Arsenal: Jack Wilshere Is A Meshing Of Eras

Arsenal’s golden boy Jack Wilshere has always been destined for great things, but being destined and actually coming to fruition are two different things.

It was just a couple months ago that I penned an article claiming that Jack Wilshere had turned a corner. His focus was clearly on the team. The only time we would see Jack Wilshere was when he was posting workout videos or when he was at charity events. It looked like the drinking incidents were behind him.

Well, that was short-lived, because broken-legged Jack Wilshere was kicked out of a nightclub in the wee hours of a Sunday morning. The report goes on to state that Wilshere ended up spitting on a Tottenham-supporting cab driver for refusing him service, as the driver felt Wilshere was too drunk (isn’t that the point of a cab?).

Call it Jack Wilshere’s version of the setback. While there is no club policy against what he did, as the Mirror points out, Arsene Wenger is going to be less than pleased that his ‘prodigal son’ has fallen back into his old ways.

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It feels like Jack Wilshere picked up the worst part of two eras at Arsenal. It was just before Arsene Wenger arrived that drinking and clubbing were regular parts of life. The old British Arsenal celebrated with drinks, were hungover at practice, and still found relative success. It’s just what British players did.

But Wenger ended that. Wenger put a new focus on health, conditioning, and cutting out bad habits. Wilshere never picked up that part. He picked up the ‘glory days’ of clubbing until the sun rose.

He also picked up the ‘extremist fan’ piece of the past. Not that there is any more love between the North London clubs nowadays, but Wilshere takes his hatred of Tottenham to new levels, almost ‘hooligan’ levels.

What the did Wilshere take of the current era at Arsenal?

Injuries.