If there was a positive from yesterday’s 0-0 draw with Sunderland it was the sight of Jack Wilshere making his first team return after eight months sidelined with a fractured fibula.
The England international, 24, came off the bench on 84 minutes and successfully completed ten of his attempted 11 passes. He’s now got three more Premier League games to persuade Roy Hodgson that he’s worthy of a call-up to England’s EURO 2016 squad.
Obviously pleased to feature in his first league game since the last day of last season, Wilshere told Sky Sports: “It was great to be back on the pitch. For me personally, it is massive, great to be back involved with the first team.
“You can train, you can play with the under-21s all you like but that is where it really matters out there. There is a lot of difference quality-wise.
“The tempo is faster and you are playing against a team in Sunderland who are fighting for their lives – they need to stay up this year – so I think it [the difference] just comes with the occasion, it is a big game, better quality players and it is quicker.”
Wilshere added: “Knowing the boss he is not one just to put me in there because I haven’t been involved all year he must feel I am ready. I have got another big week’s training trying to get fitter, sharper and we will go again next weekend.”
It’s probably a bit too soon for Wilshere to start a game, so Arseblog News fully expects him to be thrown into the fray between 62-67 minutes when Norwich visit the Emirates on Saturday evening.
Fingers crossed he’ll score a tap in with his arse so we can indulge in our annual debasing of Match of the Day’s ‘Goal of the Season’ vote. Right now, it’s all about the small victories…
Only highlight yesterday was seeing Jack step back on the playing field.
But Wenger must go. Just heard that he told a reporter that we must not go overboard with out criticism as we are on a good run, unbeaten in 7 league games.
Is he trolling us?!
I don’t care who plays (within reason), I just want to see 100% left out there on the pitch.
True story Arsen-al fan. C’mon Arsene it ain’t rocket science. Since Santi has been sidelined we’ve looked flatter than a witch’s tit. All your quotes about “the goals will come from all over the pitch” have come back to haunt you like Banquo’s ghost. Play Iwobi, Campbell and Wellbeck. Ditch Theo and Giroud and we’ll see effort at least. What have we got to lose?
Yes! That effort is kind of important in life. I would also rather field youngsters willing to die for a professional contract than some of these entitled ducks who couldn’t care less about the Arsenal.
Theo totally accepted. But Giroud works really hard upfront always competing against physical center backs. Yes his form right now sucks but then again you really can’t fault him for his effort.
Good to see you back on the pitch playing again, and just in time for4th! But the Manager….?!!!
Great. Hope he replaces Ramsey then. As much as I like iwobi I think his brief honeymoon period is over. He’s still young will only get better with time. It’s high time we play Campbell now. Also I hope to see Rosicky play atleast 1 game before the end of the season. Really miss him
“you are playing against a team in Sunderland who are fighting for their lives” – fuck me, it’s like he’s been brainwashed by the manager. Have they developed Stockholm Syndrome or something?
He’s got all the players playing the victim. It’s no wonder nobody wants to take responsibility for making things happen – they literally pass responsibility on.
PS – good to see Jack back
He wasn’t giving an excuse for not winning. He was just saying it was a step up in quality in terms of his own rehab, compared to training and U21 games…
But anything to have a go at the manager obviously (and he’s not exactly in my good books either)…
Crash Fistfight, read Jack’s comments once again, he is talking about himself not the team.
Apologies, both, and everyone who has read my post as a complaint against Jack or that I was accusing him of making excuses for Sunderland.
My point was that the general mind-set at the club is that there’s always a justification as to why things may be hard for the team. Nobody ever says it was our fault for being crap or that we should be better than teams like Sunderland regardless of how determined they are/how shit the ref was/how bad the pitch was/the scheduling/insert reason here.
*also that he used practically the same words as Arsene.
Don’t worry, Jack, you’re one of Wenger’s darlings and he’ll do all his best to make you fit for the Euro, surely at Özil’s expense! But who cares: England first!
Theo there figuring out how best to spend his 140k whilst keeping a straight face.
Welcome back, Jack. Be interesting to see him alongside Coquelin in Cazorla’s absence.
