Arsenal Must Play Jack Wilshere Inside

Jack Wilshere has to be played in central midfield if Arsenal are to utilize him correctly.

Arsenal have a plethora of midfield riches. Unfortunately, they are usually injured, but if they are all fit and on form, it is as strong a midfield group as any in the Premier League. The quartet of Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla are most likely challenging for two starting spots between them.

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When fit and firing, these are four top quality midfielders, with Ozil in particular staking claim to being one of the best in the world. When these players are then joined by a supporting cast involving Francis Coquelin, Mohammed Elneny, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joel Campbell, then the midfield options for Arsene Wenger are all of a sudden looking rather strong.

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This is all while forgetting world class talent Alexis Sanchez and the impending transfer of Granit Xhaka, a player who would be expected to grab one of the five starting spots. Consequently, Arsenal have a crowded midfield, and there will be some casualties of having such a big squad.

One casualty so far, in all meanings of the word, has been Jack Wilshere, who has struggled mightily with injuries. Nonetheless, the 24 year old has returned to fitness in the last month of the season, and England manager Roy Hodgson has controversially involved him in his England squad. It is a welcome change of environment for Wilshere, as, when speaking to the media, he states that an alteration in his role is a nice change:

"“With Arsenal I’ve been playing out wide, which is not me. I’m not a wide man. But Roy seems to have faith in me in the middle, so I’m happy with that. I like to play anywhere in the middle. I played the holding role before and I really enjoy that. I was a bit higher up the pitch against Turkey and I enjoyed that.”"

And this is the crux of the issue for many of the young Arsenal midfielders. Players like Ramsey and Wilshere are wanting to play through the middle, and with Cazorla and Ozil currently performing that role well, it is unlikely that it is possible to squeeze all that talent into a starting eleven.

Such issues plagued Arsenal in the 2014/25 season, when Wenger was so insistent in trying to play Ramsey, Cazorla and Ozil in the same team by playing Ramsey wide right. The tactic didn’t work as the Welshman naturally drifted inside, crowded the space in which Cazorla and Ozil could work and significantly reduced the width of Arsenal’s attacking play.

In the same manner, if Wilshere is to return to Arsenal next season, he must be played through the middle, not only for the benefit of him, but also for the benefit of Arsenal. When on form, Wilshere is one of Arsenal’s best players. He controls games, glides past defenders, creates goals and is not afraid to do the dirty work.

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He is a true, all round midfielder, a great asset to this team, but one thing he is not is a winger, and Wenger should take a leaf out of Roy Hodgson’s book and back his young star by starting him where he wants to start: central midfield.