Arsenal: Jack Wilshere Could Still Be Key To Wenger’s Future

Arsenal have given Jack Wilshere every chance in the world but injuries always manage to intervene. Yet somehow he still may be the key to the future. 

I didn’t read all of Piers Morgan’s latest Arsenal rant because, quite frankly, I don’t care enough about what that man thinks. But the headline struck me: “Arsene Wenger built for the future and he failed.”

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That bit rings true. Very true. But there are a few caveats to just accepting it as is. For starters, Wenger was not building for the future much as of five or so years ago. He was just trying to stay relevant with a massive debt. That debt became his top priority, which you are more than welcome to disagree with.

Recently, Wenger has been building almost exclusively for the future. Aside from Ozil, Cech, Alexis and Gabriel, most of Arsenal’s signings have been teenagers who need a couple years.

The future that Wenger build for was on the backs of three guys, Cesc Fabregas, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere. Clearly Fabregas didn’t exactly work out. Ramsey has been hit and miss his entire career. That leaves Jack Wilshere.

Wilshere used to be the future of the club and of the country. He had enough talent to bear that ‘burden’ easily. But it was the injuries that got in the way. Having Wilshere, Ramsey and Fabregas all take several deviations from the planned path set Wenger’s plan back – a lot. He had to overcompensate with purchases he no doubt did not want to make.

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But those purchases were not enough to inject this club with life, as we have seen the past two years. There needs to be something else, some higher degree of motivation that goes beyond money and titles. That motivation exists in the sense of pride in the team. I don’t doubt that Arsenal’s cast has pride in their colors. But none of them have it to the same extent that Jack Wilshere does.

There is still hope for a little vindication for Arsene Wenger if Jack Wilshere can grow into what he was always meant to be. The problem is that he has only one year to do it, as Wenger looks set to (potentially) retire at the end of 2017.

Arsenal need a spiritual leader. I know that sounds cult-like, but they do. They have a massive void where that person should be. The problem is that that void was hand-carved to house Jack Wilshere. If he could have been a presence on this Arsenal team for the past five years, I have no qualms admitting that I believe they would have won a couple of major trophies. Sure, Jack has his downfalls. He can be a bit impetuous, he can short out, he can be reckless. But I am of the belief that those can still be ironed out.

Wilshere can still do it. I’m sure I’m sounding like a broken record, but we have to keep hope. Wenger has given so much to this club, despite how many unexpected blips have come up along the way. Wilshere can be the success story that sends Wenger out on a good note.

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This is not going to be a popular viewpoint, given the last pro-Wilshere article I wrote. But I still have massive faith in Wilshere and Wenger’s ability to do something with next year. And yes, I accept that that probably makes me legally insane.