Jack Wilshere - Club legend or glory hunter?

Over the past few seasons, Arsenal fans have had to deal with important players leaving the club at the wrong time. It started with Hleb and Flamini, then Clichy, Nasri and Fabregas, ending with Robin van Persie at the end of last season. Now, with no other seemingly important players in sight, the guns have turned on young Jack Wilshere. With him performing week in week out, there have, inevitably, been questions about whether Wilshere deserves a better team and if he should look for other options.

Modern day footballers claim that they moved to a particular team to win trophies when the reality is that they would go where they would get the highest wages. There are only very few people who have remained with their club, irrespective of whether or not they were winning trophies. Gerrard is the first person who comes to mind. He was a Scouser through and through, and did not leave the club when he could, in spite of not even coming close to winning the league. He dragged the team when in need, and channelled the skills of his team-mates to make them a competitive force.

Should Wilshere follow Gerrard’s footsteps or should he go the RvP way?

Club Legend

Jack Wilshere has, apart from a short spell at Luton Town, has been at Arsenal since his school days. He’s grown up in the Arsenal way, and loves the club, not just as a player, but a fan as well. If nothing, he would want to see the club start winning trophies again. After the last minute blunder in the League Cup final against Birmingham City, Jack was seen crying and you could see that it hurt him a lot. Agreed, every player would feel sorrow when they lose the chance to win a medal, but they wouldn’t show the kind of emotions that he did.

Along with a love for the club, he has this incredible ability to drive the game forward. Often, when the team is unable to make inroads into the opposition’s box, he takes it upon himself to take the ball in the midfield and then take it past opponents, thereby creating panic in the defence. As a result, the opposition tends to put more than one person on him when he is on the attack, which frees up space for others.

Another important contribution that Wilshere makes to the team is the in-your-face attitude. Never to back down from a confrontation, he’s brought much needed steel to the Arsenal midfield, which was, over the past few years, accused of being too weak and frail. While in the past he may have gotten red carded because of his temper, he has channelled it this season and used his aggression so that he can intimidate the opponent without having to worry too much about being penalised by the referee. Where previously he used to lash out without thinking, he now takes the game to the opposition and makes it known to them that he is not one to be bogged down with their late tackles and intimidation tactics.

Trophies and Medals

There is the other, and equally valid argument that a football player will always be judged by the number of medals that he has won in his career. When history books are opened, it is only the ones having won most trophies who would be remembered. Would Alexander Hleb, for all his talent, ever be recalled in 15 years’ time? No, he will not, apart from the diehard Arsenal fans who have watched him play.

If the present situation at Arsenal is taken into consideration, you will find that the chances of Arsenal winning a trophy are going down every year. Unless they find a formula which will help them start winning trophies again, Jack is in danger of not winning any medal any time soon, considering that neither is England much of a team to write home about. In that case, he would have to look for teams that have a greater chance of winning trophies.

To be or not to be?

Only Jack Wilshere can decide what Jack Wilshere wants. Okay, perhaps his agent has a say too. In the end, Wilshere needs to keep one thing in mind. Will Robin van Persie ever get a statue at the Grove or at Old Trafford? No. Will Tomas Rosicky ever be forgotten by the Arsenal faithful? Highly unlikely. If he stays at Arsenal, he will forever be remembered by the fans and he has the ability to ensure that Arsenal gets back to winning ways. He’s been Arsenal through and through, is a fan and would enjoy it even more if he won trophies with this club. If he goes to another club, he may be guaranteed trophies, but it won’t mean the same. That’s why people like Steven Gerrard do not change clubs and are forever revered.

So, to be or not to be at Arsenal? Now, that is a serious question.