Arsenal debate – Should Wilshere drop to the bench?

The West Brom game has come and gone and while
it was not the result we were looking for, we are still
top of the league with a single point gained. Nobody
ever thought that the path to a premier league
trophy would be filled with easy games and
everlasting unbeaten runs. However I smell trouble in
our midfield. There used to be a time when our
midfield selected itself automatically because our
bench was weak. So players like Jack Wilshere and
Aaron Ramsey got games, whether or not they were
in top form. Back then all we were playing for really
was Champions league qualification. Fast forward to
the present and we are title contenders who
currently top the league.
The issue now is, will Wenger fall prey to the
temptations of the past that had him giving games
to players that are out of form at the expense of the
team or will he be fielding his best eleven? I am sure
you all know were I am going with this. The West
Brom game was a difficult one and we nearly lost it.
Tomas Rosicky would have made the difference, just
like he did against Napoli. But the boss gave Jack
Wilshere the nod and with the exception of his
deflected goal, we was the weak link and our worst
player on the pitch.
It was not necessarily because he is a bad player.
Wilshere just cannot cut it on the left of midfield and
his style doesn't mix well with Ozil and Cazorla.
When Wilshere and Cazorla are on the pitch, the
Spaniard suffers just like Ozil is suffering now and
Ozil and Cazorla are two of our finest midfielders who
can literally walk into the starting eleven of any top
team in the world.
And therein lies the dilemma. What does Wenger do
with Jack Wilshere? Ozil, Cazorla, Rosicky and
Ramsey are all better than Wilshere on current form.
So do we play our best eleven on match days or do
we sacrifice that just to accommodate Wilshere? We
are trying to win the league here and when that is
your ambition, there can be no room for sentiment.
Yes we have learnt our lesson with Ramsey and I am
not saying that Jack should not get games or that we
should give up on him. What I am saying is that he
must earn his place in the starting eleven and at the
moment, his best position is on the bench, where he
will be a useful squad player.
Jack is no better than Oxlade Chamberlain or Lucas
Podolski and these two players are regular bench
warmers these days when fit. Heck, even Mario
Goetze sits on the bench at Bayern! So why did
Wenger play Jack again instead of Tomas? My guess
is that he was worried about the media using the
opportunity of a benched Wilshere to perpetuate the
cigarette issue. So Rosicky had to sit out the first half
against West Brom so that Wenger could avoid a
public relations media storm against Wilshere. The
outcome is that we drew a game that we could have
won. I am not sure this is a move we can afford to
make a habit of if we are serious about winning the
league.
So who will be playing on the left of an attacking
three after the international break? Wilshere or
Cazorla? That question should be a no-brainer but
with Wenger, you never know. With Theo Walcott on
the right of Giroud, I believe that our team will have
better balance with Cazorla on the left while Flamini,
Ramsey and Ozil play behind the front three. Arteta,
Wilshere and Rosicky drop to the bench as super
subs along with Podolski and Chamberlain. What a
bench that would be. What do you guys think?
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