Where does Emile Smith Rowe fit into this Arsenal team?
How does Mikel Arteta fit Emile Smith Rowe into this Arsenal team?
By Adam Le Roux
The rise of Emile Smith Rowe this season has been one of the few highlights in a campaign that took its time to get going for Arsenal, with the 20-year-old’s performances raising the bar since he made his first appearance on Boxing Day.
The midfielder gave the Gunners an impetus that they had been so sorely lacking in the early stages of the season, as Mikel Arteta oversaw one of the worst starts in the club’s history.
His drive and intensity added a cutting edge in the final third, and despite his lack of experience, he was the one who was setting an example for the rest of his teammates with his boundless enthusiasm.
Smith Rowe’s adaptability has seen him deployed on either flank as well as down the middle in the three months since, but is that a help or a hindrance for the young Gunner's career?
Would he work as a wide man?
They say every good team needs players that are adaptable and can play in a number of positions - you only have to look at James Milner to prove that theory right, with the Liverpool man playing wherever he is needed for the good of the team.
And that adage also extends to the front line, with the unpredictability of where a player is going to play when you see his name on the team sheet adding an extra layer of doubt to the opposition.
Position changes during a game can make all the difference as well, with a fluid front three who can perform all manner of roles always going to cause problems for any side and keep a defence on their toes.
For that reason, Smith Rowe is a player that will prove to be invaluable in the future as he continues to develop and learn even more about the game, and the intricacies of playing each position.
The 20-year-old’s contract expires in 2023, but it already looks as if Arsenal want to extend that deal even further, with contract talks likely to begin in the coming months.
That in itself proves how much the club think of the young talent, who made his England Under-21 debut this week in a 1-0 defeat to Switzerland in the FIFA U21 EURO finals held in Slovenia.
His trickery and panache when getting the ball on the flanks continuously makes openings for teammates, whether it be from crosses or pulling the ball back to another red and white shirt.
You only have to look at his performance in the most recent North London Derby to prove he is at home on the wing, with his partnership with Kieran Tierney on the left something that could blossom even further in the future.
Too often you see players on the wings heading down blind alleys as they try to get to the touchline, but Smith Rowe’s first thought is to attack the defender and cut inside, as he states himself.
“I’m happy to play anywhere. I’m an Arsenal fan. I’ll play wherever I’m needed and it’s good to be versatile,” he said.
"I like to be versatile and I can also play in other positions. But I probably would say I do enjoy playing in the No.10 position the most.
“But at the same time, because of the way we play at Arsenal, if I am on the wing then the manager is telling me to drift inside and be natural like a No.10 anyway.”
The one issue with that tendency is that it can create a lack of width in the Arsenal frontline, with the academy graduate impeding on the turf where Martin Odegaard is trying to weave his magic and making for a congested area in the centre of the park.
With Bukayo Saka tearing it up on the opposing flank and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang used out wide from time to time as well as Willian, there are a number of players vying for a place on the wing as it stands, with all having their own qualities they can bring to the team.
Smith Rowe has the drive and hunger of youth on his side but a lack goals since coming into the team could be a red flag for Arteta in the future if he doesn’t up his game in that regard.
A good team manages to spread their goals around their attacking players rather than just rely on a couple of strikers to get the goods, and with no Premier League goal this season the midfielder needs to get in on the act sooner rather than later.
Odegaard already has a couple to his name for the club since joining in the winter transfer window and Saka has six this season, so if Smith Rowe is going to cut the grade that is what he needs to work on.
Stick him in the centre?
If he isn’t being used on the wings then Smith Rowe will be deployed in the central role, which he has openly said is his preferred position.
But with Odegaard’s current form it doesn’t look as if he will be getting a string of games at No.10 soon, although from the brief glimpses we have seen of him in the hole he looks like he could definitely do a job there in the future.
If the Norwegian doesn’t sign permanently in the summer Arteta will have a conundrum on his hands as to whether he should bolster his ranks with another creative midfielder or put his faith in what he already has.
Despite what we have seen so far this season, Smith Rowe is still very much unknown in terms of consistency, and whether he can produce the goods for a whole season, or is he better off being deployed as an effective substitute for the time being?
There is no doubt his vision and deftness of touch will be putting chances on a plate for the strikers once he gets going and used to regular first-team football, but the question is whether Arteta will have the confidence in the young playmaker to do so.
There comes a time in every player’s career where they have to make the step up from being an exuberant youngster trying to make the grade to a trusted first-team player and one of the first names on the team sheet.
Smith Rowe still seems to be in the former of those two categories as it stands, with his industry often outshining his end product, as Odegaard sets the standard of what is needed to become a regular in the No.10 role.
That will come with time though, and he can do no better than watch the Norwegian in action for how to become even better when he gets given the opportunity.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
