Arsene Wenger says that Stuart Pearce’s statement about Jack Wilshere was ‘not completely helpful’ and revealed he’s unsure if Jack Wilshere will even be fit to start next season.
Earlier this week Pearce named Wilshere in his provisional 80 man long-list for the Olympics, but the Arsenal manager is concerned that setting targets for the midfielder is counter-productive at this stage.
Wenger seemed resigned to Pearce being a bit of a dick, having had poor experiences before which left Theo Walcott injured and unavailable for Arsenal, and says that Wilshere’s progress is slow and uncertain.
“You cannot say his statement was completely helpful. But it was not really a surprise,” he said, referring to his previous with Pearce.
He then re-iterated his caution over a player who has missed a whole year of his career hoping to make a comeback in a tournament, and the damage it might do to him if he didn’t make that deadline.
“I am cautious with him,” he said. “Imagine you are 20 years old and you play in the national team. You prepare and suddenly, nothing at all.
“You get the first knock, the second knock, you think ‘OK, at least I will be ready for the Euro.’ Then you have to convince him, ‘look my friend, it will not work for the Euros.’ You knock him down again. Then, you set him another target. If he doesn’t make it, he will lose a complete appetite for rehab because it’s difficult.
“You must work every day out there, not knowing when you come back. If you say, ‘You can go to the Olympics’ and he doesn’t make it, what do you give him after? Let’s take our time and not set any specific targets. The most important thing for him is to focus on day-to-day work and see if he can get better.”
“I do not want to set the Olympics as a target because I do not know whether he will be fit to start at the beginning of the season,” he added. “It is just our target to get him to improve.
“When we start on July 9, if he can join in then we have won the battle, but that is not guaranteed.”
Fears over Jack not starting next season may well be a case of lowering his expectations but such is his injury and the way it’s recurred there are genuine fears that his comeback could be delayed even further.
One can only hope that Pearce puts aside his desire to be seen as some kind of authority figure, rather than a bumbling caretaker, and takes into account what’s best for Jack Wilshere. Whatever point he feels he needs to prove to Arsene Wenger may come at the expense of one of England’s most prodigious talents, so fingers crossed he sees sense.
Otherwise he might send Jack’s career the same way as his penalty in 1990.
Stuart Pearce’s vendetta against Arsene is just getting pathetic now…
I don’t think he has any vendetta against Arsenal, he’s just a stupid man trying to look like the alpha male.
it’s probably a nice healthy mix of both.
wish pearce would just stay in his house,polishing his sex pistols records and leave all the managing and penalty missing to someone else.
arsene wengers responses are always so well thought out .. you gotta love that , i hope jw19 is fit for the new season added with some new players we could have a winning team
Yeah some interesting insights into le Prof’s man-management philosophies here.
Take your time Jack. Take another season if you have to. Don’t rush things and end up with an injury-plagued career – you’re simply too good for that tired old story. Jack will be back when he’s good and ready, so I hope Arsenal fans give him some space and support.
after some of the mental comments I see on these boards it’s refreshing to read something like this. Good man.
I’m hoping wenger might be doing some reverse psychology, seeing as how jackie keeps getting his hopes shattered by setbacks maybe jack isn’t that far and he’s, somewhat, playing it down so that jacks spirits are much higher if he does become fit. Then again I think I’m just being hopeful..
Can’t we just squirrel him away somewhere for the summer? Then when Pearce comes knocking, we could all just feign innocence and pretend that the suspiciously Squillaci-looking Jack Wilshere is ready to take part in the shit-fest that is the Olympics.
What the fuck injury did Wilshire get again? I know he reinjured his heel or something, but is his original injury still bothering him? This recovery time is ridiculous.
80 man long-list? That’s ridiculous. Doesn’t Pearce have any clue about the players that are available or has he simply pulled up a list of anyone that is the correct age, regardless of ability or fitness?
Pearce comes from the era when it was said, even if your are injured when your country comes calling you just break a leg. Hense the reason to each tournament England always takes injured players and leave the fit ones at home.
Here is a young player S P should have in his squad – The JeT!
But he is to blinkered to spot the obvious, and is not ready to shake off the title of the nearly man!
some professional footballers do not deserve the chance they have got and do not realise how lucky they are and the jet is 1 one of them
Many children, young adults, sports men and women have made several mistakes in their life time. What should we as adult do? Label them with that for the remainder of their lives? Pick out the ones whose face fits and over discard the others? Would that make us better parents, adults, teachers, leaders, a better society? Few of our politician lead by example yet we vote corrupt ones into office. A few of the top English footballer stars are a disgrace, yet we heap praise and over look their bad behaviour time and again. But for anyone working with children… Read more »
Ian Wright as a youngster might never have make it through the Arsenal Academy, yet he became an Arsenal legend!
@The BearMan
nurture kids,
forgive adults,
and vote ”none of the above”
I’m loving the thought provoking rhetoric this morning, very interesting stuff. However, as Stuart Pearce is an adult, should we forgive him for being a bellend? In confused.
Stuart Pearce continues to show us what the FA stands for: Fuck All (or Fuck Arsenal, if you like). I’m sick of this little ‘nearly man’ of a manager trying to prove that a made up national side (Team GB) is somehow bigger than a club side that is responsible for all the training, development, and rehab of players.
