POSTED: Wednesday July 20th 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Alex Song. Is This the Midfield Trio That Will Bring the Glory Days Back to Arsenal?

Youth Could Make or Break the Gunners' Midfield.

Perhaps the finest central midfield unit in modern football history is that of Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets. The all conquering Barcelona stars have formed a formidable partnership that is the envy of the world. All three are a product of the La Masia academy so have been brought up learning together and working towards a complete knowledge of their respective roles in the team.

  Although comparisons between Arsenal and Barcelona are hard to make due to the difference in silverware, the philosophy of their football is the same, and like the Catalan trio, Arsenal's youngsters have all made the step up to high-level football at the same club. If Ramsey, Song, and Wilshere can get game time together their level of mutual understanding can only grow.   

The relentlessly hard working and aggressive Barça defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets is highly underrated in a team of superstars, but like Alex Song, when he plays well, so does his team. The only concern with Song is his ability to play with intensity for 50 or more games in a season. Being such a key position for the balance of a three man midfield, Wenger may well look at reinforcing this area with a seasoned player rather than relying on the inexperienced yet promising Emmanuel Frimpong. The disciplined, deep-lying role played by Song protects the back four in defence and helps maintain a high tempo in attack.

In the months leading up to the horrific broken leg suffered against in February 2010, Aaron Ramsey was showing more than glimpses of his obvious talent. Just months before, Arséne Wenger had snatched his signature from under the noses of Manchester United in a £5m deal. Although he was only expected to gain limited first-team experience in his debut season for the Gunners, his almost immediate impact on the team lead to an extended run of appearances in which he excelled still further. His rehabilitation took a year and sadly therefore hampered his progress. His come back late last season saw performances steadily improve and with a good pre-season under his belt he should be raring to go come mid August. Ramsey has the attitude, fitness and most importantly, the ability to be Arsenal's very own Andrés Iniesta.

  Jack Wilshere was a revelation in his first full season for Arsenal. His self-assured performances belied his tender age to the extent that he has draw comparisons with Englnad Legend, Paul Gascoigne. The highlight of his debut campaign was his man of the match display in the win over none other than current European and Spanish champions Barcelona. Along with Ramsey, Wilshere can provide the creative spark that Arsenal's style demands.

  These three players individually have enormous potential but where Arsenal and Barcelona differ greatly is in their teamwork. The young Gunners trio should examine the way their Barça counterparts pass, move, and link up as well emulating their instant, frenzied reaction as a unit upon losing possession.

There is no guarantee that Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri will line up in red shirts next year as the sagas rumble on towards matchday 1. Even if one or both end up staying, injuries are almost inevitable and their motivation may even be called into question following a summer of speculation. Unhappy players, (with the exception of Carlos Tévez) tend to lack an edge to their play.

The manifestation of Arsenal's youth system/policy will certainly have a major role to play in the team's engine room in the coming season, but can it form the sort of telepathic teamwork required to drive the club to success? http://www.arsenalaether.com/

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Keywords · arsenal · barca · wenger · ramsey · wilshere · song · xavi · iniesta · busquets · nasri · fabregas · premier league · football · soccer · sport

Name: J A Kinchin-taylor
Organization: Arsenal Aether
Email:
URL: www.arsenalaether.com

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