Club Focus – Arsenal – The question is not if, but where Wilshere should play for England
In an otherwise unwelcome distraction from domestic duties, Jack Wilshere generated intense debate in making his full senior England debut against Denmark. Testament to the precocious youngster’s meteoric rise, the pre-match debate was not about whether he warranted a starting role, but about his role within England’s midfield.
Media attention was inevitable as the 19-year-old secured a first starting role for the Three Lions. His rapid ascendency to full international status came precisely a year after making his Premier League debut whilst on loan at Bolton Wanderers and this exposure was key in his development and prompted Arsene Wenger to resist pleas to extend his loan. Wilshere had been widely tipped to make the grade at Arsenal under Wenger’s tutelage, yet few could have predicted the success he has enjoyed so far this term.
In his breakthrough season, he has firmly established himself in the starting-XI and such has been his impact that he now, along with Alex Song and Cesc Fabregas, forms the key component in the Gunners’ side. It is his role within this midfield triumvirate that has sparked such intense debate in contrast to his deployment in England’s midfield on Wednesday night. There are no doubts that Wilshere merited the chance afforded to him, but the more defensive role he occupied prompted pre-match reporters to query whether Fabio Capello envisaged Wilshere in a deeper role than he plays at club level, essentially going against the views of Wenger.
Don Fabio compared him to Claude Makelélé and Andrea Pirlo and certainly, his cross-field pass in the build up to Darren Bent’s opener was reminiscent of the latter, although pundits questioned whether Wilshere possessed the discipline to occupy the ‘Makelélé role.’ A fact overlooked in their analysis is that Wilshere often occupies this role for his club as Alex Song is nominally the anchorman in Arsenal’s midfield, yet his forays forward often leave Wilshere to hold the fort. Arsenal’s midfield trio lines up as an inverted triangle, but Wilshere’s eagerness to get in possession means he will regularly drop deep to collect the ball from the back four and launch attacks. The defensive role is nothing new to Wilshere, but the step up to international level and the lack of a defensive midfielder alongside acutely highlighted what his club manager already knew.
Wenger appears to be grooming Wilshere to eventually replace Fabregas, yet whilst the Spaniard remains, Wilshere occupies a role deeper than his youthful exuberance would otherwise dictate. Wilshere’s emergence means that Fabregas is once again enjoying the kind of freedom to dictate the tempo of the match that has not been afforded to him since he was partnered by Mathieu Flamini in a flat midfield four. The current trio rotate throughout the course of a match and it is this ability to interchange that has been key to Arsenal’s success this term.
As to the suggestions Wenger hasn’t considered Wilshere as a defensive midfielder, it is through Le Professeur’s intervention, and not as recent media hype suggests that of his international coach, that he occupied the role for England.
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