Arsenal Vs BATE Borisov: Players playing in the right positions

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 02: Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal in looks on during the UEFA Europa League group H match between Arsenal FC and Crvena Zvezda at Emirates Stadium on November 2, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 02: Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal in looks on during the UEFA Europa League group H match between Arsenal FC and Crvena Zvezda at Emirates Stadium on November 2, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) /
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Throughout the Europa League competition thus far, Arsene Wenger has fielded young players apart from their most natural position. Now that qualification has been secured, with Arsenal hosting BATE Borisov on Thursday night, will we finally get to see players playing in the right positions?

Each position requires specific tailoring to. The skills that are needed to be a centre-forward are not the same skills that are needed to be a full-back; the abilities that one must possess to be a centre-half are not the same as the abilities that one must possess to be a creative midfielder. They are different roles. They have different responsibilities. They require different traits.

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That is why the development of young players can be scuppered by the ever-swapping of the position that they play. Versatility is often seen as a strength. And, for the most part, that would be true. But, at times, it can be more of a vice than a virtue, with players slipping through the gaps of positions, rather than mastering a particular aspect of the game.

Arsene Wenger has allowed that to happen many times while being Arsenal manager. Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey, despite also suffering from hugely debilitating injury issues, were never clear on the position that they were shaping their career towards. Theo Walcott, similarly, one year was a winger, and the next, a striker. It did not help.

And now there is another myriad of young talents beginning to sprout. Wenger, though, is playing his old games, seemingly valuing playing in any position higher than playing in the right position, even if that means sacrificing an element of game time.

In the much-changed Europa League team that he has continually turned to this season, the two wing-backs have been 20-year-old Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who is a central midfielder by trade, and 17-year-old Reiss Nelson (he will turn 18 on December 10th), who is a right winger by trade.

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Moreover, in the latest fixture, where Wenger wanted a little more experience given the hostile environment away at FC Koln, he dropped Nelson to the bench and started Calum Chambers at right wing-back, a more natural centre-half and another talented prospect, if not a little older, at 22 years of age.

As Arsenal prepare to host BATE Borisov on Thursday night having already qualified for the knockout stages of the competition as winners of the group, perhaps Wenger will now play his young players in the positions that they should be playing. He has always veered away from having inexperience down the spine of his team — centre-half, central midfield, especially, and centre-forward –, always preferring to crowbar the younger players in on the flanks, where they perhaps have a slightly protected responsibility.

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But while it may help the team, it does not aid their development. So with the result not mattering on Thursday, Wenger may rever his norm and station players in their most natural positions. I doubt it. But you never know.