Arsenal: Who Is Mesut Ozil’s Number Two?

With a highly competitive midfield at Arsenal, Ozil’s place in the first XI as CAM is one most people don’t debate over. But should the German Maestro be absent, who would take up the mantle of creative midfielder? Below I will be assessing the main candidates.

With Ozil likely to miss the start of the Arsenal season due to an extended break following the Euros, it got me thinking. With Wenger likely to maintain the 4-2-3-1 formation, who will start in his absence against Liverpool and should Ozil be missing at any other point during the season, who will get the nod as reserve No. 10?

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The three candidates I will be assessing include Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere. All three are supremely talented players worthy of taking up the position in Ozil’s absence but who is most suited to the role?

First comes Aaron Ramsey. Having floated between central midfield and right wing in recent seasons, positional uncertainty has been a commonplace for the Welsh Wizard. But his stellar performances in the most recent European championship opened many Arsenal fans’ eyes to possibly getting the best out of Aaron.

Under Chris Coleman, Ramsey was given a free role behind the striker and he put in some marvelous performances. While he would have to prove his consistency in this role at Arsenal, his tournament showing did him no harm and showed us a glimpse of the form seen in his breakout season at Arsenal in 2013-14. Ramsey’s late runs into the box, his eye for a killer pass and his goal scoring abilities are evidence he has the attributes to make a great No. 10.

However, the Welshman misplaces too many passes and can often be sloppy in possession. To add to this, his energy often makes him seem more suited to the box-to-box role at Arsenal. Whatever the case, he is surely a strong candidate for the reserve No. 10 role.

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The second candidate I would like to assess is Santi Cazorla. The little Magician came to Arsenal primarily as an attacking midfielder and as our recent game against Chivas showed us, he is still very adept in that role. Being two footed allows Santi to glide past players and his defense-dissecting passes fulfill the intricacy required for the role of CAM.

Despite this, Cazorla has often shown he is best operating in a deeper role. When Wenger moved him alongside Coquelin, Cazorla was given more time to spray passes and dictate the play. The best performance I have seen from the Spaniard at Arsenal came in a deeper role where he almost single-handedly destroyed Man City in a midfield Masterclass two seasons ago in a 2-0 win. Cazorla, like Ramsey has been moved to many positions across Arsenal’s midfield so it is up to Wenger to see whether he is the right man to step up in Ozil’s absence.

The final candidate to assess for this role is Jack Wilshere. While many of you will quickly disregard him as a candidate given his ‘crockedness’ and inconsistency, hear me out and let me make a case for the enigmatic Englishman. Wilshere’s creativity has never been questioned but whether he would be able to handle the responsibility of deputising for the great Mesut Ozil is another thing. Though I think Wilshere could thrive in such conditions.

Wilshere’s ball carrying and dribbling ability is second to none and probably the best of the three candidates. He excels at playing intricate passes (look at Arsenal’s best team goals over recent seasons and you will see Wilshere heavily involved) and with a license to roam, Wilshere could be a very effective attacking midfielder for Arsenal. For his national side Jack often plays deeper to great effect and although he may see himself as more of a pure central midfielder, he is definitely one to consider in Ozil’s absence.

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While these three may be my main candidates. Many of you may consider wingers Chamberlain and Sanchez or even youngsters Reine-Adelade and Iwobi as better candidates. What do you think Gooners? Who should line up at attacking midfielder should Ozil be absent in the Arsenal side?