Arsenal: Aaron Ramsey could come alive under Unai Emery

Unai Emery is set to be appointed as the next Arsenal manager this week. Because of the system that he has traditionally employed, his style of play, and the inner-workings of his formation, Aaron Ramsey could come alive under the Spaniard.

Arsenal have appointed their new Head Coach. Unai Emery will be the new ‘manager’ — he has officially been announced as ‘Head Coach’, which is extremely significant, completing the move away from the traditional, all-powerful managerial model that clubs have tended to implement.

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Now that the undulating, extended and somewhat delayed search for Arsene Wenger’s successor has been finalised, officially, our focus can begin to shift gears a little, away from reflecting on the motivations of the decision, why Emery was hired and not other candidates, how Ivan Gazidis and others conducted the process, and towards the influence that he will have on the team, the tactics that he is likely to install based on his career tendencies, and the players that may flourish or flail under the new direction.

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Given his history, it is most likely that Emery will utilise a fluid 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1-type system that boasts a free-roaming central attacking midfielder that moonlights as both the primary creator of the team and a box-to-box driving force. In his early years at Valencia, Emery used Ever Banega in this role. Then it was Ivan Rakitic at Sevilla. Then it was Banega again, who he signed from Valencia. And more recently, it has been Adrien Rabiot at Paris Saint-Germain.

It is a role that requires great awareness, positional intelligence, stamina, energy, and quality on the ball to knit together the collective play between each phase of the pitch. And Arsenal have the absolute perfect player to play the role wonderfully. Aaron Ramsey was designed to bloom under Emery.

The Welshman possesses many of the traits that Emery would look for in this type of player. He covers a vast amount of the pitch thanks to his seemingly boundless energy, he has great ability on the ball, is a good dribbler, can score and create goals, but also has the experience of playing in a deeper midfield position, and so is used the dual-responsibilities that this role requires.

And there have been reports that Emery highlighted Ramsey, along with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, as a player that he wants to build the future of this team around in his interview. It is a plan that Arsenal were clearly enamoured with. Given Emery’s past, it is easy to see why.

There is the issue that Ramsey has only one more year remaining on his contract. However, it is unlikely that he can command the same market that Alexis Sanchez did last summer, and if Emery is able to sell him on the project that will be built in the coming years, there is much in common between club and player that makes a new deal very possible indeed.

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Ramsey has forever hinted at a higher ability than what he has produced. Largely, injuries have scuppered him ever reaching that level. But the system has sometimes hampered also, being played out of position and shackled by defensive responsibility. Well, under Emery, he will not be so limited. Ramsey could well come alive in what is his perfect role.