Where would a returning Fabregas play for Arsenal in 2013/14?

2) Play Cesc where he played in 2005-08

The team could revert to the formation that brought the club so much success in the early Wenger years and saw Fabregas merely taking over from Vieira at the head of a midfield four. Here he operated behind 2 strikers; a number 10 and a centre forward, and had an out-and-out defensive midfielder in Gilberto or Flamini alongside him. Whilst Wenger abandoned this system in 2009, it was the usage of this very system in 2007/08 that saw our best campaign since the 03/04 campaign and announced Fabregas onto the scene as the most creative footballer in the Premiership. In 2007/08, Cesc provided an incredible 23 assists for Arsenal, 20 of them in the league.

Here is how the team could set up with Cesc at the head of the diamond:

Option 3 – Give Fabregas the Bergkamp no.10 role in a 4-4-1-1

Option 3 is not hugely dissimilar to option 1, but is closer to the old system in which Bergkamp operated behind the main striker, mostly Henry. However, this position, whilst being largely a creative role, carries with it the responsibility to drop back into the midfield to make it a central 3 when Arsenal are not in possession. This role certainly would give Fabregas full licence to roam and influence the play as Bergkamp once did; but I feel it would require a fast Henry-type striker, and I’m not sure if Walcott is quite there yet.

Here is how this might look in 2013-14 with Fabregas at the no.10 position:

I believe that if Cesc returns, he will be give the CAM role occupied in 2012/13 primarily by Tomas Rosicky, and the formation will remain the same. However, it is worthwhile considering the options his quality would give us, considering that he is better than anyone we currently have in the squad. This being the case, it may leave Santi on the left and a fully-fit Podolski vying with Oliver Giroud, or indeed a new addition for the sole striking position.

Suffice to say, whatever Wenger decides, I hope he first decides that bringing Cesc back to his true footballing home is the right option. Because if he does, wherever Fabregas plays on the pitch, he will make us a better team than we have been and I will happily argue that point with anyone. Arsenal winning again is about squad depth, but depth with quality; and Cesc can be the first huge step back to where we all want Arsenal to be again in 2013/14.