Latest Updates on Wilshere’s Injury and Post-Swansea Ramblings

Jackie Boy out for 6 weeks?

I know that these “Oga at the Top” jokes are getting ‘stale’, but I urge you to check out this video of how Adolf Hitler responded to the Oga at the Top escapades by Shem. It’s goddamn hilarious and epic in every sense of the word.

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Every Arsenal fan couldn’t have wished for a better weekend.

Tottenham lost yet again and to make it sweeter, they were doomed by a player they once loved. I’m pretty sure that the soundtrack at White Hart Lane after the game was “Somebody I used to Know” by Gotye

However, the weekend didn’t begin too well as Everton’s surprise victory over a shockingly lack-luster Manchester City made the Toffees leapfrog over Arsenal temporarily, making the game against Swansea a must-win clash. With Chelsea and Tottenham playing the next day, Arsenal had it all to do against a Swansea side that has been a thorn in their flesh this season.

We all know how the game panned out as the usually dependable Miguel Michu was locked in a cage and the keys were thrown away. The manager also had some big balls in benching Wojciech Szczesny and his captain, Thomas Vermaelen which has coincided with two clean sheets on the trot – a rare feat in this part of the world, judging from our “usual defensive displays” all season long.

The manager has spoken about the urge for competition, and it will definitely bring the best out of his players. When Szczesny won Fabianski’s shirt in the tail end of the 2010/11 campaign, he put up a lot of breathtaking displays and his league debut was one to remember, as Wenger thrust him into action in one of the league’s most feared grounds – Old Trafford.

Fabianski couldn’t command a starting berth when he made his long-awaited return from injury despite putting up great displays prior to that unfortunate shoulder injury that halted the little progress he had made. After battling hard to finally secure Manuel Almunia’s jersey, it must have hurt the Pole really badly to see a new player take his place with such consummate ease.

One of the harsh realities of football – Fabianski isn’t the first to lose a place in a team, and he will certainly not be the last at Arsenal.

Wenger placed his undying faith on Szczesny and to be fair to the young Pole, he repaid his boss with some great outings in goal but after realizing that his position wasn’t threatened, complacency crept into his game, and he was culpable for some glaring errors last season and this season as well.

There’s a lot of football to be played and Wenger knows what’s best for his team. If it requires Mr. Szczesny to continue some time out in the bench, I have no qualms with it – provided Fabianski doesn’t revert to the “Flappyhandski” of old, which would prompt the fans to call for Szczesny’s return faster than Usain Bolt’s 100m Olympics world record.

Laurent Koscielny’s return to the heart of Arsenal’s defense has shored things up at the back, and the return of two clean sheets in a row is highly welcome. The Big Friendly Giant, Per Mertesacker, recently spoke about the team’s new approach to defending, and it’s highly encouraging to say the least,

We saw ourselves as a unit on the television and I think it was a good thing to do because sometimes you have a different view on the pitch and you feel different. We all had the feeling there was something to do so everybody was involved and everyone felt we needed to improve and speak more.

The most important thing we learned was to cover each other more. There were a lot of situations where there was no pressure on the ball and the back four was not prepared for any balls between us.

Times without number, we have seen how Arsenal’s back line has been exposed when there wasn’t adequate cover for a teammate under pressure.

Take the home Champions League tie against Schalke for instance, Andre Santos may seem as a shitty defender in every sense of the word but Jefferson Farfan and Astuto Uchida ravaged the Brazilian and his captain, Thomas Vermaelen, failed to cover up for him when he was left for dead. It was only befitting for Ibrahim Afellay’s match clincher to come from good wing play by the visitors.

Things have changed for the better, as the defenders drop deeper while the midfielders close the opposition higher up the pitch.

Just like that early run of clean sheets at the start of the season, I don’t intend to get carried away by Arsenal’s newly-found defensive stability, but the unanswered question would be whether Arsene Wenger would be ready to leave out Vermaelen for some more games in the future.

His able replacement, Koscielny, hasn’t put a foot wrong though.

Elsewhere in defense, Carl Jenkinson had some sweet words to say about Nacho Monreal, as the newbie opened his Arsenal account with a somewhat scrappy goal against Swansea. To be honest, I didn’t care about the nature of the goal – the bottom line was that it went past Michel Vorm to give Arsenal a vital lead before Gervinho sealed the tie.

