Is Wilshere's future as a wide playmaker?

Could Jack Wilshere be equally influential out wide? (Getty Images)

Jack Wilshere has proven to be quite a dilemma for Arsene Wenger. He is the real deal of course – one of the most talented English youngsters out there (probably the most promising one) – and a potential Arsenal captain in the future. But he doesn’t seem to have a permanent role at Arsenal at the moment.

Think about Arsenal without Wilshere from the start of the season and the last few weeks where their midfield was at its most stable with the double pivots of Mikel Arteta and Abou Diaby or Arteta and Aaron Ramsey. It’s no coincidence that both periods coincided with Arsenal’s most talented youngster’s absence.

What exactly is the problem then? In the number 10 role, Wilshere lacks the final end product and decisiveness that someone like Santi Cazorla possesses. And as one part of a double pivot with Arteta, he tends to overcommit further up the pitch, thus providing lesser defensive support to an isolated Arteta; something which Ramsey or Diaby don’t do.

Which begs the question: with Arteta and Ramsey doing so well in the middle and the revitalized Tomas Rosicky and Cazorla more than able to play in the hole, where does Wilshere fit in?

Of course, many see Wilshere as a number 10 in the future (other than his kit number). He may not be clinical right now but he’s only 21-years-old and it’s easy to forget that Cesc Fabregas only truly became clinical in the 2009/2010 season when he was 22. Though in Wilshere’s defence, Fabregas was more experienced at the time.

However, I’d like to see Wilshere deployed as a wide playmaker – similar to the roles David Silva and Andres Iniesta play for their respective clubs.

Wilshere at youth level has experience playing out wide but more as a traditional winger. But to see him play the role of a wide playmaker where he would have to drop into the holes between the opposition’s midfield and defence, run at them and spray passes forward. Wilshere certainly has the dribbling ability to play that role and cause a lot of havoc.

If you look at the likes of Iniesta and Silva, despite being deployed out wide, they still interchange with the central midfielders and are able to create chances.

Personally, Cazorla – who is currently played in the wide playmaker role – is more effective than Wilshere in the number 10 role with finishing being a main factor, as the Spaniard has 12 goals to his name in his debut season.

And with Podolski’s lingering injury problems, which has seen him not start a league game since January, Wilshere should get a chance on the left-hand side of Arsenal’s front four. Arsenal should experiment with him there and if it does work out in their favour, they could give Wilshere a permanent role.

Wilshere is only 21, and is already 7 appearances away from making his 100th Arsenal appearance. There is a lot of time for him and Wenger to figure out his best position at the club.