Having inherited the Number 10 jersey after Robin van Persie’s departure to Old Trafford, Jack Wilshere was quickly branded as Arsenal’s new messiah, their most valuable asset. The trouble is, naturally, that most of the people who did the branding were English, and Jack Wilshere is English; get the picture yet? You see, rather evidently, Wilshere is far from the league’s best midfielder. He isn’t even Arsenal’s best midfielder.
Wilshere is a gifted individual, but he must be one of the most over-hyped and overrated English players of the last decade. For me, Wilshere is neither penetrative nor creative enough to operate where his squad number suggests, and he doesn’t yet possess the discipline, muscle or defensive attributes needed to partner Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini or Abou Diaby in a deeper role.
For me, both Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey offer more going forward than Wilshere, and it is this constant ignorance from certain fans that really gets under the skin of non partisan-football fans. Wilshere reminds me of Scrappy from Scooby Doo: diminutive, shrewd, clever and sharp-tongued, yet all these qualities often land him in hot water, so he can be pretty vulnerable without assistance. However, Wilshere is usually stuck with Arteta; a man who has disappointed on a regular basis, a little like Shaggy.
The desire for Arsenal and England to play attractive football is understandable: the desire for crisp, penetrating passing is also understandable: a style that perhaps mirrors that of the classic Barca team managed by Pep Guardiola. What a surprise, then, that Wilshere is hyped up on a regular basis. He’s small and a decent passer, just like Xavi and Andre Iniesta, Spaniards who have won everything possible! Of course, Wilshere is a good player, but he is not a great player, and this itself is the problem: he thinks he is great. And, just like so many England and Arsenal supporters out there, Wilshere rates himself far too highly.
This is called the “English Disease,” as initially the tabloids and then the public build an individual of promise up to illogical heights, before excitedly hammering them back down once impractical heights have not been achieved.
For Arsene Wenger, having Jack Wilshere is very helpful indeed. He’s a home-grown talent who sells shirts, and one day, if he ever stays fit for a notable period of time, he will be Arsenal’s main man. On reputation alone, despite being constantly sidelined through various knocks and niggles, Wilshere will be on the plane to Brazil. Initially, when he burst on to the scene all those years ago, we sat up in awe at this kid; someone who possessed precision passing and a beautiful dribbling ability. But ask yourself. Has Wilshere truly developed as a player? Logical thinking says no, not as much as he should have.
Almost a quarter of a century ago, a virtual newbie to the world of international football was bidding for a place in England’s World Cup squad. This man, much like Wilshere, was in his early 20s. This hopeful was Paul Gascoigne, a legend who Wilshere has been auspiciously likened to repeatedly. Honestly, any utterance of Wilshere in the same sentence as Gazza is extremely flawed and misguided. One of the few similarities I see is the inability to avoid injury, a problem that each player is only too familiar with. Shouldn’t there be more focus on young talents like Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling ? Both in impressive form, the two have out-ran, out-passed and out-performed Wilshere this season.
Often grouped with luminaries such as Eden Hazard, Sergio Aguero, Lucas Moura, Neymar, Gareth Bale and even Lionel Messi, Jack Wilshere’s few moments of true brilliance have given birth to a bombardment of undiluted hyperbole from managers, fellow players and far too many English fans. If Wilshere is supposedly one of the greatest talents in the world, let’s examine his development compared with the two best players in the world. By 21, staggeringly, Cristiano Ronaldo had netted more than 50 goals for Manchester United, a feat which truly inspired United to their first EPL title in four years. Oh yeah, and Messi was already crowned the best player in the world.
Now, back to Paul Gascoigne, by the age of 21, Gazza was already a Newcastle United regular; similar to Jack with Arsenal. Gazza had been voted the PFA Young Player of the Year, however, unlike Wilshere, so, along with their propensity to get injured, they share yet another similarity, but that’s where it ends… well, pre Brazil 2014.
In the meantime, the next Nobel Prize might just go to the genius who finds a cure for the dreaded English Disease.
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