What is there to say about Jack Wilshere? Where does he fit in this team? Some would argue that his best position is as a trequartista but that role is being taken by a certain German. Others would say he is best as a box-to-box player, when he really made his name in the 2010/11 season with Fàbregas ahead of him and Alex Song behind. But with Ramsey in the form of his life, it’s difficult to envisage Wilshere getting regular game time there. The pair did play together briefly before the signing of Flamini and after Arteta’s injury and did a reasonable job, but the re-introduction of the other two has made Arsenal a more cohesive unit.
Last season, something of an injury crisis in the wide positions saw Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain struck down which meant Wilshere was shoehorned in on the left on occasions. He played a lot of his football as a youngster on the flank and consequently didn’t look out of place when called upon.
He hasn’t been a ‘chalk on the boots’ winger but Arsenal wide-men rarely are. Robert Pirès has been the most famous occupier of the left flank in my lifetime and he was renowned for coming inside and arriving late in the box to devastating effect. Whilst Wilshere is of course nowhere near that level yet, he’s an intelligent player capable of performing the role with relative comfort and, like just about every player in existence, has linked effortlessly with Özil.
Wilshere recently became a father for the second time and there is an interesting correlation between footballers having children and an upturn in their maturity, and often, therefore, an improvement in their performances on the pitch. Van Persie is a classic example having been something of a spiky character when he first arrived in England. Fatherhood calmed him down and, once he finally shook off injuries, he became perhaps the best out-and-out striker in world football. Wilshere still has that fiery edge to him which is admirable, but undoubtedly appears far more settled and down-to-earth than he did even a couple of years ago.
It’s easy to forget that Wilshere is still so young and, like Ramsey before him, has been set-back in his development because of injuries. I’d argue that he hasn’t suffered nearly as dramatic a dip as his teammate did in 2012, when, even the most ardent supporter of the Welshman would struggle to deny that he was frustratingly, yet understandably, poor. Wilshere seldom has a bad game, he just isn’t grabbing matches by the scruff of the neck like he did when he burst onto the scene as a teenager. Not regularly anyway. But I have no doubts at all that will return on a consistent basis soon enough.
Whilst it’s unfair to thrust such sky-high expectations on his young shoulders, I don’t think it would be excessive to say that he remains England’s great hope. Without doubt the most gifted player to arrive on the scene since Wayne Rooney, Wilshere has got the respect of International teammates as well as club colleagues, and has been tipped for captaincy of both sides by Wenger as well as England boss Roy Hodgson.
Ramsey is becoming a fine player but few would protest against the argument that Wilshere is the more talented in terms of natural ability. There is more subtlety to his game and you can count on one hand the number of players who glide past opponents with the kind of glorious guile in which Wilshere does. He can see this clichéd ‘killer pass,’ he’s robust enough to take kicks along the way and certainly isn’t afraid to get stuck in himself. He doesn’t score many goals but that’s far from unusual for a midfielder not long out of his teens.
Wenger has said before that 23 is something of a prime age for footballers. Ramsey turned 23 on Boxing Day and is playing his best ever football. Fàbregas added goals to his game at that age, likewise Walcott and Samir Nasri and Song grew into far more imposing players when they reached the age of 23.
Maybe next season will be the stage on which Wilshere really makes the step up and announces himself to the world, much like his new teammate, Özil, did in 2010 when he was the glittering star in an otherwise fairly functional Germany side. Nobody knows when exactly it will all come together, but I still think you’d be brave to bet against Jack Wilshere becoming one of the very best in the world.
@HassGeee