Speaking of Gervinho, Wenger hopes that his late match clincher would give him some confidence in the run-in for a Champions League finish. Gervinho, quite rightly, has come under some serious criticism for his below-par performances this season and his manager hopes that he can build on this in the coming weeks.

Before his moment of glory in the climax of the game, Gervinho showed great pace and directness to skip past his marker on the wing only to deliver a shambolic cut back that didn’t go beyond his first marker in the box. That horrible pass epitomized what the Ivorian had been all about this season and it’s really sad to know that he was Arsenal’s highest goalscorer with five goals early on in the season.

I really like the lad because of what he offers to the team – he’s fleet-footed, quick, agile, has good dribbling skills and runs at defenders drawing them out of their comfort zones but if he had some threatening output in the final third, he would have been a valuable asset to Arsenal, rather than the liability he seems to be.

With crucial games against Reading, West Brom, Norwich, Everton and Fulham coming up, players like Gervinho will have to do their bit to contribute immensely to the team’s cause.

One player that won’t be around anytime soon is Arsenal’s influential midfield maestro, Jack Wilshere, as Goal.com reports that he’ll be out for another six weeks,

Jack Wilshere has been ruled out for six more weeks in a savage blow to Arsenal’s top-four hopes, Goal.com can reveal.

The midfielder is facing an uphill battle to play again this season after his ankle injury was assessed by a specialist in Dubai last week and, then, again when he returned to the club.

Goal.com understands that Wilshere has been told he needs an enforced spell of rest that will keep him on the sidelines for a minimum of six more weeks, until at least the start of May.

Arsene Wenger had initially stated that the midfielder had an inflamed left ankle and it is believed (via Goal.com) that he might be having a recurrence of the ankle injury that kept him out for an eternity. The club doesn’t plan to send the midfielder to go under the knife just yet, but the manager feels that he might have overplayed him.

According to Wenger, Wilshere told his manager that he feels ‘perfect’ whenever he’s asked out the condition of his ankle but a recent scan conducted showed that the lad had bone bruising on the heel of his right foot.

At this point in time, Arsenal will have to make do without their star man but there are able replacements in the forms of Santi Cazorla, Tomas Rosicky and even Aaron Ramsey.

I’ll keep you posted as the events unfold but I wouldn’t want to tell you one thing while my Oga at the Top would say another one.

Sayonara.

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The Hype Around Wilshere, More From Giroud and Sagna Plays Down PSG Link

I’m not going anywhere

Have you seen the latest website redesign from Arsenal.com?

The navigation is perfect, it’s really engaging and you can link the content inside easily with different social networking platforms.

As we all know, the Gunners are set to travel to every corner of the globe to represent their respective nations, and all eyes fixed on two fixtures – England vs. Brazil and France vs. Germany.

A large contingent of Arsene Wenger’s men have left the shores of England to their various nations and we can only hope that they return unscathed.

In the all-European affair, Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker will be on the white corner, while Olivier Giroud, Laurent Koscielny and Bacary Sagna will be on the blue corner.

The French will be keen on hoping for Giroud to continue his purple patch of form against Germany tonight. The striker has promised that there’s more to come from him as he settles in life at Arsenal (via ESPN),

There are many good things. It’s positive in terms of numbers with 14 goals and ten assists in all competitions. But I know I can do better. I’ve matured.

“I’m also learning a lot in terms of how to play, particularly with my back to goal, my touch and the information I take in before I get the ball. I was under pressure when I came here, but I’m rather satisfied.”

Giroud came under some stick from the Arsenal faithful when he kept shooting blanks but everybody sings his songs and his performances have been hugely encouraging to say the least. The way he links up with his teammates has been a major highlight of his fledgling Arsenal career and he already has 10 assists to show for it.

According to EPL Index, Giroud has competed in 159 aerial duels thus far and he has won more than half of them. He offers Arsenal a focal point in attack and his partnership with Theo Walcott has become reminiscent of the RvP-Walcott link up last season. He has integrated himself well into Arsenal’s attack and the best part is that he’s willing to learn more, so he can only get better.

Giroud is six goals short of hitting the 20-goal mark this season and that will be an awesome return for a striker that was brought in to replace the red-hot Flying Dutchman, Robin van Persie.

