I think what we need is someone to take Arteta's place in european matches with Mikel playing most of the PL matches. Would be very ideal.

AM: Wilshere/Cazorla/Rosicky
CM: Ramsey/Wilshere/Ox
DM: Arteta/_______/Ramsey

Seems the "DM" position is where we're short, and the AM is the position that is complicating the balance.

Arteta is still the number one midfielder on the team sheet for me, just needs to reduce the number of games he plays.. preferably the less important ones.

MistaT wrote:

AM: Wilshere/Cazorla/Rosicky
CM: Ramsey/Wilshere/Ox
DM: Arteta/_______/Ramsey

Seems the "DM" position is where we're short, and the AM is the position that is complicating the balance.

Arteta and Ramsey aren't proper DM's though T, thats just where Wenger shoehorns them in because theres no one else.

Much like Petit who was a centreback, Touré who was a midfielder and Henry who was a winger. Arteta is as proper as any predominantly defensive midfielder we've had in the last decade.

He does a job I grant you but he doesn't have a good enough engine nor is physically strong enough to excel.

Wenger seems to want to play with 2 CMs and an AM anyway. He doesn't shoehorn them in, really. He plays Arteta as a pivote and Ramsey as an all-action CM. The problem is the AM position more than anything. Rozza is a backup, Caz is better on the wings, and Wilshere is and should be a CM. Don't really understand T's breakdown, think it's more like this:

AM: _____/Rosicky/Cazorla
CM1: Ramsey/Wilshere/_______
CM2: Arteta/_________/Ramsey

Things change if we sign forwards that would push Santi back into the center. Ox should really only play wide. L. Bender could fill both CM gaps, and we need an AM even if Santi ends up starting there. Rozza can't be his only backup and Wilshere needs to stay deeper to get the best out of him right now.

In fact, Wilshere's role in the 1st eleven isn't really obvious to me at this point. We need a forward to be sure, but we're not going to do ourselves any favors if we fail to bring in 2 midfielders and a right back. Not sure why we seem to be wasting time on Julius Cesar.

We're never going to do the business we really need to do. Depressing.

Wilshere's role is/will be where Ramsey is right now, and Ramsey will eventually do what Arteta is doing.

But right now, Arteta remains one of the first names on the team sheet until we can find someone who does his vital job better.

I feel, Wenger is planning to slot Wilshere in the attacking midfield role rather than a central midfield one. It's because of his ability to put pressure on the opposing team by running with ball. Wenger wants him to do that higher up in the pitch and feels that his final ball will improve with time. But, the real problem is his onefootedness that will ensure that he misses out on certain opportunities when there is no scope to use your left foot.

But, at the beginning of next season, I doubt, we'd see Wilshere in central midfield unless necessary. (which will be the case on a lot of occasions unless we buy a central mid).

Iloveyouarsenewenger wrote:

I feel, Wenger is planning to slot Wilshere in the attacking midfield role rather than a central midfield one. It's because of his ability to put pressure on the opposing team by running with ball. Wenger wants him to do that higher up in the pitch and feels that his final ball will improve with time. But, the real problem is his onefootedness that will ensure that he misses out on certain opportunities when there is no scope to use your left foot.

I think that's very well put. That's exactly how I feel too.

I can't believe they didn't develop his right foot in the academy, by the way. Seems criminal not to make sure he can use it when he's got all the other tools in his locker otherwise. It's going to take Wenger and the coaching team several years to correct it.

His right foot is decent i think, he just hardly ever uses it.

Maybe so. He should have been encouraged to use it more at any rate. I think it's what has stopped Wenger from using him too far up the field in the past.

Timothy wrote:

Wilshere's role is/will be where Ramsey is right now, and Ramsey will eventually do what Arteta is doing.

Yes eventually, but Wilshere's not up to it yet and Arteta is better at what he's doing right now than Ramsey would be. Wilshere and Ramsey could rotate.

Just don't want to see him as an AM. It'll be like Ramsey up there all over again. It's such a terrible position to develop players in, fucks up our whole game.

Timothy wrote:

Wilshere's role is/will be where Ramsey is right now, and Ramsey will eventually do what Arteta is doing.

Hope it ends up like that.

Or alternatively, dropping this AM bollocks and playing Ramsey and Wilshere as two CMs in front of a DM in a 4-3-3. We'd need a better front 3 though.

Twitter reporting that German papers have said we have had a bid rejected for Sven Bender.

Not even remotely believable though. They are saying 23m Thats more than Schurrle! Not possible that Leverkusen would reject such a bid.

Sven Bender plays for Dortmund. Lars Bender plays for Leverkusen. Someone is getting mixed up

Interesting.