Wilshere for Club. Wilshere for Country.

I usually reside on the positive side of the fence when it comes to conversations of an Arsenal persuasion.  We are falling behind Chelsea and City? Nah, we are slow starters. Ozil isn’t firing as he should?  Pah!  He is the world’s best No.10 and is revered by Ronaldo, Mourinho and Loew.  You catch my drift, I’m the human equivalent of the ostrich who’s head was too big for the hole in the ground.

I never blindly offer counter-arguments.  In my ever-so-humble opinion – I believe everything I say.  We always come into our stride after January.  I also think that Ozil will come good.  One thing I have copped an enormous amount of flak for is my stance on Jack Wilshere.

Let me set the scene for you.   It is the aftermath of the footballing festival we call the World Cup.  Germany, who adopted a blanket tactical approach from the youth teams all the way to Die Mannschaft – were glorious winners.  Whilst not overpowering any of their opponents, they were tactically astute and in terms of creating chances – carried threat from all areas of the pitch.  They had a potent mixture and a plan that had painful roots more than ten years ago.  Ultimately though, the struggle was fruitful.

Compare that to England.  Up until this last Coup de Monde, England were talked up by every pundit, journo and mouthpiece willing to offer their vacuous chatter.  France 98, Euro2000.  Even in 2010, England were put in the same bracket as eventual winners Spain.  Due to the talents of the squad, ‘experts’ deduced that England would have a battling chance to hold aloft a major trophy.  So, so wrong.  True, England’s squad was peppered with world class players.  Playing as a team though?  A stilted effort at best.

Now, with a shift in focus, England’s chances were slim and none.  Club football is the priority now and the papers were awash with the negative impact the climate would have on our Vitamin-D-deficient players.   No-one gave Hodgson’s boys a prayer.  Rightfully so.  Costa Rica topped the group and – following a spate of insipid displays – an election for a scapegoat began.

England’s favourite pastime, the Blame-Game, began.  Could it be the defence?  The last line of fighting resistance who were assembled with the sole responsibility to stop the attacking threat of their opponents?  Oh no.

Perhaps Wayne Rooney?  The supposed ‘world-class’  striker who carried the hopes of a nation atop his burly shoulders but to the chagrin of critics, once more failed to light up the world stage?  No.  Not Wazza.

Step forward Jack Wilshere.  Already chastised for chuffing on a cigarette in the past – he was papped living it up in Vegas, smoking a cigarette.  This solitary moment captured by a prying photographer, shows our Jack putting the country’s woe behind him whilst paying no heed to what the nefarious cancer stick is doing to his expensive lung capacity. The photo showed Jack as the poster boy for everything that is wrong with our footballing culture.  We have a winner.

The whole squad underperformed but thanks to the pic of Wilshere chuffing on a fag, he was thrust under the spotlight and once more picked apart by gleeful vultures.  A boy who showed so much promise is still not evidencing why he continues to earn international caps.  Paul Scholes is right!

After skulking home from Vegas, all Gooners were aware that Jack then came back to pre-season training early.  He was making all the right sounds to the media about working hard to improve and cut out the silly mistakes.  He was putting his nose to the grindstone.  He was hard at it.

I produced a blog shortly after Jack came back.  I threw my support at him and stated that – if he adopted the Aaron Ramsey approach to comebacks – he could show to all and sundry that he has the talent to eclipse his centre midfield rivals from all clubs in Europe and stand on a level footing with a luminary Rambo.

Unthinkable, according to some.  After the season Aaron had, Jack would have to shed his skin to even step out of the shadow that Rambo produced.  I stuck to my guns and said that not only could Jack finally produce performances of the ilk he showed in the Nou Camp many moons ago – he could forge an explosive partnership with Aaron in the centre.

I have been ridiculed for this.  I don’t profess to be a tactical genius.  In fact, I’ve read blogs that revolve around the finer nuances of formations and my brain downed tools.  I happen to think though – that in the games they played together, they evidenced strengths that could benefit each other and they both own the tools required for the role.

Fast forward three months.  In amongst the angst of the Champions League Play-off and some average League results, Jack has asserted himself.  He has taken charge of the games he has played in.  He has shown that the work he has put in is paying off and he is dedicating himself to his craft.  He has been industrious and carried the ball well but also has remedied the worrying penchant he had for procrastinating on the ball.  He has shown real dynamism and hunger.

His England performances have not only shown an improvement but really served up a generous helping of humble pie.  The media are experts at ignoring the positives from an Arsenal game but even they couldn’t disregard his displays for the Three Lions.  At the base of a midfield diamond, he ran with the ball, he marked efficiently and if it weren’t for Rooney’s profligacy – he would have had a huge haul of assists.

A vine did the rounds after England’s meandering 1-0 win Vs Balkan giants Estonia.  Jack receives the ball in the centre of the pitch with his back to the opposing half.  He takes a touch to turn and instinctively plays a 30-yard pass to a running Rooney.  If it had been Gerrard who had played the ball then a frothing mass of ‘Genius’ headlines would’ve appeared.  Seeing as it was Jack ‘Marlboro’ Wilshere of Arsenal fame though, it went unheralded.

Not with Gooners though.  We lapped up every tasty nugget of Arsenal we could.  To be fair, with England having five of our players on the pitch – it was an all you can eat buffet.  Also, with it being the international break we were rather famished.

Jack showed that despite his unassuming stature – he can be the shield that Arsenal require in front of our weakened Back-4.  He can be the answer to the conundrum of how to fit Ramsey, Ozil and Jack into the same team that has obviously plagued our Manager.

I honestly cannot see a clearer answer than his England performances.  Remember that he hasn’t forged a strong bond with his international comrades and it is also a slightly different system that is playing around him.  His position though, would remain the same.

If anything, having a partner going box-to-box as Ramsey is wont to would only aid him.  If he was being slightly overrun then Aaron would be back to help.  There is nothing to say that Jack cannot do the job there.

There is only evidence.  If he continues to play to this level and improve under the tutelage of Wenger and gleaning from such talent as Sanchez, Ozil and co, then Jack could finally silence the doubters.

After all, even his main detractor Paul Scholes  stated that he “ has been England’s best player “ over the last three games playing in that position.

High praise indeed.  Keep it up Jack.