We have a duty to Jack Wilshere
Add comment August 4th, 2009
So, the Emirates Cup has been and gone and it was all about Jack Wilshere. Having come off the bench to win the man of the match award against Athletico Madrid, he started and starred against Rangers with a two goal display. Highlights of the 3-0 victory (in which Eduardo grabbed our other other goal) can be seen here; highlights of Wilshere’s performance here.
After the match the hype hit an all-time high, with Fabio Capello’s presence in the stands prompting a string of stories about Wilshere going to the the World Cup next summer. It’s not that I find that a particularly outrageous suggestion – it’s something I’ve mentioned before myself in the past – but the last place I want to hear it spoken is among Arsenal fans.
Jack is gifted, but principally he is a gift. A local lad with extraordinary talent is not something that comes along too often. Managing his progression over the next few years is one of the most important tasks this club faces in forthcoming seasons.
Fortunately, we have the perfect manager for the job. Arsene’s measured response to the teenager’s performance won’t have surprised any observers. Let’s not forget: last pre-season Wilshere was similarly revelatory, and went on to play in our second league game at Ewood Park, only to fade from first-team contention as the season progressed. Whose to say there won’t be a similar pattern this year?
Have patience with Jack: he will come good. I haven’t seen many players with his ability, and he won’t lose that. It’s just a question of adaptation. As much as we all want to see him in the first team immediately, we don’t need to. And more crucially, he doesn’t need it. Theo Walcott needed to be thrown in as a seventeen-year old in order to get his footballing ability up to speed – Wilshere requires no such development.
One thing that would have opened the first-team door for Jack would have been the sale of Emmanuel Eboue, but the Ivorian is now set to say after Fiorentina refused to up their bid beyond £4.5m.
Philippe Senderos, meanwhile, has been sold and the national press is finally starting to pick up on a story that myself and arseblog have run since Saturday.
We have finally made a move for Marouane Chamakh, and been knocked back. A week ago we made an offer of around £5m, but it has been rejected. Chamakh himself isn’t best pleased, and Arsene seems unwilling to up the bid:
“In five months, if he doesn’t prolong his contract, Chamakh will be free to talk to any club and Bordeaux won’t get anything. In the current context, to me, it is over. Let’s say that at the moment it is terminated. I like Chamakh, he is a forward that attracts me, but I already have (Theo) Walcott, (Nicklas) Bendtner, (Robin) Van Persie, (Andriy) Arshavin and Eduardo. I am in no rush. My offer seems fair to me, taking the market into account. Chamakh would be good, but there are other options should we wish to pursue them.”
It’s sound logic. Why pay plenty now when he’s available for nothing in a year’s time? Frankly, I’m not hugely bothered either way: if we sign him, great – if not, I don’t think we’ll be any weaker heading into the new season.
Perhaps one of the alternatives Arsene mentions is Salomon Kalou. The Sun links us with a £6m move for the Ivorian attacker, but it’s easy to doubt the integrity of an article that claims Kalou is 28 when he is in fact 24 tomorrow (unless, of course, they know something we don’t).
Kalou is an infuriating player for Chelsea fans – huge potential, occasional brilliance, but vast erraticism. Imagine Walcott with more stepovers and better in the air. Kalou would, however, be able to play in any position in our new-look front three, so would make sense as a squad buy.
Franch coach Raymond Domenech has urged Patrick Vieira to make a decisions about his future after leaving him out of the latest France squad. For emotional reasons, I’d love to see him back at Arsenal. Perhaps we’ll hear more this week.
ArsenalTVOnline brings you live coverage of an Arsenal training session today. Check it out at 11.30am.
