Jack Wilshere, Ross Barkley and a very English problem

Joshua Faulkner wonders if footballing talent equates to excellence or mediocre versatility…

Jack Wilshere and Ross Barkley were considered two of the most prodigal talents in the country, sculpted and crafted to lead England’s assault to International acclaim. Well, that was at least the idea. Both individuals however, continue to struggle with the idea of honing and mastering a set position.

Wilshere has failed to create an identity midfield; is he a tenacious ball-winning midfielder or the more appropriately tuned English Andrea Pirlo (Jack Colback aside) that is able to tactically control the tempo of a game and spray precision passes across the field? Barkley meanwhile had claimed in the past he would be best played as a central striker, whilst his managers at both club and International level have utilized him in central midfield, the no 10. role and, on the odd occasion, out wide. Continue reading

No Love Lost for Jack Wilshere

TFN’s Simon Smith returns with an in-depth look at where Jack Wilshere is right now…

In September 2013, Jack Wilshere gave an interview looking forward to the season ahead, what he hoped to achieve, what Arsenal might accomplish and in particular how he might go about amending his “joke” of a goalscoring record.  Somewhere along the line, everything went terribly wrong: he became “terrible”, he couldn’t match the performances of the now meteorically rising Aaron Ramsey and he was a worse player than his rose tinted breakthrough season.  The criticism that Jack needed to improve was everywhere, least of all from the man himself, and yet a year later the very season he looked forward to was being used as a stick to beat him with.

In the shadow of club teammates, incapable of stepping up for the retiring Gerard and Lampard for Country, humiliated in the now infamous Paul Scholes interview and seemingly more interested in his off field smoking habits: it was hard to envisage a way back for Jack Wilshere.  Somehow Autumn has set in with a perceived upturn in Jack’s fortunes.  Four Four Two recently ran an article asking titled “Is Jack Back”, his England performances have been much praised despite the unfamiliar role at the base of the diamond, and at times he has looked more dependable for Arsenal than recent years.  In a year of extremes for the player, are we seeing a reinvigorated Jack Wilshere? Continue reading

Jack Wilshere: At Risk of Being Lost in Limbo for Arsenal and England?

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TFN debutant Phil Mann ponders whether the Arsenal and England midfielder’s uniqueness for country and versatility for his club may hamper attempts to turn his undoubted talent into irrefutable greatness…

“The problem is he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to be doing. Coming or going. Attacking or defending. Wenger and England – sometimes they just don’t know what to do with him or how best to use him.”

It takes a brave soul to argue with the insight of a towering, pissed up football fan. In fact, it is probably a hard-learnt truism that most advice received whilst standing at a urinal in a pub is best demurely agreed to.

It is the final day of the 2012-2013 season. Arsenal are about to play Newcastle at St James Park, everyone nauseous – not the effects of a dodgy lasagne – but the sinking realization that Arsene Wenger’s feat of keeping Arsenal in the Champions League for 16 consecutive years may just be about to end. Yet the player fuelling so much discussion beforehand is Arsenal prodigy, Jack Wilshere.

Whilst the final day of the season was a successful one for Arsenal, it did little to answer the growing number of questions over the state of the club. A small reason for optimism is Wilshere, who, after an unusually protracted series of injuries and layoffs, is beginning to show signs of why he had come to be regarded as England’s best young midfielder. Continue reading

No Longer Prospects Without Positions: Jones and Wilshere Break old English Mould

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Making his debut for The False NineGreg Johnson casts his eye over the country’s antiquated outlook on football, and bemoans the cult of the individual hero…

Phil Jones’ second season at Manchester United began muted by injury. The sight of him initially struggling to find form felt strangely and shamefully satisfying, and yet as he limped off on Monday night against Reading the only thoughts that one could conjure were those of loss and interruption.

A series of gut-busting displays last year flicked the switch on the Phil Jones hype machine, which quickly spiralled out of control. In no time at all, the versatile young defender was being touted as the nation’s latest elemental wonderkid and a future saviour and captain of England. It appeared amorphous potential and purely physical gifts had once again seduced pundits into holding faith in one of English football’s most dangerous and enduring myths: the cult of the individual hero. Continue reading

Can Arsenal Outgun Bayern?

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David Dodds and Simon Smith preview the eye-catching clash between North London and Bavaria…

An interesting tie between two of Europe’s biggest clubs has gone a little unnoticed. Both in the shadow of the massive clash between Manchester United and Real Madrid and because of the perception of the Bavarians as hot favourites for the quarter finals, Arsenal versus Bayern Munich has slipped through the cracks of our attention somewhat.  Nonetheless it promises to be an intriguing matchup. Both are attacking minded teams with undoubted talent in the forward line and the ability to exploit each other’s defensive flaws. Continue reading

Underbelly of World Talent Takes Centre-Stage

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As the Champions League returns for the knockout stage, James Dutton looks at some of the names ready to light up the competition…

It is an old adage in the football world that has been popularized over time; if you lay any claim to be amongst the best in world football, either at present or through the ages, then you have to prove it on the greatest stage of all – the World Cup.

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Another False Dawn for England?

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The False Nine editor, James Dutton, looks into Theo Walcott’s claim that this is the best England squad in his time with the national side…

So Theo Walcott has claimed this is the best England squad he’s been part of.

It certainly is a bold claim from the Arsenal forward. After all, this is the same Walcott who was plucked from Arsenal’s reserves by Sven Goran Eriksson at the age of 16 and invited to experience, first hand, England’s 2006 World Cup debacle. WAGs, metatarsals and prima donnas dominated the headlines, whilst poor little Theo was forced to watch on helpless. Continue reading