Wild American Gooner

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Should Jack Wilshere Play as a Defensive Midfielder?

This is the third in a series of posts outlining my expectation for certain Arsenal players in preparation for the new season. To see Lukas Podolski’s preview, click here. For Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s, click here.

Jack Wilshere is no longer a youngster. Even though he’s still 22, this will now be his fifth full season as an Arsenal regular (fourth if you take out the entire 2011/2012 campaign he missed due to injury). By now, he’s had plenty of time to refine his game on the highest level. But even accounting for the hardships he’s suffered through massive amounts of time on the bench due to injuries, Wilshere has not lived up to the expectations he set for himself as a teenager.

One of the problems with Wilshere has been a lack of a defined role on the field. When he was most successful in 2011, he was playing as a deep-lying midfielder, one who rarely ventured too far forward, but always picked the right passes in possession. But when he came back from his long injury layoff, somebody decided he needed to be a number 10. The problem with that was he was a terrible finisher, which led to a tentativeness in the final third that your playmaker can’t have. He’s also spent time on the wing without much success in recent time when there was no where else to play him. But everywhere he’s played since he’s come back from the injury, he hasn’t been who Arsenal fans want him to be.

Now there is word coming out of Arsenal preseason that Arsene Wenger wants to see if Wilshere can be converted into a defensive midfielder. On the surface, this idea might make a great deal of sense. It would give him a fresh start in a new role, and it would allow him the chance to see the field. As it is now, I would have him behind Mesut Özil, Tomas Rosicky and Santi Cazorla in the number 10 role, and behind Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade-Chamerlain and even Abou Diaby in the box-to-box role. Wenger probably would disagree, but I wouldn’t even have Wilshere making the bench in those roles right now. So a positional change might make sense.

Wilshere’s combative style also would seem to suggest he could be a decent defensive midfielder, as he has always been an eager tackler. It has been that eagerness to tackle however, that has seen him wind up hurt so many times. Arsenal consider him prized goods, and I doubt Wenger would want to put Wilshere in a position where he’d be more likely to injure himself. I don’t see the Englishman being willing to alter his style either.

My main problem with Wilshere as the lone defensive midfielder is his lack of positional discipline. When he’s played there before, or at least when he’s played in the box-to-box role next to Mikel Arteta or Mathieu Flamini, he has often gotten caught far out of position. He has a natural inclination to advance the ball, and as his goalscoring prowess has slowly increased in recent times, he has begun making more runs into the box. He is one to forgo his defensive duties for the slightest chance at an attack.

With Ramsey so inclined to get forward in the other midfield role, and doing so with unparalleled success, Arsenal need an especially disciplined defensive midfielder who can cover a lot of ground expertly if Ramsey can continue thriving. Wilshere certainly has the talent – as he always does – but it is a question of discipline that will tell whether the Arsenal number 10 is suited for the anchor role. Personally, I’d like to see him try the position in preseason, but the second he starts venturing out of position on the regular, any experiment must be abandoned.

Wilshere has all the talent in the world. But that might be his biggest problem, as he tries to be a hero on the field far too often. Arsenal don’t need Jack the hero right now. They need a Jack that will be committed to whatever Arsene Wenger wants him to do. They need one that won’t pick up cheap yellow cards out of frustration. They need one that will be rock-solid.

I don’t think him going out and smoking a cigarette over the summer is as big a deal as people are making it, but I think it speaks to Wilshere’s over-confidence that he got caught by the press doing such a thing a second time. He believes he is a special talent, and it has gone to his head. He seems to believe things will be given to him because of the skills he showed from such a young age. In England’s World Cup journey, it looked like Wilshere found things unfair. When the going got tough, he complained about his playing time. Minor things like that say a lot about his maturity level.

I genuinely like the guy. And I desperately want to see him succeed. But I think a lengthy spell on the bench might do Wilshere a world of good in the long run. Giving him a wake-up call that he won’t just be given a spot in the starting lineup when healthy would send a message to the young midfielder that he needs to continue to work hard every day to get better.

