Arsenal: Sead Kolasinac addition suggests 3-4-3 persistence

Arsene Wenger has had his say on where he sees Sead Kolasinac fitting into Arsenal’s line-up. His comments seem to hint that he may persist with the 3-4-3 system he implemented late in the season.

Arsenal entered the summer with a number of questions to answer. They are yet to answer them all. While the future of Arsene Wenger, for the time being, has been settled, there is still a great uncertainty surrounding the fate of many of the established players in the squad, the coaching staff, at youth and senior level, and the very infrastructure of the club.

Related Story: Arsenal: 3 things we learned from first Sead Kolasinac interview

On the pitch, however, there is one question that stands above all the rest: Will Wenger continue with the 3-4-3 system that he implemented during the closing stages of the season with great success or will he revert back to his more characteristic, comfortable and expected 4-2-3-1 formation?

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 observations from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park

Well, in the way that he has described how new signing Sead Kolasinac may slot into the starting line-up, we may be able to read between the lines and decipher his early thoughts. After praising Kolasinac’s physical presence, his commitment and resilience, traits that Wenger believes will serve him well in the Premier League, the Arsenal manager proceeded to explain where Kolasinac may start among the other options in the squad:

"“What he will give us is the fact that he’s a player who can give assists, who can go forward, who can contribute good crosses. It’s very important that we have that as well, because we have Kieran Gibbs, we have Nacho Monreal and we have him. But Nacho plays a lot now in central defence. In a three-man system, I see him in there. So overall, I think [Kolasinac] can contribute a lot to help us to be more dangerous going forward.”"

The part that peaked my interest was his comment on Nacho Monreal’s role: ‘Nacho plays a lot now in central defence. In a three-man system, I see him there.’ That suggests to me that Wenger is not simply seeing the 3-4-3 formation that he used as a short-term fix for the struggles of the team at that time. He sees it as a possible way to play in the future, not just a way that he played for a short stint in the past.

And considering Kolasinac’s abilities, he does suit well to the wing-back role. He may not have the technical skill in the final third that Wenger usually pursues in such positions, but if there is one trait that he boasts in spades, it is stamina. Kolasinac has truly tremendous stamina. He can run for days, powering up and down the flank relentlessly.

Next: Arsenal: 3 reasons to fear Alexis Sanchez departure rumours

In a wing-back role, that is essential. As the only, attributed wide man, you are tasked with marshalling the whole flank. That requires a whole lot of running. Thankfully, Kolasinac possesses the athletic abilities to be able to deal with such demands. Maybe, just maybe, 3-4-3 could be here to stay.