Time to recreate the 2007/08 European formation with Rosicky and Flamini together again?

Rosicky and Flamini would have last started together for Arsenal on the 28th January 2008 versus Newcastle in the FA Cup from memory. The day Rosicky left the field with a hamstring injury, not to return until September 2009, long after his friend had left for Milan.

That brings me to Flamini. However much I have supported Arteta as our deepest lying midfielder over the past 2 years the Napoli game is made for the French enforcer. Flamini may not have the distribution range or the vision of the Spaniard but sometimes we do need the DM to be a spoiler.

One such occasion would be when the opposition have a certain Slovak named Hamsik playing at CAM. I am not going to say stop Hamsik and we stop Napoli but it will surely help our cause is his creativity is stifled.

For those of you doubting the 4-4-2 variant, I should add that as early as 2005 Wenger had adapted that system in Europe, particularly away from home. He would often set up the team with any extra midfielder and 2007/8 was no different. In the Champions League the traditional 4-4-2 with 2 of Eduardo, Van Persie or Adebayor up front became a 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1 in Europe.

One of the strikers was sacrificed and an additional midfielder brought in. Usually it was Walcott or Eboue deployed at right midfield where Helb might usually operate and Hleb moved to the head of the midfield behind a sole striker. For Wenger this was the origins of what is now our common system.

By way example this is the team set up for the away trip to Sparta Prague in out ECL qualifier in August 2007.

In the league Wenger was still playing a more conventional 4-4-2 and Hleb and Rosicky operated on either flank. The above system for me is the origins of the formation we have utilised for many years now but initially it worked more as a 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1 in Europe with 2 wide midfielders and not more attacking wingers. This was of course because only Flamini or Gilberto sat and there was no double pivot as we perhaps see today.

Much conjecture I know but the upshot is that this is the team we could play against Napoli using the 2007/8 away European formation with 3 of the same players. Partly this is driven by our 4 wingers being unavailable and my reservations on Gnabry and Ryo for a match against this quality, and partly by the fact that I believe it would be effective. Effective both in countering the opposition threat and going forwards giving Mesut Ozul total freedom and few defensive duties.

Having won a difficult away match in Marseilles, we are in s strong early position in this tough group. Napoli have dispatched Dortmund with ease and we cannot take their threat lightly. We do not want another home display like that of Schalke last season, which ultimately cost us the group and left us facing Bayern in the last 16.

Tuesday will be the severest test of our depleted squad and experience and concentration will be at a premium. Consequently the inclusion of Rosicky in his old role and Jack in his new temporary role will give us a solid feel when not in possession, whilst still giving us fluidity when attacking to play as we usually. A lot is dependent on the ability of Rosicky and Wilshere to work up and down their sides pitch. I hope they are both fit enough.

If we can beat Napoli with so many key squad members missing, including all 4 first choice wing men I think we can all start to believe that something is possible in 2014.