There is a glaring omission from Arsenal’s ranks, with less than a month to go until the transfer window closes.

A top class ball winning central midfielder.

Diarra, Flamini and Gilberto have left since last season, none has been replaced by an experienced, proven ball winner. Cesc is Arsenal’s fulcrum and main creative force. A brilliant passer and controlled runner, such is his importance to Arsenal’s style of play that without a protective partner in central midfield, Arsenal will fail to get the best of out him and out of their season.

The central defensive midfield role can be played in a variety of styles. Rarely will a player fit fully into any category, most are a varying mixture of category:

HOLDING PLAYER – such as Gilberto. Keeps possession and makes sensible short passes to more creative players. Shields the ball using physical strength and anticipation, will intercept passes and keep the tempo of the game flowing.

BALLWINNER - primarily tackles opposition, then releases ball to more creative player in his own side. Can be used as player who sits in front of the defence in a 4-5-1 such as Makalele, or runs and tackles such as Essien in a 4-4-2.

RUNNER – Powers forward in surging runs, Vieira was a great exponent of this. He combined his superb tackling skills to turn defence into attack in one move, dispossessing the opposition and then charging forward to lay the ball off to an attacking player. Some players are more in the dribbling mould such as Maradona, though as the game gets faster and more physical this element is reduced in the English game.

ENERGY PLAYER – A variation on the runner role above. This player gets selected through sheer work rate, and rather than being a great tackler, constantly harries and hassles the opposition, closing down the man in possession. Mathieu Flamini and Kevin Richardson were good Arsenal examples.

PASSER – Cesc and Liam Brady are good Arsenal exponents of this. Main attributes are technical ability with the ball, and an awareness of the game that gives a split second advantage to make a vital “through ball” pass.

COMPOSITE – A player who has all of the above to a good standard. Emmanuel Petit was such a player, though his Arsenal career was cut short by injury.

What does the current squad posses in terms of these types?

I think our players fall into four groups:

FIRST TEAMERS – Cesc, Diaby, Denilson and Nasri.

Out of these Cesc is a passer, Diaby is a runner, Denilson is a composite and Nasri is a passer/runner.

KIDS – Ramsey, Randall, Coquelin, Wilshere, Lansbury.

Ramsey is a runner with some tackling ability, Randall a runner, Coquelin a promising ballwinner, Wilshere a passer and Lansbury a passer. All are untested at high level, and of an age where we cannot rely on them to last a season.

4-5-1 PLAYERS - Kolo Toure, Song, Djourou.

These three are defenders who could play the defensive role in a 4-5-1 formation, as a shield in front of the centre backs. They would allow Cesc to partner a runner/passer in front of them, knowing that a ball winner was guarding the defence.

All of Toure, Song and Djourou can tackle and charge forward occasionally, but all have large muscular builds and appear physically unsuited to play alongside Cesc in a 4-4-2 for 90 minutes in the modern game. I believe that they would have been able to play this role just ten years ago, but midfield distance covered per game rose 30% in the last season, so a more stamina appropriate physical build is now vital.

WILD CARDS - Eboue, Bischoff.