For so long, the midfield of Arsenal seemed one steeped in great quality but it was backed up by an unstable back line and fronted with a strike force who majored in the art of profligacy. Presently, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker have been hitched while Arsenal had 4 players in double figures, in the Premier League, last season: Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla, Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski. The midfield is still the shining beacon of the team but, as Shakespeare coined, ‘Therein lies the rub’.

Arsenal lack conviction in their midfield play. The presence of Tomas Rosicky has rectified this somewhat but his injury record is glaringly bad. Mikel Arteta has deserved his plaudits but in the progression of the modern game where pressing is a major fixture, rightly or wrongly, will he be able to maintain his stamina? My solution comes in the form of three British boys in an unconventional system previously seen at Arsenal, but more notably associated with the Porto team of 2010/2011.

Andre Villas Boas’ Porto

18th May 2011. The day the incumbent manager of Tottenham would win his first major European honour, some 732 days before he would miss out on Champions League football in the Premier League with Spurs. Andre Villas Boas won the Europa League with Porto and the style, in which it was done, was one that would win many a plaudit. The shunning of the defensive in favour of attacking football would be a sentiment Gunner fans would know well. One feature of this team was the rotating midfield occupied by Joao Moutinho, Fernando Belluschi, and Fernando Reges. On a whim, one of these three would provide a screen for the back four whilst the other two pressed the ball when not in possession or started the attacks. Villas Boas tried to implement this in his time with Chelsea but the age and lack of vitality at the club saw him fail.

The conventional pyramid

Gone are the days when Arsenal looked to imitate Barcelona as instead, Wenger looks to use the now flavour of the month 4-2-3-1 formation . Whereas Barcelona and AVB’s Porto inverted their midfield pyramid, this is more of the normal of the normal triangle seen in the 4-2-1-3 formation. Therefore, instead of having a pivot, to screen the back four, a double pivot is the basis of attack. Few have mastered the important pivot role and trying to force a midfielder into that box normally leads to a disastrous finish. The fluid, interchangeable nature of the system is something that cannot be sneered at because it brings so much to a team. When Arsenal had somewhat of a trivote, 3 defensive minded midfielders, consisting of Denilson, Mathieu Flamini and Cesc Fabregas, they constantly switched positions, leading to some of Arsenal’s best football post the Invincible era. Finally, a fluid pyramid allows for a system fit for purpose. This could be for a narrowed section of the game or the whole 90 minutes. For example, the most creative player can be played deep because of a man marking by the tough tackling defensive midfielder. Instead, the defensive midfield would face a dynamic, more skilful midfielder as this option would be harder to stop without conceding fouls.

Even so, the players who will be used will have to be of a certain quality and effervescent enough to press continually through the game. So who are my nominees from the Emirates? Well, they are all British.

Aaron Ramsey – The pacemaker

First choice: Aaron Ramsey. In his relatively short tenure with Arsenal, he has gone through quite a lot of significant events. The breaking of his ankle, being made the captain of his country and it being swiftly taken from him, his national manager committing suicide and a heap of blame from the Emirates crowd regarding his bad performances. However, he has done stunningly well to combat all these pitfalls and came out the other side, present in the glorious form he has shown in the past 5 months or so.

What has been so impressive is the way he has managed to reshape his game in one that conveys a real discipline and control of the midfield. If he were more accomplished in possession, then he would be a sure-fire candidate for the lone pivot. Alas, it is a skill he does not quite have under wraps, as of yet. He has a complete feel to his game that comes across well but the best role for him is the pacemaker of the team. Choosing when the tempo should be raised or slowed down of speed is something his, now, experienced head is more than capable of doing.

Jack Wilshere – Dynamic equilibrium

One player that Ramsey has to control is Jack Wilshere. Such was the talent of the 21-year-old English midfielder, when he was coming through, that his middle name was commonly referred to Jack ‘Mother(insert expletive here)’ Wilshere on a certain football forum. With the ball at his feet, it is quite a wonderful sight to behold. He skips past players like a seasoned winger in full flow but he can do it in tight spaces and the middle of the park. If a Caucasian, with a Scrappy Doo type attitude, clone of Yaya Toure were to be made, Wilshere would not be far off the creation. Despite his short stature, he will take on opposition players when they are a bit too aggressive in the tackle.

Perhaps it is his lack of games due to his injuries but he lacks the tactical intelligence to hold his position that Ramsey now illustrates. A snowy Stamford bridge was the scene where Wilshere showed this the most. Instead of holding his position, he went mad, charging around the field and left holes that Chelsea took advantage of. However, he is still young and in the art of being a midfield, refinement of quality comes with the progression of age. In this rotating midfield system, his dynamism and energy will provide an equal force in the middle of the park. Aaron spraying balls in centre midfield, Wilshere giving the much needed energy and Chamberlain fulfilling all the roles required.

Alex Oxlade Chamberlain – The handyman can

Alex Oxlade Chamberlain has primarily been used as a winger in his Arsenal career so far but he has shown himself to be a midfielder with the potential to be a great one. When Arsenal almost staged a comeback against AC Milan in early 2012, Chamberlain was at the epicentre of most of the best things done in that hour and a half. A player who had just turned 18, the way he asserted himself, in midfield, was very impressive. His form has waned since then but when coming on against Bayern and Newcastle, he has been able to show that midfield play that got so many excited about his future at Ashburton Grove.

His role in rotary midfield is one that is famed in Italy’s train of thought when it comes to constructing a midfield. Ancelotti’s Milan created this midfield perfectly. The deep lying playmaker in Andrea Pirlo; The tough tackler with Gennaro Gattuso; the attacking midfielder who created the fantasy in Ricardo Kaka and last, but not least, Clarence Seedorf in the tuttofare role. The last term literally means ‘handyman’. If need be, he is able to play as the deep playmaker. He can do the tackling job and he can create the fancy. Chamberlain is capable of doing this. His stocky nature means he cannot be messed around and is up for the rough & tumble side of the game. He can help hold possession deep in his own half and of course, he can be devastating in attack.

Trivote or Tridente?

Unlike the Arsenal of before who played with the rotating trivote, these three players are more attacking than the counterparts of 2008. However, they cannot be so attacking that they leave masses of space in front of the defence where they would have to push and one long ball can take out 4 players. It’s hard because their average age is 20 years and 8 months old, therefore they would have to show a restraint that players of that age are not known for showing. Wenger would have to be brave to play them together but it would bare fruits in the future if they could build a healthy relationship together to such an extent that they became comfortable in switching between positions, it would most certainly pay off.

This would signal a breath of fresh air for Arsenal. An exuberant, British midfield would show a change in attitude from when Arsenal would struggle to put an English player on the pitch, let alone have a whole section of the team being British. The midfield is the thing that has been able to keep Arsenal in the hunt for the top four. However, Manchester United and Chelsea have shown that to build a consistent title challenging team, an English core is extremely important. The Arsenal of old is more of a testament to this. The Arsenal in which the pacemaker Ramsey, handyman Chamberlain and dynamic Wilshere play together could be the next testament.