Bacary Sagna on the other hand, has been a source of constant speculation following his discontent with the way Arsenal sold key players like RvP and Alex Song this season. When it seemed as if Theo Walcott was odds on to follow suit, he turned the screw by signing a long term deal with the club, making him the highest earner as well.

With the next transfer window coming up this summer, the media Vultures have linked the fullback with a potential move to the oil-rich Paris St. Germain but the defender has played down the speculation (via Sky Sports),

“The transfer rumours regarding PSG? I am 100 per cent devoted to my club, I am only thinking about defending the colours of Arsenal until the end of my contract.

“The fans are angry with me because they heard about PSG’s interest, but I am not responsible for that. I have never had any contact.”

Sagna’s deal expires in 2014 and Arsene Wenger will be keen on keeping his talismanic fullback till his twilight years at least. The French star is 29-years-old and he’ll be hoping to get one final pay rise before probably retiring back to a club in his homeland. I’ll keep you posted as the days go by.

The other friendly that will be on the spotlight will be the match between England and the 2014 World Cup hosts, Brazil. From an Arsenal perspective, Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott have been invited by Wily Ol’ Woy Hodgson and two of the three aforementioned players are likely to start tonight.

The Ox, as he’s affectionately known in these parts of the world, has featured sparingly for the Gunners this season after his breakthrough campaign last year. Anytime he’s summoned on the pitch, he tends to try too hard to impress the crowd and he messes things up at times.

The winger has stated that he’s willing to bide his time (via Sports Campus) to wait for his chance at Arsenal. Unfortunately for the Ox, Walcott and Podolski are in blistering form and it will take some stuffing to displace them from the squad this season.

Theo Walcott is having his best goalscoring return for Arsenal this season and he has staked a claim for the center forward role as well. However, Walcott wants to strike for the national team as well (via Daily Star) but with the likes of Shrek, Danny Welbeck and Jermaine Defoe in England’s ranks, that might not be possible for speedy Theo.

During the European Championships, he lost his place on the right wing to James Milner, that failed to impress though.

Arsenal’s midfield maestro, Jack Wilshere, will be on the spotlight tonight and the media Vultures have waxed lyrical about the young lad. Arsenal legend, Liam Brady, also believes that there’s much more to come from Jackie Boy (via Footy Mad) but we can only hope that Jack’s level-headed nature will come in handy yet again.

The media Vultures have a way making their plaudits get into players’ heads and that almost put the early part of  Walcott’s career in jeopardy. The same can be said for the Ox that was labelled as the next best thing and as we can see, he has failed to live up to the expectations bestowed on him this season.

England captain, Steven Gerrard, is wary of the heavy expectations burdened on Wilshere’s shoulders (via Fox Sports) and his manager, Woy Hodgson has followed suit (via Sky Sports).

While England seems to label Wilshere as some Superman from Krypton, his primary affiliation remains with Arsenal and we can only hope that he doesn’t suffer any injury tonight because his influence will be badly needed against Bayern Munich in two weeks time.

Best of luck to Nigeria as they take on Mali in today’s African Cup of Nations semifinals.

Sayonara.

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More on Cazorla’s Dive, Wilshere and Transfer Speculation

Act I: The Invisible Touch

Act II: The Olympic Diving Audition

Act III: Hitting the turf like a sack of potatoes

Act IV: Arteta asks Myhill if he wants some ketch-up for this CHIP

Arsenal’s win against West Brom was marred by this act committed by Santi Cazorla. Before sharing my thoughts on this much-talked about issue, let me share some words culled from the great Arseblogger himself,

But first: the dive. Yes, it was one. No, it’s not nice. But I’m going to think of a number between 1 and 100, where 1 is the least shit I give and 100 the most, and see if you can work out which one I’ve picked. Does it make me a hypocrite? Probably. Again, I refer you to my give-a-shitometer and the needle is, unlike a certain winless Premier League manager, barely twitching.

All of a sudden, our cuddly ol’ Spanish magician, Santi Cazorla, has developed two horns, a tail and he wields a pitchfork no different from Poseidon’s trident. As expected, West Brom’s Steve Clarke grabbed his flaming torch and is ready to burn Cazorla down,

“There was zero contact, it wasn’t even close. I am not sure what the referee saw. It was a bad decision for us and obviously changed the shape of the afternoon. It could have been a nervous afternoon for Arsenal, at 0-0 they hadn’t created too much.”

