Arsenal: Jack Wilshere needed the rain on his parade

Arsenal has employed every possible strategy to keep Jack Wilshere healthy, but the one they are now employing is a new approach, and that is absolutely needed.

If everything had gone according to plan, Jack Wilshere would have been the captain of Arsenal for three years now and he’d have lead them to two Premier League titles and England to the 2014 World Cup. But nothing ever goes according to plan.

The Gunners have always had a spot reserved for Wilshere and he has always risen up to claim that spot every time he returned to health. And then he would get hurt again and we would wait. And the role would never be filled until Wilshere came back.

This is changing as we speak. Wilshere has returned from another injury and, rather than throw him right back into first team competition, Wenger is taking a new approach and taking it slow. His words (as quoted by the Evening Standard):

"I think you have to put this game into perspective as well, it does not exactly have the intensity of a Premier League game. But it’s important for him to build him up gradually."

This patient approach is going to be vital in Wilshere’s return. Mostly because you could see against Doncaster that his match fitness was not totally there. Playing the full 90 was a huge step for the Englishman, but asking him to do the same at the level of the Premier League is either asking him to over-exert himself and risk injury or asking the team to suffer from him holding back.

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Neither is a desirable scenario and neither should sound appetizing at all.

Instead, Wenger is right to rain on Wilshere’s parade and remind everyone that there are still several steps before the prodigal son returns to his throne. Or, better yet, returns to even compete for that throne.

At this point, something different had to be done. There is always such a rousing feeling of celebration when Wilshere comes back and we just want to see him thrown right into the fray, but this has trouble written all over it.

Not once did Wilshere look in danger against Doncaster, and I have to think that this trend will continue in these secondary competitions. And, once he has proven that this is his new style and that his match fitness is there, that’s when he can start competing to get his spot back.

Whether that be in a month or in 2018, it makes little difference.

Next: 5 Things Learned Against Doncaster Rovers

Still, it’s pretty obvious that Wenger has been reluctant to find a suitable replacement for Wilshere, seeing as how the midfield is still tremendously undermanned, so while the patience is necessary, and also refreshing, we have to keep in mind that there needs to be a time limit here. As in, if January rolls around and we can start negotiating with Leon Goretzka, you do it. Wilshere has the talent to be a competitor no matter who we bring in.

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