There is absolutely no way barring injury that I would leave Elneny off the pitch right now. Not a single other available option for the midfield has warranted a start ahead of him.
Fuck, by that argument play him at striker. Couldn’t be worse.
Impeccable hair, well done Jack!
Also Big Up for Giroud, every string of hair was perfect the whole game. Impressive!
Not to happy about Chech though, that helmet is soooo ten years ago, hopefully the manager will have a word with him.
Did you see wallcott’s beard? I know that beard is the reason why he’s picked in front of campbell. The qualty of Campbell’s beard is now way near wallcott’s.
I have to have a rant…….nothing to do with Jack, sorry. The story now is we dont have the players to win anything. We dont have the steel, we dont have the finishing. I agree with that at this point in time. But, remember the early part of the season? Alexis energetically tackling back, one Theo Walcott, actually started doing the same………in fact it was infectious stuff by Alexis, the battling part , the bit that without it you win nothing, that was happening all across the pitch. It was the exact same players who are out there now. Can… Read more »
The answer is that the fucking Wenger has lost it. He does not know how to motivate the boys. He seems to let the boys out on the field like sheep without shepherd. I have asked myself, if Diego Simone is our coach, could we do better?… the answer is categorical yes! Wenger has out lived his usefulness. We need a new beginning. The problem with most of us is that we are scared of a change and doesn’t want to take risk… without risk, there is not going to be any success. For how long should we continue to… Read more »
#gettheoldmanout
I’ve always liked Pixies song Debaser, without ever giving a care to the meaning. Gotta love Arseblog, I learn new words quite frequently =)
Wilshere’s passing range from deep is exceptional, as his performances for England prove. It drives me up the wall when people say Hodgson is mad to take him to the Euros; I think Hodgson would be mad NOT to take him. A Dier-Wilshere-Alli trio in midfield is the most tantalising prospect England has seen in years – and with some exceptional forwards coming through too, it would not surprise me to see England do very well this time.
Same optimism before each international tournament. Keep it up
*Obligatory comment on Ramsey, Walcott and Wenger. And why Joel Campbell doesn’t play*
To be honest, I do not use Wenger’s judgements to do anything these days. I beleive Jack should know when he is ready. However, I still think it is too soon for Jack to be rushed into play.
Glad to see Jack back.
Should play him at that false nine position. Couldn’t do anyworse (joking).
Sigh is it next season yet?
? Need to wake up
Pleased Jack’s back, he’s one of our jewels in the crown and I forget how dynamic he can be. Boy did we miss him this season!
Where’s TR7? He always gives 110%. Get him in there. Can’t be any worse than how Ramsey’s playing right now….
It’s perhaps the moment to call time on our Arsenal careers. As a fan I feel that my own life has mirrored the drought years. I have always been close to achieving greatness but falling just short. Yes the FA Cup victories were welcomed when I made some changes, but truth be told I haven’t built on them. I think I’ve had a good run since 1989. It’s time to step aside and see what new fans can bring in terms of success. I accept responsibility for own ineptitude rubbing off on the team and the Manager. Thank you to… Read more »
should have brought him on a bit earlier, and put Ramsey out of his misery. Poor lad had an awful time out there.
Did anyone else see Giroud smile and play with his hair when he was caught stupidly offside?
He can fuck right off imo!
You prefer the type of striker who screams, shouts, calls the ref a cunt and gets sent off for it when things don’t go his way?
Jack should take it easy. The Euros should be secondary in his thoughts. Full recovery should be his preoccupation. Wenger’s worry is having no Arsenal player in the England team nothing more. Sadly he wants to do it at the expense of jack! Sorry jack can’t be ready for the Euros with two games in a season under his belt. He risks getting injured again which will be catastrophic for his career.
What, no comment from Arshavin?
http://s0.tchkcdn.com/g2-Qk5P_ayyDIN9eF5HtG5-Ng/fun/320×260/f/0/1-6-0-3-13603/209871_1060.jpeg
Start him next week along with Coquelin. Can’t imagine they’d do better or worse than Ramsey and Elneny.
Elneny was probably one of our best players and has been performing solidly since signing. Ramsey, yeah fair enough had a torrid time.