Arsenal: Ideas the primary concern if Aaron Ramsey leaves

Arsenal have had a recurring accusation over the past few years that their attack can go “stale.” Well, lose Aaron Ramsey and that doesn’t help matters.

Arsenal‘s attack is what is driving the club thus far into the year. While the defense flails and struggles and looks flimsy as a bent tin can, the attack pours home the goals, creates chances, and looks like a force that could pierce just about any defense out there.

It’s a far cry from where the club was in the past few years, when ideas were at a premium. Too often we’d be left watching the club pass in a semi circle around the goal box, without any inclination what they wanted to do with the ball.

Maybe someone would take a pot shot from distance or try an ambitious lofted ball to someone or another, making a run without any specific directive in mind.

They would lack for ideas. Joel Campbell had them from time to time, but he was a lose cannon, often over-stoking the flames, or over-cooking a ball.

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Aaron Ramsey, however, was always there to deliver a cheeky thought or two. Sometimes it wouldn’t work out, but sometimes, it would be just what was needed to crack open the defense for that elusive goal or two.

Say what you want about Ramsey and the ongoing contract saga with no end in sight. It’s hard to find much optimism in it, given all that has unfolded, but there can’t be any denying the one thing that he does for this club more than anyone else – he instigates. He tries new things. He isn’t afraid to be crafty.

That isn’t something that will be replaced easily. Mkhitaryan has the potential to instigate things with his attacking play, but I’ve not been convinced with his production thus far into his Arsenal career. Or rather, his inconsistency.

Ramsey has a track record of instigating, of never quitting, of knowing where to be. Take the team goal against Fulham, for instance, where Ramsey started and ended the attack and, in between, he made about three or four really cheeky decision that kept the build up going. Eventually it led to a slick, sexy finish.

Ramsey will always have that in his back pocket, and so few others have it. I hate to think we’ve already lost him, but it’s time to start looking for the solution internally. Who knows, maybe it’s Alex Iwobi.