Arsenal: Sead Kolasinac myth needs to be dispersed

Sead Kolasinac was back in action for Arsenal and he was a stalwart, but the Wenger-perpetuated myth needs to be dispersed once and for all.

Arsenal took care of business in Europa league matchweek two, knocking off Qarabag in fairly conclusive fashion and keeping the clean sheet to boot. It was a curious one though, from the off, because of the formation that Unai Emery deployed.

It was the first variance from the 4-2-3-1 that we’ve seen all year, and while it did revert to a 4-2-3-1 at half, it started out as a 3-4-3, and there is only one reason why that would have been, because only one thing changed – Sead Kolasinac came back.

Kolasinac was used as a left wingback and the rest of the formation adjusted accordingly. He played incredibly well from that position, creating the most chances of anyone in the first half and not misplacing a single ball. He wasn’t called on to do much defensive work, but he wasn’t caught out either. He completed the most dribbles on the team as well.

At half, he was moved to a traditional fullback and, lo and behold, nothing went tragically wrong. He played solidly, reliably, and on par for what we’d expect from the position. Sure, he still has his defensive questions, but if Hector Bellerin can be a fullback, then why can’t Kolasinac?

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Arsene Wenger started this myth that Sead Kolasinac couldn’t be a straight fullback. He believed he was only capable of playing wingback, and it hindered Kolasinac’s ability to work into the starting XI when a 3-4-3 wasn’t right for the team. But there was nothing to substantiate this belief that he couldn’t be a fullback. Kolasinac himself mentioned that he preferred playing a straight fullback role.

And I feel like I need to say this again, if Hector Bellerin is trusted to be a straight fullback, then Kolasinac is a shoe-in. Easily. I find Kolasinac to be head and shoulders the better overall player than Bellerin.

Which is why I’m so glad to see Emery veer away from this myth about Kolasinac and slot him as a regular fullback in the second half. Monreal was behind him in the first half, and I wonder if that wasn’t just a failsafe that was easy enough to disperse once Emery saw, plain and simple, that Kolasinac isn’t an incompetent buffoon who can’t be trusted by himself on the flank.

And maybe, just maybe, Kolasinac can stay healthy enough to start threatening for that starting role because when he is good, damn is he good.