Is Jack Wilshere ready for Arsenal’s first team?

Ollie Irish

3rd, August 2009

7 Comments

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By all accounts, 17-year-old Jack Wilshere was a revelation for Arsenal in the Emirates Cup this weekend. So much so that many Gooners are now calling for the teenager to be fast-tracked into not only Arsenal’s first team, but England’s senior squad too. Yes, the hype machine has been activated.
A few quotes on Wilshere’s weekend:
“Jack Wilshere lit up the second half and this is a young man who has got so much potential it’s scary.”
Arseblog


“Many more performances like that from young Jack and we can expect the media to go into overdrive, especially as Fabio Capello was watching him today.”
Cannon Lore @ The Gunner
“Having seen Wilshere beef up over the summer, Wenger confirmed the boy is ready to start some games this term. ‘He is 17 years old, but has matured enough to compete already,” assessed Wenger. “He has more power to take people on.'”
Amy Lawrence in The Guardian
“Jack played wide right and immediately livened everything up with telling crosses, neat passes and some fine running with the ball. He is just such a natural, a nailed on England International before he’ll celebrate his twenty-first birthday, and he may even get some Premiership games for us this season coming at the ripe old age of 17.”
Arsenal World
“Wilshere was absolutely outstanding this weekend in the Emirates Cup – that chip, if it had gone in, would have been worthy of Ronaldinho in his prime. More beyond his years than Cesc ever was, and that’s saying something – incredible.”
Sulmaan Ahmad, Goal.com (Wilshere was Goal’s World Player of the Week)
Watch that chip here:

As usual, Arsene Wenger is one of the few people to keep a level head when all around are going hype-crazy. Arsenal’s gaffer added some much-needed balance to the Wilshere debate, saying:
“The only problem in England, knowing the impatience of English people, is that it will be difficult to keep the right pace in his [Wilshere’s] progress.
“Let’s be calm and quiet. There is still a year to go to the World Cup, and let’s see how he improves, how he is consistent.
“Let’s not make stars in just two games.”

So WIlshere is not ready to start every game for Arsenal this season, at least in the eyes of his manager, but there’s no doubt that he is one of the most talented young English players to have emerged in a long time - his poise and composure marks him out from so many young English midfielders, and of course we can thank Monsieur Wenger for that.
Do you think Jack’s ready for Arsenal’s first team?

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7 Comments

  1. Kipp says:

    Wilshere blew me away, i was tapping away at FM getting Newcastle back in the premiership (out of deference to Sir Bobby), and immediately bought him. He was immense. How and ever he was on the pitch for ninety minutes so could make more of an impact than anyone else. When Arshavin was on the ball it was a sight to behold, so much so i may even get a shirt with his name on.
    As for wilshere, it will take time, and Wenger does need to curb expectation because you heap the hopes of a club and a nation on such narrow shoulders and he could become a djemba-djemba in waiting.
    Wenger is the master of this game, let him play it

  2. Ollie says:

    Oh, I agree – Wenger knows.

  3. CHARLES says:

    I would love Wenger to UNLEASH JW this season. I know he is only 17yrs but so was Messi when he made his debut for Barca, and now, look at him. The same can be said of Rooney.Some times you over protect these young talents and it starts messing with their mind.
    Having watched him in the last two games i can only conclude that the boy is a natural talent. His ball possession, skills, ranges of passes are exceptional. I can’t wait to see him in the main squad. I think he has done enough over the last two seasons to break into the first team even if you couple of minutes in each game.

  4. GOONA 4EVA says:

    i think ollie is right talent like this will only be wasted if not played hes as special as messi is and ronaldinho was for barca, ronaldo for united and pato is for milan. jack is a match winner and cud b a cup winner for arsenal in a year or two if arsene let him develop and settle in the first team. well thats what i think but ARSENE knows best

  5. Franz Ramirez says:

    Creo que Wilshire es un crack en crecimiento y que demuestra mayor madurez conforme pasa el tiempo. Yo creo que Wenger le dara las oportunidades necesarias para demostrar su juego y si aprovecha podra hacerse un lugar en el primer equipo. Me alegro que sea parte del Arsenal, porque Wenger es el mejor profesor, que guiara su madurez y motivacion acertadamente. Me encantaria ver a Wilshire con Inglaterra en el Mundial, necesitamos de jugadores talentosos como él

  6. Paulo Henrique says:

    im from brazil and some peoples watched both matchs *emirates cup* and wilsherer impressed us hes such a talent no doubt hes gonna be one of the best in the world . From Brazil

  7. Paulo Henrique says:

    oh i almost forgot hes 100X better than bojan

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