Out of all the players likely to be shit in THIS current team, it's Aquilani. I mean, even in the best of times he's not exactly an athletic, hard-working monster out there. But then you take away all creative options and any semblance of actual football and he's in big trouble. It's different for a player like Melo who can perform just on sheer work ethic by running people down and eating midfielders.
Aquilani's success depends on having actual footballers around him. He can't make Marchisio into a proper LW. He can't make Iaquinta into a proper striker. It's no coincidence that his form dropped when we lost Quagliarella.
In this formation, when he gets the ball, he has a CM 5 feet beside him, 2 fullbacks who are beside the CBs, Krasic all the way out on the right touch line and 2 strikers sitting on top of the keeper. He has nothing to work with.