Of course we always want the best from the Arsenal players, whether they are playing for club or country. Not only does it give us an interest in the international matches not involving our own country, it is interesting to see how each Gunner does with other players around them.
When it is your own nation playing that becomes even more important, so being English I hope to see the likes of Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott playing well, but all three have had problems of one sort or another in their international careers recently.
Arsene Wenger has been talking about that and as a report in the Evening Standard explains, he is hoping that their need to get their England careers up and running again may well help Arsenal to get the most out of the trio in the coming months.
The Frenchman said, “It’s a massive season for them because they have not been regularly involved in the English national team and they all belong to the English national team.
“There’s a new possibility for them because there’s a new coach [Sam Allardyce] in the English national team.
“But especially, I think what is most important is for them to do well for their club. They have been frustrated last season on that front. All three have a point to prove.”
They certainly do, but the question is if they will react in the right way to this pressure, or even whether their form will be good enough to see them play regularly for Arsenal in order to make sure of their inclusion in the England squad.
Wenger did not even mention Kieran Gibbs, so does this mean he is not really in the manager’s first team plans and so unlikely to get another chance with the three lions? And will the Ox, Wilshere and Walcott go the same way or respond in the way Wenger wants?
Bob.