Arsenal: Why Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey pairing may work

Arsenal’s midfield is going to have a lot of questions asked of it soon, but it can be completely answered by Aaron Ramsey and potential new partner Jack Wilshere.

Arsenal’s midfield was once built on the hope of Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere achieving super-stardom and powering the club. We’ve had a bit of a detour since then, but that doesn’t mean these two can’t still be the engine that powers the club.

Pairing the two may seem like a disaster scenario, as neither is particularly keen on sitting back and taking on defensive duties, but as the two evolve as players, I’m starting to think that combining them wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.

Wilshere has learned how to sit deep and watch. And yes, he can be a disrupting force in the middle of the pitch. If nothing else, he couldn’t be any less effective than what we already have. He has the tenacity that you want in a ball-winner and while his size is lacking, so is N’Golo Kante’s (that’s not a comparison).

Which means that for Wilshere’s end of the bargain, I would reckon that I trust him enough to do both jobs. The question is if him and Ramsey, combined, could provide enough cover. So let’s talk about his partner.

We know by now not to limit what Ramsey can and cannot do. He needs to be free. But he also isn’t an idiot that sits up high and never drops back. There would still be plenty of options for Wilshere to get forward, even with the unpredictability of Ramsey. And while this does provide a bit of hesitation given the lack of a strict formula, I trust in the athleticism and intelligence of these guys to cover for that.

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Or, if this whole idea doesn’t suit your fancy, I also considered that having Ramsey and Wilshere as the incumbents in the event of an Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil departure could be just as fruitful.

With this strategy, the results are even more bountiful, because all we’d need is a Leon Goretzka type to sit in behind them in the pivot role and we’d essentially have three interchangeable pivots nestled next to Granit Xhaka.

It may sound complicated, but it’s certainly doable, and the athleticism and creativity interspersed in this trio of midfielders makes it pretty much immune to weakness. The only question remaining is if having three similar type players exchanging responsibilities would be too much of one thing, but I think that is easily answerable. The very nature of these players – their versatility and skill set – puts off any concerns.

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Pairing Ramsey and Wilshere has looked off limits for awhile because of their nature, but again, these two have evolved and there are two ways we could pair them up to maximize the potential that once was and now can be.

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