When Liam Ridgewell dived like a player that had been shot with a sawn-off shotgun in West Brom’s 4 – 2 win against Sunderland, I’m pretty sure that Clarke kept his mouth shut. Karma’s a bitch, I guess.

Apparently, diving has become a bit and parcel of the game and Arsenal has been on the end of some fictitious dives that led to penalties as well.

Taking you down memory lane to this concluded season,

High-profile diving specialists like Gareth Bale and Luis Suarez conned the referees into giving them them penalties. The backlash wasn’t as expected and the world as we know it didn’t come to an end. In defense of Cazorla, Wenger has apologized if it wasn’t a penalty (medicine after death), but he stated that Cazorla told him that he had lost his balance. His compatriot, Mikel Arteta has also stated that Cazorla is no diver.

Former Premier League ref, Graham Poll, has come out from his lair to give his opinion on this issue. The world-famous ref that handed a player three yellow cards in a World Cup published a column revealing that Cazorla should be given a three-match ban, using the words Arsene Wenger stated in the wake of a string of diving performances from Manchester United’s Ashley Young,

‘If an obvious dive is punished by a three-match ban, the players would not do it any more. I would support it. It has to be obvious diving.’

Well that’s Mr. Poll’s opinion and as I always say, opinions are like arseholes, everybody has one.

Apart from Cazorla’s diving shenanigans, Arsenal’s win against West Brom had its fair share of positives. Wojciech Szczesny kept a clean sheet, Thomas Vermaelen’s form improved, Mikel Arteta got his penalty groove back and the Ox put up a much-improved performance.

The stand-out performer on the day was the resurgent Jack Wilshere. He was ubiquitous in midfield and he has forged a good understanding with his Spanish midfield counterparts, Santi Cazorla the diver and Mikel Arteta the penalty misser. Wilshere’s surges of energy and drive played a key role in Arsenal dominating play and he has stated that he’s getting better with each passing game. The youngster also lavished praise on Arteta’s performance, stating that he’s a great dude on and off the pitch.

Arsenal’s Holy Midfield Trinity

Arsene Wenger was obviously happy for Wilshere’s performance as well, and he stated that the old Jack Wilshere is back. The Wilshere that dominated a midfield that had Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta on the 16th of February, 2011, the Wilshere that wasn’t afraid to have a go at the entire Stoke team in the ground were Aaron Ramsey’s leg was snapped like a twig, the Wilshere that deservedly won the 2011 Young Player of the Year award.

Yeah, that Wilshere.

However, Arsenal still needs to take a cautious approach with the lad. He’s just returning from a lengthy lay-off so he still needs to get some much-deserved rest due to the physical demand of the Premier League, and I’ll be cross if he features against Bradford City tomorrow.

A fit Wilshere keeps Ramsey out of the team but I’ll like to see what happens when Abou Diaby returns to full fitness, that’s if he ever returns. Diabytes is an ailment that has no real estimated return date and it’s a disease peculiar to a fragile, lanky Frenchman called Abou Diaby.

With the January transfer window just around the corner, the media Vultures have been swarming round Arsenal, linking a host of players in and out of the Emirates.

Starting with potential departures, it has been reported that Bacary Sagna has become a target for the free-spending Paris St. Germain. We’ve heard some stories about Sagna being unhappy with his recent contract situation, and it’s believed that he’s headed for the exit door. PSG is a team that would could make Arsenal an offer they can refuse but we can only hope that the Arsenal hierarchy would do what’s best for the club – holding on to one of the best right backs in the Milky Way, Bacary Sagna.

On arrivals, the list is endless but I’ll take my pick from the pack.

With Arteta being the only recognized holding midfielder at Arsenal (no disrespect to Francis Coquelin and Emmanuel Frimpong, they’re not there yet), it is believed that Wenger seeks to delve into the transfer market to seek a natural replacement for Alex Song. The Daily Star has reported that the Gunners are seeking to make a swap move for Zenit’s Igor Denisov, using Andrey Arshavin as bait to see the deal through. Elsewhere, the Sports Campus has reported that the Gunners want to swoop in for Bayern Munich’s Luiz Gustavo.

