Jack Wilshere

[LDB]

I think Wilshere's position is clear, a deep central midfielder who acts like a quarterback, playing a range of passes but primarily to the other midfielders rather than hoofing it to the striker.

He has enough about him to help out with tackling too.

The question is what type of player to play next to him?

I think Flamini's work rate and tackling and box-to-box running will get the best out of Wilshere, rather than Arteta or Rosicky who are naturally the most similar to Wilshere out of our deep central midfielders.

Ramsey's work rate sees him get a starting place at the moment though.

Imo Wilshere has to keep his licence to drive forward with the ball at times though else you don't take advantage of his close control, balance and burst of speed over the first 5 yards. Hopefully having someone like Ozil in the squad will bring on his end product too.

[Herd]

The problem with Wilshere is that he isn't the brightest spark is he ?
Hes been taught how to tip tap but often seems clueless for positioning both in attack and in defense .
Hes also doesn't run a midfield he flits around it all this is a classic sign of a kid who has been badly coached !
He needs to learn ,but from who ? We do not have a leader/organiser on the field and thats not good but prehaps flamini will help out on this .

[LeftfootlegendGooner]

The problem with Wilshere is that he isn't the brightest spark is he ?
Hes been taught how to tip tap but often seems clueless for positioning both in attack and in defense .
Hes also doesn't run a midfield he flits around it all this is a classic sign of a kid who has been badly coached !
He needs to learn ,but from who ? We do not have a leader/organiser on the field and thats not good but prehaps flamini will help out on this .

Is that you Mr Hawkings ?

[SoreSack]

The problem with Wilshere is that he isn't the brightest spark is he ?
Hes been taught how to tip tap but often seems clueless for positioning both in attack and in defense .
Hes also doesn't run a midfield he flits around it all this is a classic sign of a kid who has been badly coached !
He needs to learn ,but from who ? We do not have a leader/organiser on the field and thats not good but prehaps flamini will help out on this .

Is that you Mr Hawkings ?

[QuartzGooner]

Northbank123 and LDB and Herd

I actually think Wilshere plays his best stuff when he focusses on passing and tackling, holds his position well, and leaves the box-to-box stuff to someone else.

[Herd]

Agreed Quartz ,although his defensive positioning is suspect and he lacks personal discipline which can backfire !

[northbank123]

As I said Quartz, I'd be inclined to agree (although I wouldn't want to take the opportunity to dart past players out of his game completely) but that's not really the role he ends up playing most of the time is it?

[I Hate Hleb]

Whereas I disagree!! Wilshere played most of his youth football - and earned the reputation for being possibly one of the future great talents - as an attacking midfielder, where he both set-up and scored goals. Wenger introduced him into the team in a more defensive midfield position - as much due to the lack of an authentic DM and our weakness there as the fact that he thought that would be Jack's future role.

Now if his defensive positioning is suspect and he lacks personal discipline, as Herd rightly claims, then why the heck would you want to play him somewhere that it will be exposed? One of Wilshere's strengths, as well as his ball retention, is to burst past players ala Gazza and his attacking passing is generally very good. As a defensive midfielder he wouldn't be able to utilise that natural ability as much without risking losing position in a vulnerable position and leaving his back four vulnerable. Now it makes a bit more sense to play him more defensively if it's as part of a 2 man DM set-up as then he would at least have some cover. However, I feel that would also stifle him and restrict Wilshere from doing what he suits his game best, which is to do his creative stuff in more forward positions - maybe not as an out and out number 10 - but certainly as one of the main attacking midfielders.

[OneBardGooner]

The problem with Wilshere is that he isn't the brightest spark is he ?
Hes been taught how to tip tap but often seems clueless for positioning both in attack and in defense .
Hes also doesn't run a midfield he flits around it all this is a classic sign of a kid who has been badly coached !
He needs to learn ,but from who ? We do not have a leader/organiser on the field and thats not good but prehaps flamini will help out on this .

Is that you Mr Hawkings ?

dunno maybe we should switch him of and on!

[QuartzGooner]

IHH

He is a talented tackler, suited to this modern role of all round midfielder.
I think Wilshere holds decent positioning on the pitch, especially next to someone else, well did do at least until his injury.

Since injury he has looked only 60% of the player he was before, so needs time to recover, and has looked out of position and short of fitness.
Temperament remains a bit suspect though.

I much prefer him deep midfield than in the position just off the striker, because I think his medium and long range passing is a lot more effective than his quick short passes.

Plus we now have Ozil, Cazorla, Rosicky (and possibly Zelalem) who can play in the more classic Bergkamp role.

[Nos89]

IHH

He is a talented tackler, suited to this modern role of all round midfielder.
I think Wilshere holds decent positioning on the pitch, especially next to someone else, well did do at least until his injury.

Since injury he has looked only 60% of the player he was before, so needs time to recover, and has looked out of position and short of fitness.
Temperament remains a bit suspect though.

I much prefer him deep midfield than in the position just off the striker, because I think his medium and long range passing is a lot more effective than his quick short passes.

Plus we now have Ozil, Cazorla, Rosicky (and possibly Zelalem) who can play in the more classic Bergkamp role.

So, are you saying that he is more likely to play in the Petit role, one that Arteta has been moved into rather than the classic no.10? He was always an attacking midfield as a youth player. To me he plays best in the Xavi position. Anyone remember his performance in the Barcelona game where he matched Xavi, in every way except maybe work rate? I think Jack is a player who can play anywhere across the midfield but at this stage of his career after nearly 2 seasons he will temporarily play a reduced role in the first team. We have to look at Ramsey's example of how long it has taken him to recover from injury to find the form he currently is in and after being "educated" in other midfield positions he's now in his favoured position. The problem comes when the squad is at fully fit. We know wenger doesn't always play the players in form or in their best positions. The midfield area is the where we have true strength in depth and it seems almost unfair that there is only 3 positions available.

[I Hate Hleb]

IHH

He is a talented tackler, suited to this modern role of all round midfielder.....

Of all his talents I doubt being a good tackler would even rate in the top five of his attributes!! (What have you been smoking Quartz, coz if your reasoning on this is anything to go by, it's some strong shit!!)

[QuartzGooner]

Nos89

I do not see Wilshere as a number 10 in the way Bergkamp played it.

I see him as a deeper lying player, a bit like Petit yes, able to tackle and intercept but also with a good pass, vision and the ability to use the ball instead of simply just winning it and getting rid of it like a hot potato.

If all the squad were fit, using our current formation, I would start with Wilshere and Flamini deep midfield, with Cazorla, Ozil and Walcott as the more attack minded midfielders, and Giroud upfront.

Strong midfield options for the bench with Podolski, Arteta, Rosicky, Ramsey, Zelalem and Oxlade-Chamberlain all available.

IHH

Let us agree to disagree.
I do not smoke by the way, mashes up one's brain.

[1989]

I disagree about Jack being a "talented tackler". He's an aggressive tackler, not a talented one. A talented tackler is someone like Sagna, Koscielny or Flamini. Wilshere just loves to dive in; doesn't mean he's good at it.

[1989]

Most overrated English player? After watching the Ukraine game, step forward Kyle Walker.