Again why I think all Olympic national sides- regardless of sport- should be made up amateurs and not professional players. Having pros compete lessens the spectacle of the Olympic games…
Jack,should focus on next season. He should not rush into playing at the Olympics,but should be 100% fit for his club next season. Is because of his absence Arsene Wenger is allowing Ramsy to play stupidly in that midfield. So Dear Jack,don’t be in a hurry,you still gat many years on your side to play for your country. O.k.
Leave Ramsey alone, support him or go fucking support another team! I’m fucking sick of the utter shite that comes out of the mouths of so called Arsenal fans about our players. Criticism is fine but for fucks sake give it a rest you moaning cunts!! As long as he puts on the shirt I’ll support him, get a grip!!
has everyone simply forgotten the horrific injury that put ramsey where he is in the first place!? shocking some of the stuff people won’t say about him. I hope no one toes this line with wilshere when inevitably he comes back and isn’t at 100% sharpness.
Agreed. Many are happy to continually (and rightly) slag Shawcross for his leg-snapper but where’s the patience and the support for his victim – Ramsey.
Ramsey may not have had the best of seasons but he works hard and he’s no Denilson and is far from being the last player I’d put a quid on for player of the season next season.
Stuart Pearce infuriates me. He’s proving yet again that he’s willing to risk the career of one of the most promising English youngsters in years just so that he can throw his weight around and say ‘look at me I’m important!!!!’ Seriously. Fuck off Pearce, leave Jack’s rehab to someone who cares about HIM, not about their own ego – namely Arsene Wenger.
What else could you possibly expect from ManC affiliates…
“You cannot say his statement was completely helpful. But it was not really a surprise,” he said, referring to his previous with Pearce.
Man i’m sure in his head the above statement sounded like a cuss fest…
Hope Jack stands his ground…Pearce couldnt possibly drag a player unsure of his fitness (against his will)…
Pearce aside, it is unbelievable how long term injuries happens so often to us and how bad we deal with them.
Every God damn season ffs.
all clubs have this problem.
it really isn’t ”just us”
look at the spuds for instants . two of their best players in the last 20 years had career ruining injuries (darren anderten and ledly king). and sol cambell, their captain and best player ever joined a real team the first chance he took.
Cheers Old Man G, you just cheered me up by highlighting some Spuds misfortune. Just hoping Bale and Modric jump ship this summer they sink back to their natural level of mid table mediocrity. Sorry to go off thread-Pearce is a cunny of the highest order.
I’ve never seen any player being talked about this much when he is out injured!!!. So leave the kid and his twitter account alone.
Pearce was slapped down by capello when he wanted Jack to play in the U21 tournament, Now capello has gone, pearce is looking to get one up on wenger, instead of putting what is best for Jack first, Pearce is a complete and utter numpty!
[…] some worrying stuff from Arsene about Jack Wilshere, his recovery from injury and his unhappiness with Stuart Pearce. What it highlights, for me at […]
Pearce is just a mouth dribbling idiot. The very thought of him managing our national team is enough to give you nightmares.
If for some reason, the FA manage to reach heights of idiocy and appoint him as England’s no. 1 then you might as well sound the death knell for not only England achieving anything but also for the respect other nations have for us.
I used to like Pearce………………used to.
The only reason I don’t want jack going to the olympics is because of the kind of committed player he is, he will give a 100 % no matter what his condition if and when picked to play because thats just the kind of top lad he is. Pearce needs to show a bit of common sense here and do the right thing, not fast track him, allow him to go through a decent pre-season and pick things up from there. I’m sure there are plenty other players that would be more than willing to take his place.
It seems Pearce is always prepared to be authorative and bullish with wenger, but not so with the fergie’s of this world. Pearce is a joke
Calm down guys, there’s no need to panic!
If Jack isn’t fit, he won’t play in the Olympics, simple!
Don’t hear anyone complaining about Rambo being in the squad, he’s played a lot of games this season & is most prob in the ‘red zone’
The last thing we need is tired or injured players for next season!
It’s simple, Pearce is now officially a cunt, trying to prove that he is in control and the king of the jungle, idiot.
My thoughts too.
Never liked pearce, seems difficult to get on with, it’s something about the way he talks and expresses himself that pisses me off. People in the press say he’s an awkward twat when giving one to one interviews.
Jack will listen to arsene and not the twat.
I reckon wengers just saying Wilshere might not be fit for next season to get pearce off his case. well i hope so anyway
Yes Pearce is a cunt, but JW should show a bit of loyalty to his club and manager and slap the prick down by ruling himself out of the GB squad now. He should be concentrating on getting fit for the new season and the club that has been paying his wages, medical bills and caring for him while he has been injured. Its clear that Pearse couldnt give two fucks about him. Who gives a flying fuck who wins the football in the Olympics, it should be just for amatuers anyway.
Pearce is out of his league and he’s got shifty eyes.
pearce can dowse himself in petrol and jump into a fireplace at his next family gathering.
has no idea what the phrase ‘in the players best interest’ could mean. he isn’t playing the game in the mindset of the past where you put your country before your body. he’s playing the game in the mindset of ‘i don’t give a fick about the players or if they’re injured. they’ll play if i need them to play so i can win games and raise my profile’
go fuck yourself pearce. you’re a fucking dirty selfish cunt.