Arsenal: Tactical Unai Emery decision behind Aaron Ramsey saga

From a tactical standpoint, Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey is surplus to requirements, with his box-to-box role seen departing along with Arsene Wenger. The tactical decisions Unai Emery has made have driven the Ramsey saga.

Competition at multiple positions for a spot on the Arsenal team sheet places manager Unai Emery in familiar territory: Does he pick his best players or his best system? How this applies to Aaron Ramsey might surprise you.

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‘Double Pivot’ is the common interpretation of the midfield two within the 4-2-3-1 formation. From a tactical standpoint, a defensive midfielder, himself adept on the ball, plays behind a box-to-box midfielder, who has the traditional skill-set of a number eight. Collectively, they serve as the engine room of the team.

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In the ‘best fit’ model, Ramsey, a box-to-box midfielder by trade with no lack of pedigree, would start in the engine room with on-form Lucas Torreira. Would anyone argue against this? Similarly, for the ‘best players’ model, it is difficult to find a more capable box-to-box midfielder in the squad: he wears the number eight shirt for a reason. There should be no discussion, tactical or otherwise.

Instead, Arsenal have the Aaron Ramsey Saga.

Here’s my take: the genesis of this whole affair was a tactical decision by Unai Emery. Allow me to explain. That Emery prefers Granit Xhaka in the Arsenal engine room is no condemnation of Ramsey. Hardly. Nor does it in any way imply that Xhaka is the better midfielder. That is a non-starter. As you will recall, competition for places in the engine room did not even involve Ramsey. And why was that?

The answer might be hard to swallow: his best position left with the old gaffer.

Re-watching games during the international break, that fact became undeniable: while Torreira looks the part, and Xhaka is seen in and around both boxes, Emery is not employing a traditional double pivot. Xhaka’s starting position is deeper, like a possession-based midfielder with additional defensive responsibilities. Emery is asking him to recycle the ball, provide the attackers with the service and space they require to operate, and take a card if the team gets caught out defensively. It makes a lot of sense, especially for the ‘best fit’ argument: too many players in advanced midfield is like having too many cooks in the kitchen.

If that reads like a holding midfielder, that’s because it is. And now you understand the problem: that’s not Aaron Ramsey. In this line of reasoning, whether he would have performed better than Mohamed Elneny against Vorskla is irrelevant. The same goes for Matteo Guendouzi — who looked comfortable — against Qarabag. The Xhaka, Guendouzi, Elneny competition is for a holding position that Ramsey not play.

In one tactical switch, swapping a holding midfielder for Ramsey’s preferred box-to-box position turned even the ‘best player’ argument against him.

The only competition open was for the number 10 role, the central attacking midfielder who plays off a lone centre-forward. True to form, Ramsey did give it a right go and his three assists lead the team. However, ask yourself: has he exemplified the fluid, attacking football demanded of his position? Is he the best player? It may be a harsh assessment, but his contract status answers the question.

In this context, his wonder goal against Fulham has certainly made the whole affair bittersweet. Bitter that a player of his calibre is surplus to requirements. Sweet that we were able to see him make one of his patented deep runs from midfield one last time.

For the record, Ramsey is one of my all-time favorite Gunners. He cares. After each loss, he walks off the field with a face that reads, ‘I could have done more.’ He is such an active player. When he has license to help out, where he thinks the team needs it, he is at his best.

To Arsene Wenger, this was his ‘quality and work rate.’ For Unai Emer, however, it is ‘unstructured’. For Ramsey, the tactics have outdated him.