Stars Are Aligning for the Return of Jack Wilshere to Arsenal

After a horridly embarrassing affair that saw Arsenal lose to an “easy draw” team like Monaco in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League tie, Arsenal faithful are clamoring for changes. And rightfully so. Four awful performances and many more sub par ones and the starting XI against Everton could see some different faces.

One change that needs to happen, although I don’t think it will, is Jack Wilshere for Francis Coquelin.

There haven’t been many times in Jack Wilshere’s career where things seemed to go right, and while no loss is right, particularly one like we just experienced, the performance put in by Coquelin further highlighted his weaknesses and should open the door wide for Jack Wilshere to enter.

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There are several contributing factors to why Wilshere needs to step into the role that Coquelin has assumed.

First of all, Coquelin looked bad against Monaco. “Yeah but who didn’t, right?” Right, but Coquelin looked a different kind of bad. He looked rash and uncontrollable. We’ve long craved a physical defensive-minded midfielder to dominate the center of the pitch, and while Coquelin may have fit the bill for a while, it may be time to sit him down and let him cool off.

Coquelin was incredibly lucky not to get double yellow carded. His tackles, particularly after he loses the ball, show such a lack of discipline that he has to be taught a lesson. Getting a yellow card that early in the game can be detrimental to a team, especially for a player at his position.

Next, Jack Wilshere displayed how adept he was at the deep-lying midfield role when playing it for the English National team. Well, with Walcott, Welbeck, the Ox, Gibbs and Englishman running all over the place, why not make Wilshere feel a bit more at home and put him in the role?

He previously made it known that Wenger didn’t want him to play this defensive role, but I think it’s time for Wenger to give it a go. Will he? Probably not, but I just want to be on record as saying (yet again) that there is nothing to lose by giving him that opportunity.

Finally, Wilshere just needs to get back onto the pitch. Wenger has made it clear that Jack will have a hard time working his way into the starting XI. But if Danny Welbeck is still starting, how hard can it be? I don’t expect Alexis Sanchez or Santi Cazorla to make way, but Coquelin has been under performing and he seems the type of player that is going to over-try in all the wrong ways when things go badly, as he did against Monaco.

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Give the green light to Jack Wilshere. And while we’re at it, can we please put Theo Walcott in over Danny Welbeck? I understand that we can’t just go into panic mode because of one loss but a couple well-placed changes like the ones made after Southampton could instill confidence and send some needed messages.

After Southampton, Wojciech Szczesny and Kieran Gibbs (strangely) made way for David Ospina and Nacho Monreal. The two replacements did incredibly well while the two starters are reportedly reacting wonderfully. We know Gibbs is, given his great form that he never really lost.

So why couldn’t the same happen for Jack Wilshere or Theo Walcott and the guys they replace? Wenger has immense respect from his players and any message he sends will be heard loud and clear. And if it isn’t, then they just aren’t worth the time he’s spent on them.

What do you say? Who should we start at holding mid against Everton?

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Next: Who Played the Worst for Arsenal against Monaco?