As Arsenal followers we’re accustomed to debates over participant positions. Within the late 2000s we suffered a collective obsession with repurposing all of our defenders that couldn’t actually defend into defensive midfielders for some motive. Arsene Wenger as soon as pranked us all by significantly taking part in Samir Nasri as a ‘deep mendacity playmaker’ in a league recreation towards Chelsea.
The experiment was rapidly shelved when Arsenal misplaced 4-1. Very often this isn’t nearly a participant’s specific qualities, typically as followers we attempt to ‘repair’ downside positions by way of imaginative reassignment. Which isn’t to sound dismissive, in fact. Gamers are repurposed on a regular basis.
Take Myles Lewis-Skelly, who had by no means performed at left-back earlier than this season and is now Arsenal’s (and perhaps even England’s) first alternative left-back. Myles made his England U19 debut with no consideration winger, simply to provide you an image of his journey. His excellent performances from left-back, allied with the truth that Jorginho and Thomas Partey are of their 30s has led many to ask whether or not he must be redeployed again into central midfield.
As you in all probability gathered from my tone earlier within the article, often I reject any such dialogue. Lewis-Skelly is excelling at left-back, so why the push to maneuver him away from a place the place he’s performing so effectively? An identical debate has framed Trent Alexander-Arnold’s profession. He can’t defend however he’s a world class passer, so why not play him in midfield?
However Trent’s bodily profile doesn’t actually swimsuit midfield and, in any case, the quarter-back type areas he is ready to choose up from deep support his passing recreation, in addition to his crossing recreation. The actual fact is that groups do not likely expend loads of useful resource getting tight to full-backs in their very own territory, which is an enormous a part of the explanation for the rise of the inverted full-back.
It’s one place on the sphere the place you may have loads of house in possession. We regularly see followers counsel that good attacking full-backs must be performed additional forwards, which typically ignores the truth that operating into house from deep is a unique talent set to receiving the ball out extensive when you may have two gamers already standing in your toes that it’s important to beat from a standing begin.
One of many causes that placing Lewis-Skelly again into midfield is a extra compelling debate is that he’s not a participant who particularly wants house. If something, he appears to thrive on shut contact and tight areas. As Bjork as soon as sang, the much less room you give me the more room I’ve acquired. And, in fact, the place Myles is anxious it wouldn’t be a lot of a refit, he has performed in central midfield extensively at youth degree.
I’m sympathetic to the argument that his potential in tight areas, which he presently makes use of Arsenal to get from the defensive third to the center third, may be much more helpful one line up. In isolation, I feel he would simply as efficient in midfield as extra of a bulwark within the Arsenal workforce, particularly in a double pivot with Declan Rice who additionally possesses compelling ball carrying qualities.
We do typically see coaches mull over gamers who concentrate on tight areas and the place these qualities finest match. As a result of they are often actually helpful excessive up the pitch however could be equally helpful in build-up as you search to barter the opponent’s press. Santi Cazorla was one such participant who moved backwards and forwards a bit throughout his time at Arsenal as a result of his expertise had been helpful in all areas of the pitch.
The problem, I feel, with shifting Myles is that it simply wouldn’t sit inside the total setup of Arteta’s Arsenal. As a result of if MLS is in midfield, they wouldn’t have the ability to play with an inverting left-back. Lewis-Skelly in left central midfield could be an obstruction to Riccardo Calafiori. They must play with a extra ‘orthodox’ left-back which isn’t an absurd reconfiguration however it could in all probability contain shopping for one other left-back and promoting Calafiori after one season.
Arsenal’s lone midfield pivot- one in all Partey, Jorginho or Rice- bears proper and shuffles over to make room for an inverting left-back. To take that away would basically simply add one other physique behind the ball and that’s definitely not what this iteration of Arsenal wants given the truth that they’re struggling to attain at an elite degree this season.
It additionally simply so occurs that left-back is a place the place England will not be completely replete with prime class choices, which is an enormous a part of the explanation he has already performed and scored for his nation. That stated, in equity, England in all probability aren’t replete with elite choices subsequent to Declan Rice in midfield both, although Adam Wharton may need one thing to say about that quickly sufficient.
As a person, Lewis-Skelly can completely play in midfield for Arsenal and the day would possibly arrive the place that’s crucial. Doing it now creates an excessive amount of redundancy and makes Arsenal extra conservative when they should shift gears within the different course. MLS may be very near the right mannequin for Arteta’s inverting left-back and whereas that’s the case, he ought to proceed to flourish the place he’s.