Unlike Luiz Gustavo that has featured sparingly for the Bavarians this season, Denisov wants pay-parity with new signing Axel Witsel, which has made him to become a disgruntled figure in recent weeks. I’ve seen both players strut their stuff in the Champions League but Luiz Gustavo would suit Arsenal’s play better than Denisov. He’s a very technical holding midfielder that reminds me of Gilberto Silva.

In attack, Arsenal have been placed on alert as Newcastle’s Demba Ba has stalled in signing a new contract with the Magpies. There are also emerging reports that the Gunners are battling with AC Milan for Lyon’s Lisandro Lopez’ services.

However, there is a bit of speculation that has been making waves recently. Soccer Souls have reported that Arsenal has agreed personal terms with Schalke’s hitman Klass-Jan Huntelaar with a winter move imminent. Wenger has been a long-term admirer of the Dutch predator and his arrival at the Emirates will be regarded as a great piece of business, judging from his goalscoring exploits in recent seasons. Competition for places with a superstar like Huntelaar will also bring out the best in Olivier Giroud.

Then of course, there’s more talk on Thierry Henry’s imminent arrival as well.

It’s time to pull the plug on this post.

Sayonara.

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Sagna’s Milestone and More on Jack Wilshere

Up for a right fight against Jenkinson…or is he?

The unwanted sets of international fixtures are out of the way and no Arsenal bone was shattered into pieces. Per Mertesacker started in his nation’s bore draw against Holland in Amsterdam ArenA. Many first-team regulars missed out on the game and in my honest opinion, it took its toll on the game as the newbies didn’t do enough. As expected, Spain ran riot against Panama and Olivier Giroud got some game time in France’s 2 – 1 win over Italy.

I’d firmly fixed my focus on the Sweden vs. England game in the newly constructed Friend’s Stadium and brought some entertainment value as Zlatan Ibrahimovic stole in the show in grand style. Wily Ol’ Woy Hodgson fielded a balanced side with Liverpool’s wonderkid…dad, Raheem Sterling getting his full debut.

Joe Hart was uncharacteristically shaky in goal while the fullbacks, Leighton Baines and Glen Johnson bombed down the flanks supporting the attack. With John Terry’s England career done and dusted, Gary Cahill partnered Steven Caulker in the heart of the Three Lions defense.

The midfield had a somewhat unfamiliar look with captain, Steven Gerrard, playing behind Tom Cleverley and Leon Osman. Danny Welbeck was supported by diver-in-chief, Ashley Young and debutant, Raheem Sterling.

Zlatan stabbed in the match opener before Danny Welbeck and Caulker put England in the driver’s seat to end the first half on a high. A second half Ibracadabra hat-trick was enough to give Sweden bragging rights for the night, which also meant that they had successfully revenged their narrow loss to England in the Euros…like it bloody matters.

There was a moment were all Arsenal fans savored as Jack Wilshere made his long awaited comeback into the team when he replaced Cleverley in the second half. Wilshere worked hard on the pitch and was as combative as ever, also getting on the end of some tackles as well.

Before the game, Wilshere took some time out to speak about a couple of things, starting with how he feels stronger with each passing game,

“I’m quite surprised actually. When I first played in the [under-21s], I was really rusty and I think it was clear for everyone to see. Everyone was just being nice to me saying ‘you played well’.

Now I’m feeling better and better as every game goes on and there’s no hiding place when you’re playing at the Emirates, at Old Trafford and you’re in front of everyone. You have to be at a certain standard so you don’t let your team-mates and your fans down.

But I feel good now and hopefully, with a few more games, I can get back to my best.”

It’s really pleasing to see how Wilshere was drafted back into the team, and Arsene Wenger has to be commended for the depth of his squad this season. Even with the setbacks from Abou Diaby and Tomas Rosicky, coupled with Aaron Ramsey’s stuttering form, Arsenal wasn’t pressured into slotting Wilshere straight into the team.

He had to go through a couple of Under-21 games before playing Queens Park Rangers, Manchester United and Schalke. With the maestro serving his suspension last week, he’s odds on to have a starting berth in the feisty North London Derby.

Wilshere also spoke about the transfer dealings made in recent seasons, and he commended his boss’ policy for the club’s latest recruits,

 “It is strange because last time I played was with Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Alex Song and Robin van Persie, now there are the likes of Podolski, Giroud, Cazorla and Mikel Arteta.  The boss has done excellently. He’s bought well. These players are proper footballers – they understand the game and they’ve been around.