I think he’ll end up having a great second half of the season, but I predict the first few months will be especially difficult for Jack Wilshere. Buried on the bench behind players that have earned the time, he will have to force his way back into the side. It might seem convenient to give him an opportunity to be a defensive midfielder, but nothing should be given to Wilshere right now. He needs to earn playing time the hard way in order to improve.

Am I being overly harsh on Wilshere? Please comment


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And It Begins, Sort Of

Good morning, everyone. Today is a great day, for the 2014/2015 Arsenal campaign unofficially kicks off with the first friendly of the summer. The wait between the World Cup and the start of the Premier League will feel like an eternity, but games like these ones help help make the waiting a little easier.

Before I get to Arsenal though, I want to say something about the Red Sox. Don Orsillo has been the team’s outstanding play-by-play commentator since 2001. He is so good at the job that you take him for granted sometimes. He is rumored to be in a contract dispute with NESN, the Red Sox’s TV station, and his forced in-season vacation right now makes it seem like NESN might be nudging him out. I can’t stress enough how big a mistake that would be for the network. Watching the last few games without Orsillo in the booth have been painful on multiple levels. Jerry Remy’s color commentary is replaceable, but Orsillo’s play-by-play is not.

Now to the Gunners. I know very little about Boreham Wood, Arsenal’s opponent today, but it’s not the opponent that matters in the first game of the year. It’s about the players slowly regaining their form and fitness, and it’s about giving youngsters a chance to prove they belong in the first team. Even if Arsenal were playing a high school team, it would still be a valuable exercise for the preseason’s first game.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoy watching these games. It’s not that I want to see the starting 11 on the field though. I prefer watching the youngsters, and it’s usually my only chance to do so. Players like Thomas Eisfeld, Kris Olsson and Chuba Akpom excite me tremendously, and I love getting a look a their development. And beyond that, there is usually an abundance of goals in this first friendly against the inferior competition. While the goals might not be the prettiest at this stage, it’s nice to see Arsenal players hit the back of the net in any situation.

I don’t have many expectations for today’s game, because Arsenal haven’t said much about the squad they are planning on playing. They’ve suggested many of the first team players who weren’t in Brazil will be on the field, but I’d imagine there will a number of new faces mixed in. And I would guess as many as 22 or 23 players will see the field. Beyond saying that they’ll be wearing the new yellow Puma strip, Arsenal have offered very little about the preparation for this game other than a series of pictures yesterday.

The first thing I noticed in those pictures was the presence of Francis Coquelin. Remember him? Wearing yet another different number this year, Coquelin has seemingly returned from a season-long loan in the German Bundesliga. I don’t know how long he’ll stay around, but it was a pleasant surprise to see his face again. I’d almost entirely forgotten about him, and a quick internet search suggests most Arsenal fans are in the same boat. It wasn’t that long ago that the versatile young player was starting Premier League matches at the Emirates.

Obviously, this match and the rest of the preseason will be vitally important for Coquelin’s chances at Arsenal. Should he put in a series of impressive displays, Arsene Wenger might have to give him another shot. But if he doesn’t, a transfer arrival at the defensive midfield position could send Coquelin on his way out the door for good. For his sake, I hope he gets a chance to see the field today.

The other first-team player I think preseason will be important for is Yaya Sanogo. I’m sure I’ll have much more to say on him in the coming weeks, but Sanogo has been somewhat of an enigma in his year at Arsenal. I’d be inclined to say he impressed me last year, especially in the biggest matches of the year – remember that his two best displays were against Bayern Munich in the Champions League and off the bench against Hull in the FA Cup Final. However, he never scored a goal. And for a striker, that’s not a good statistic. He simply must score this summer to show everyone he is physically capable of putting the ball in the net.

Carl Jenkinson could also use a huge performance today, as this might be his last shot at convincing the Arsenal brass that they don’t need further cover at right back. Jenkinson should get the start today, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him be the most dangerous player today. With Mathieu Debuchy coming in as the starter, I would like to see Jenkinson go out on loan to another Premier League club. He needs playing time to keep improving, and it would be a shame to see his growth as a player stunted by a lack of time on the field. Remember that not long ago, he earned an England call-up.

I am way too excited for this match for what it is. But it’ll be great to see the Gunners back in action. I’m sure I’ll have lots to say post-game, so check back later today. COYG!