Goals win games and Kev has goals in him. Clev and Kone do not , therefore logic dictates that you'll win more games with Mirallas playing than not.
Quite right mate. It's really that simple. Yet this thread is brimming with people who insist otherwise.
Until we bring in a new face, Mirallas is the best option for the left wing in a 433, or a 4231. Other choices would be Kone, Cleverley, McGeady and Oumar "Stella" Niasse... hardly competition.
He can also play as one of the front pair in a 442. Assuming Rom is nailed on to start, the alternatives to Kev as the second striker are Niasse, Kone and several untested youth players.
On a final note:
4 goals and 2 assists in 1004 prem minutes for Kev;
5 goals and 3 assists in 1457 prem minutes for Kone;
5 goals and 1 assist in 1539 prem minutes for Lennon;
2 goals and 9 assists in 1384 prem minutes for Del;
2 goals and 5 assists in 1614 prem minutes for Cleverley;
For comparison: 8 goals and 8 assists in 3038 prem minutes for Ross.
There's a lot of players who got game time ahead of Mirallas this year, but the stats show that only Deulofeu did anything useful with that extra time. With Del and Lennon both seeming to be out and out right wingers, it was Kone and Cleverley being picked ahead of Mirallas and not justifying that selection IMHO.