Alfred C. Jolibois, PhD
04-13-2013, 05:26 PM
Arteta is a master in the holding role, and now Ramsey is emerging as the perfect mid-piece between the holder the playmaker. Given that Jack can can play that role as well, at best all we need is good cover for Arteta.
The conversion of Ramsey into that Ray Parlour role is nothing short of amazing to me. He is not quite good enough to be the playmaker (which is ok for a team that has Jack and Santi, and even Thomas as backup), but his embrace of a more defensive role has been a revelation.
As for Arteta, given the Arsenal way of playing, that calls for a mixture of steel, quickness of thoughts, and passing mastery for the holding player, who is better? (Well, Busquets and Xavi Alonso apart). Sure there may be better pure destroyers, but we will never go for that (indeed, the Reals, Barcelonas, and ManUs of the world no longer go for that.) We are lucky to have Arteta and that he has agreed to go back to that role (for which he was, lest we forget, groomed as a youngster at La Mesia.)
Get us a killer in the CF role, sort out goalkeeping situation and perhaps one really good extra CB, and we should fly next season on the back of the way we are ending this current season.
The conversion of Ramsey into that Ray Parlour role is nothing short of amazing to me. He is not quite good enough to be the playmaker (which is ok for a team that has Jack and Santi, and even Thomas as backup), but his embrace of a more defensive role has been a revelation.
As for Arteta, given the Arsenal way of playing, that calls for a mixture of steel, quickness of thoughts, and passing mastery for the holding player, who is better? (Well, Busquets and Xavi Alonso apart). Sure there may be better pure destroyers, but we will never go for that (indeed, the Reals, Barcelonas, and ManUs of the world no longer go for that.) We are lucky to have Arteta and that he has agreed to go back to that role (for which he was, lest we forget, groomed as a youngster at La Mesia.)
Get us a killer in the CF role, sort out goalkeeping situation and perhaps one really good extra CB, and we should fly next season on the back of the way we are ending this current season.