older heads like Arteta and Mertesacker, while not sacrificing quality in the starting side.

While Koscielny, for example, shows real potential in his burgeoning partnership with Vermaelen, he was, and still is to a certain extent, rushed in his development due to the lack of depth in the Arsenal team.

Just as he could benefit from the guidance and observation of Per Mertesacker, Ramsey, who suffers from the identical misfortune, could be educated by Arteta in a way that Cesc Fabregas never was.

In my opinion, the only real dilemma that Wenger faces in picking his starting XI is whether to include Andre Santos or Kieran Gibbs as left back. While both players are of high quality, the latter's injury problems will probably end up solving the problem for Wenger.

And besides, what on earth is wrong with good, healthy competition for places within the squad? I don't think that Jack Wilshere's emergence last season is causing anyone great anguish over the "killing" of Denilson's career, and if the same happens with Gibbs or any other player, then so be it.

And therein lies the beauty of Arsene Wenger's deadline day acquisitions. Not only do they add tons of quality and experience to the team (which was so desperately needed), they allow existing players to improve and develop due to the new-found competition for places.

Now, the manager will be able to (barring injuries) pick his team based on form and skill, not necessity. And he does not even have to change anything tactically that he is not already doing.

And it is that wonderful combination of effects which may, just may, hoist the Gunners into the Champions League once more and avoid the awful prospect of long, cold, Europa League nights.

Follow me on Twitter: @AmeriGooner