“You look at someone like Lukas Podolski, he’s got over 100 caps for his country. They’re top players and it’s easy to come into a team where they understand football so well. To play with someone like Santi Cazorla is so easy. He understands football, even little things like the pace of the pass he gives you, and his movement is outstanding.”

Arsenal’s latest signings have been brilliant thus far, and their contributions to the team have been unrivalled.

Podolski’s surges on the left have been a breath of fresh air, and he has worked very hard to support his fullback, whether it’s Kieran Gibbs, Andre Santos and more recently, Thomas Vermaelen. He has also been on the score sheet five times, with his latest in that disappointing 3 – 3 draw with Fulham.

Santi Cazorla has been a truly inspired signing, as he brings his creativity, close control, goals, defense-splitting passes and ambidexterity Arsenal’s attack. In these few months, he has fully integrated himself into the nucleus of the team and he’s currently indispensable.

Giroud has finally found his feet at the Emirates and I’m tipping him to go on a great run of goalscoring form. Despite his slow start to the campaign that saw him go on an unpleasant goal drought, Giroud’s work rate has been unquestionable and he kept working hard, till he broke his duck against Coventry.

A lot was expected from Arsenal’s newbies and it’s fair to say that they have delivered, so kudos must go to the man that made it happen, Arsene Wenger.

Still sticking with Wenger’s impressive recruits in recent times, one player has reached a milestone with the club, as he has reached the 5-year mark in his time with Arsenal.

When Wenger delved into the French Ligue 1 to snatch a relatively unknown right back from AJ Auxerre in 2007, many fans were puzzled but they waited patiently to see what Lauren Etame-Biyer’s long-term replacement had to offer.

Shortly after Lauren’s transition out of the team, Farmer Emmanuel Eboue manned the right back position and put up some impressive performances in that position.

Besides having a penchant for diving on the turf faster than the time it takes a man to go hard while watching porn, Eboue has a decent cross on him, and he supplied some assists, with the standout cross being the pass he supplied to van Persie against Charlton in the Valley.

Sagna’s introduction to the team saw Wenger push Eboue further up the pitch but it was widely regarded as a failed experiment. In his first season with the club, his performances were so consistent, that he earned a rightful place in the 2008 PFA Team of the Year.

Sagna didn’t rest on his laurels and he continued to produce consistent displays week-in week-out, while keeping his optimal fitness levels in check. His continued stellar performances brought an abrupt end to Eboue’s Arsenal career, as the Ivorian opted to join Galatasaray in his bid to play first-team football.

Sagna has stated that his time at Arsenal has been magical,

 ”It has been magic. I’ve enjoyed a lot playing for Arsenal and I still love it. Every time I go to the pitch, I just give 100 per cent for the team.

“[The Club] is like my family. My personal family is in France but I feel at home here, I feel happy to come training and I feel relaxed. There are not many big clubs where you feel that confident.

“I think I have progressed a lot – that was my target, to come to such a big club and improve.

The fullback has endured a tumultuous year, as he broke his leg twice in the course of last season costing him his place for France in the European Championships. This season, Carl Jenkinson has done well in his stead and the young lad has really matured as a player.

It’s good to have Sagna back in the team and his runs on the right will be important for the Gunners as the season progresses. It’s also heart-warming to know that Arsenal fans can sleep well at night if anything happens to Sagna, as Jenkinson is an able deputy.

Still sticking with tales on right backs, Arsenal’s legendary right back, Lee Dixon has stated that the role of the fullback has evolved and he also believes that Lil’ Jenko and Quickie Gibbsie can learn from each other.

“You have to be a bit more dynamic. You’ve got a bit more license to go forward now. Teams tend to play with two holding midfielders so sometimes the full backs can attack together which is quite dangerous. Sometimes it works though.

“I think full back has become a lot more popular position. Players such as Ashley [Cole] have made that type of dynamic full back play something that kids want to do. You’re all action. You’re in the game constantly.

“That’s why I liked playing there. It’s nice to get a rest now and then. You used to get a rest on the halfway line but they don’t seem to get much rest now.

“It’s important that Gibbs and Jenkinson are both in the side together. They can learn off each other. It’s sometimes good to have a similar type of player who is around the same age in the team”.

