Arsenal: Reiss Nelson has early onset Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain blues

Arsenal’s new reliance on wingbacks is forcing some players to do things they don’t want to do, also known as the Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain blues.

Arsenal’s usage of the 3-4-3 is forcing them to be creative, seeing as how Arsene Wenger isn’t the kind of manager who is going to fork out for cookie-cut solutions to fill every position. He would rather give every single player at his disposal a crack at new positions before he commits to big changes.

Related Story: 5 Game-Changing Free Transfers Potentially Available In 2018

Having two wingbacks has been then biggest change, because it requires attackers to learn to defend better, defenders to learn to attack better, or signing someone like Sead Kolasinac.

It felt like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was perfect for the role given his athleticism, but it all fell through pretty quickly when he just couldn’t take it any more. He never wanted to play that position, nor any other position other than central midfield, so he left.

It sucks, but we should have seen it coming. He had been coyly hinting at his desire to play centrally for years on years. He said he wanted it or he would reconsider his first team future. At least that’s how it ended up.

But at the beginning, it was subtle. It was “I’ll play wherever they want, but I sure hope I get my chance somewhere else.”

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

Everything starts somewhere, and for as harmless as what Reiss Nelson said sounds, it is certainly an early onset version of the exact same thing. Here’s what he said, as quoted by the Metro:

“Maybe in the future I can move further up the pitch and show everyone what I can do.”

Again, harmless? As of right now, absolutely. There’s nothing to fear. But we also have to be keenly aware that at 17, the desire to move forward was already there. He isn’t going to be a wingback. Likely ever.

This is also a good chance to show that Wenger has learned. You can’t do the same thing that you did with the Ox because it stalled his progress and pushed him away. He was never happy in those roles, no matter how effective he is.

Nelson is going to be the same way. Tremendously talented, but unless we want another rising starlet to depart far too early, he has to be given his shot. And it must be stated that it would probably be much easier to leave given that the Ox did it before him.

Next: Arsenal's 30 Greatest Players Ever

Let me say again, right now, this is nothing. But it’s a seed that needs to be incinerated immediately.