Why a DM IS a priority by Big Gun
First off, let me say it’s a sigh of relief and a breath of fresh air to see the stalwart that is Peter Cech wearing the red and white. For the last couple of years, in fact since Lehman’s departure, our goalie position has always been one under much scrutiny. Considering Szczesny’s age and lack of top flight experience, I think he has done well overall, but Cech will not only give us stability at the back, but also be a great mentor to the young Pole. Ospina has been tremendous for us, and if rumours are true, it would be sad to see him go but we the sacrifice needs to be made.
Now that the goalkeeping position has been Ceched, we can focus on other areas of the pitch. Interestingly enough, there are some who think we are okay without any additions to the defensive midfield, and if push comes to shove and Coquelin gets injured, we can rely on Wilshere to fill in. The reasoning behind this, is that Jack has been playing this role for his country.
I don’t agree with this notion for two reasons. Jack is naturally an attacking minded midfielder and this is where he excels. He loves to drive forward and play those intricate one twos which as we have seen in the past have formulated into some beautiful and amazing goals. Unfortunately for him, as soon he gets going, he is plagued by injury. This and the fact that we HAVE actually tried him as a DM more than one occasion, and it didn’t work out well, is reason enough not to chance it.
The thing is, when you watch a player after a couple of games, you can see exactly where they are most comfortable. Cazorla for example, we all know is best down the middle. Even if Wenger does put him on the wing, he tends to drift to the middle of the pitch. Ramsey is another player that has been played out of position quite frequently, luckily the guy has the engine of two players, so he is actually capable of covering more ground than most and making it look easier than it actually is.
A defensive midfielder, needs certain attributes to pull it off effectively. They need to have a physical presence, not easily pushed off the ball, good in the air and able to read the game to make critical interceptions. Does this sound like Jack Wilshere to you? Not really no. Maybe a few years ago, because of our financial position, we couldn’t afford to bring in exactly the type of players we needed and were forced to play certain players in makeshift positions. We are no longer in this situation, so why must we keep testing the waters and taking chances that 90% of the time are going to backfire? We are one or two world class players shy of being real title contenders and a European force, let’s bring those players in who have extensive experience in the exact positions we are wanting to strengthen.
Big Gun