Dixon also spoke about how he and Nigel Winterburn was a pair, even though they were in opposite flanks. The future of Arsenal’s fullback positions is in safe hands and it’s also good to know that these positions are manned by English youngsters that will have stints in the National team for years to come.

Sayonara

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Thoughts on Wilshere’s Return to First Team Action

Good to be back

After a very long wait that seemed to last all eternity, Jack Wilshere played for 70 minutes in Arsenal’s fortunate 1 – 0 victory over Queens Park Rangers. Wilshere’s potential was very massive at such a very young age and he rose through the ranks before making his Arsenal debut at the age of 16 beating Cesc Fabregas’ record in the process.

His stellar performances in the 2010/11 season were good enough to send Abou Diaby and Denilson down the pecking order and the youngster was rightly rewarded with the PFA Young Player of the Year award at the end of that campaign. He also earned a place in the Team of the Year and was voted as Arsenal’s Player of the Season for 2011.

While he was out for the best part of 14 months, his influence on the pitch was sorely missed, as Arsenal lacked any player that could match his grit, drive, passion and of course determination. He’s arguably one of the best passers of the ball at Arsenal and his passes to teammates upfront pierce defenses like hot knife through butter.

Jack Wilshere goes into every game like a general wielding a sword and a shield ready for battle; and  he is the kind of player that loves football for what it is: the beautiful game. Despite having such a small stature, Jack Wilshere possesses the stamina of an Ox (not Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain) and he also regarded as a tireless worker because of his high work rate.

In a team full of football technicians, Wilshere showed his worth as he blended straight into the team, despite being out of action for a considerable chunk of time. His replacements on the pitch, have showed what they are made of this season, but I must commend Abou Diaby for his massive improvement this season, while Aaron Ramsey continues to show his inconsistency in certain occasions.

Arsenal fans are already aware about the massive qualities Jack Wilshere possesses and it was heart-warming to see the reception he received in the Emirates last weekend. In the early part of the game, his touches on the ball coincided with loud roars from the Arsenal faithful and that spurred him to put up a great show.

Amazingly, Wilshere had a 100% pass completion rate in the first half and he almost supplied an assist to Ramsey, but the Welshman’s header hit the cross bar before going over. In the second half, his pass completion rate reduced to 94% before he was substituted for Theo Walcott, earning an ovation as he gracefully came off the pitch.

At the end of the game, Arsene Wenger spoke about how his team deserved to be patient, but when asked about Wilshere’s comeback, the gaffer had this to say,

You could see technically he is there, and he gave everything, and what he is missing he will get through competition. He still misses a bit of the pace of the game, the rhythm of the game, but overall what he did was class.

Despite having an extended run of games prior to the match against QPR, Wenger has stated that Wilshere will not be available for tonight’s Capitol One encounter against Reading (via Club Call) but he’ll be in contention for the crunch encounter against Manchester United. Wenger is also worried about the burden of expectation that could be placed on Jackie boy’s shoulders and he’s hoping for the fans not to expect fireworks from the midfielder.

Wilshere on the other hand, has expressed his delight in playing first team football again and he hopes for his team to push on for further challenges as the season progresses.

This season, Arsenal began their campaign on a very bright note with the stand-out feat being the extended run of clean sheets that made everyone wax lyrical about Dark Lord Steve Bouldimort’s influence on the rearguard. As the season progressed, there have been on and off results but the toothless attacking prowess showcased against Norwich and Schalke didn’t go down well with the fans.

Jack Wilshere arrives at a time when Arsenal was badly in need of change, and his return to first team action has been a breath of fresh air in my honest opinion. Against QPR, he always wanted the ball, allowing Santi Cazorla to have more freedom to strut his amazing stuff.

His close control, technique and deft touches was on display on Saturday, but I was a bit concerned with the amount of times he was clattered by the opposition.

While tonight’s game against Reading will allow most of the first team players to get some deserved rest, Arsenal will need every last available man to make the daunting trip to Old Trafford, a ground the club was badly humiliated last season.

To be honest, my expectations for that game aren’t very high, judging from our performance there last season, but this season’s fixtures in the Britannia, Anfield and the Etihad have shown that the Gunners are capable of bringing something off their sleeves, and the fact that we have Jack Wilshere in our ranks gives me butterflies in my tummy.

Jack Andrew Garry Wilshere,

It’s good to have you back.

Sayonara.

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