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The Golden Boy stumbles yet again. Jack Wilshere, all-action superhero and darling of the Gooner faithful, simply cannot seem to shake off the injuries that have plagued him all through his young career.
The boy wonder will miss Arsenal’s marquee clash against Borussia Dortmund this week. And for once, there seems to be far more interesting pursuits for the average Gooner, other than lamenting the troubles of their prized asset.
The Arsenal team that strides out to the turf these days is one that is brimming with a confidence and a sense of purpose that has their opponents startled, to say the least.
The deadline day purchase of a certain bug-eyed superstar has everyone in a trance, as Arsenal ride the euphoria of luring a real gem to the Emirates.
The German has that unique ability to raise the games of his teammates, as his understated and delightful style of play has knit together an Arsenal side that was coming apart at the seams not too long ago.
Everyone has an opinion about the phoenix-like rise of Aaron Ramsey, with “I – told – you – so” and “Wenger knows” the norm today.
The doubles team of Koscielny a.k.a “Bosscielny” and Mertesacker a.k.a the “Big ——- German” (fill in the blanks,kids – but politely) has stood sentinel at the gates – their games raised to another level altogether by the tenacity and bullishness of old boy “Terrier” Mathieu Flamini, who specialises in snapping at the heels of trespassers.
So much so that “Captain Courageous” Thomas Vermaelen cannot find a place in the starting 11!
Szczesny put in his best performance this season in the crunch game against Liverpool, the demons that tormented him last season firmly banished to the dreary underworld they came from. Marauding full-backs Gibbs and Sagna have loved their forays into the opposition half, while proving themselves quietly capable of tracking back and performing their primary duties.
Giroud’s female fan base has risen exponentially with the progression of his on-field game, with the Frenchman basking in the warm glow of redemption. Santi Cazorla has been as busy as ever, with his instantaneous telepathy with Ozil already leaving the opposition powerless to resist.
All this with Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski still nursing injuries, while Rosicky seems to have finally put to rest his own injury woes to provide his characteristic zest and energy in the heart of the midfield.
Any talk of the Arsenal midfield would not be complete without a mention of master Mikel Arteta, whose only mistake has to do with him being born Spanish.
There are others in the cast, but the writer will skip over them, only because he himself is now guilty of what other Gooners have forgotten too, clouded as they are in the rose-tinted view from the top of the table.
And it is that Arsenal need Jack Wilshere, just as much as the prodigy needs this club.
Jack Wilshere represents everything that Arsene Wenger has attempted to do at this club since taking the reins so long ago now. He is the hometown hero, a Gooner through and through. Ten years from now, we could potentially see him mentioned in the same breath as Liverpudlian Steven Gerrard , or Roman Francesco Totti.
Jack Wilshere
And that is something that comes along oh-so-rarely, a true symbol of the club. If a stranger was to ask a Gooner to name one player – just one man – who has the “Arsenal DNA”, there should be no hesitation in naming Wilshere as the rightful heir to that throne.
No disrespect to anyone who has kissed the Arsenal badge and meant it – he is as much a Gooner as the next man. The spirit that this team has shown since the turn of the year has been exemplary – a testament to the fact that every man understands what it means to be an Arsenal player.
But Wilshere’s destiny is tied with the very soul of this football club – he is the beating heart that will take this club to the pinnacle of greatness. Just watch Wilshere take to the pitch the next time he comes on – after this latest injury recedes into the background – all rusty and shorn of match practice.
He will dive into tackles with typical gusto, provoking roars of delight from the crowd. Perhaps even get booked. A minute later he will force himself into the game with another typical tackle, and rise, the ball at his feet.
And with a swivel and a flick more befitting of one so small, he will set off on a run, eyes searching for a teammate making the run. He will impatiently push away a determined opponent, and go past him in a flash; the ball locked in a flirty dance with his feet.
The perfectly weighted pass will elicit oohs and aaahs from the crowd, and maybe a mate will give the act the perfect finish and wheel away in jubilation.
The Gooners will be chanting his name again, and Jackie Boy will give a thumbs-up in appreciation. You will see the full extent of his euphoria when the full-time whistle comes – there is still a job to be done now.
He celebrates every win like a fan would, but takes a defeat even harder. The tears will come – perhaps a ball will be kicked away in anger. His heart and drive on the pitch is a consequence of his abiding love for the club itself, and it has taken over his footballing identity, so much so that the makers of the FIFA game franchise classify him as an “engine”.
Thierry Henry, on his second coming to the club that gave him his footballing identity, memorably said that “this time, I come as an Arsenal fan”.
A price cannot be placed on that kind of passion, especially not when Wilshere was once a kid in the stands, chanting the names of the heroes of yesterday.
When Arsenal will fight it out with the elite on those glorious European nights, rife with tension and nervousness, it is this passion that will take centre-stage for all to see.
In fact, it already has. In moments of doubt, I have a handy HD version of that Arsenal win over Barcelona not too long ago. The way the little genius held his own against the best midfielders of this generation – it spoke to me in a language no other Arsenal player has before.
He only has to look as far as Stevie G to find all the inspiration he needs. Istanbul 2005 saw the man take over the entire pitch – he was everywhere you looked in that miraculous win over the mighty Milan of old.
You see, the heart he showed that day lifted his obviously inferior team to topple the Goliath before them, and in Jack Wilshere, Arsenal have a lifeblood of their own today.
It is a curious thing, this heart that makes us do wondrous and absurd things – both in equal measure. And one that has the potential to make the world go round, as they say.
So, yes, delight in the new-found promise that has put the smile back on Wenger’s face. But forget not his most precious asset – one who will move mountains to take this club to unimaginable heights.
