Wilshere; Forever In Ramsey's Shadow?

This is exactly the stage we currently find Jack at. He is free at last of the shackles of injury. He has all the tools needed to make a box-to-box role his own. Indeed, at the Emirates Cup and the impressive Charity Shield Mauling of City, we witnessed what could be a saliva-inducing partnership. When Ramsey attacked, Wilshere stood back. When Jack roved forward, Ramsey was the sentry that stood guard. Sure, they interchanged positions, Jack even taking the coveted Ozil spot for parts of the games whilst our glorious German deservedly partied in Vegas, but doesn't that show he can do the job? He's played on the wing as well, much like Ramsey, which Wenger seems wont to do to aid a young players footballing tutelage.

I think that his lack of confidence, coupled with his history with injuries, is on the wane. Steady though with your disagreements and catcalls declaring my madness. I'm not declaring that Wilshere will not only eclipse Ramsey but the whole world of football sitting on a throne gilded with the blood of his opponents. Oh no. His shooting, his temperament, his occasional wayward passing and a couple of other minor factors need fine-tuning to enable him to start the long climb towards the ultimate aim of a centre midfield starting spot. A good start was made when he made the correct decision to return early from his summer sabbatical and start pre-season early.

Also, I think that when Paul Scholes, supremely talented player but absolutely dire pundit, criticized Jack, essentially stating that Jack had been stagnant for the best part of two years, it sparked something within Jack. It helped that most people agreed to an extent with what Scholes said. Jack’s response to this showed why he will succeed though. According to those who work closely with Jack, he has worked preposterously hard on the training ground to finally utilise that frankly amazing potential. He also spoke one-on-one with Scholes to find out if Scholes could help him improve. That shows incredible humility from what a lot of people think is an arrogant, misguided young man.

So he has completed Chapter Two of 'How to Make a Comeback Ramsey-Style' by knuckling down and working hard. He is now injury free and from his displays pre-season, the Charity Shield and the first few domestically, is hopefully starting to flourish. I hope it isn't a false dawn and we see what Jack can do - especially alongside Aaron.

His display in the tense 1-0 win Vs Besiktas – arguably one of the most important games of the last ten years – brought about positive attention and illuminating comments from even the staunchest of Wilshere detractors. Anyone unlucky enough to have this match inflicted upon their hearts and nervous system could see that we had 11 players willing to run themselves into oblivion to grant us passage into the pinnacle of European competition. The sight of our diminutive Santi tracking back endlessly and tussling with every inch of him is a sight to warm my cholesterol-soaked heart. Every single one of them who donned the jersey that night covered themselves in glory – not through the usual fluent play and slick passing – but through sheer grit and determination. A few elevated their status further that night. Debuchy, despite his rather soft sending-off, the aforementioned Cazorla – and Our Jack.

Jack in the recent display Vs City appeared to convert some of the negativity that has tainted some people’s view of him. I saw some tweets declaring the return of the Wilshere that bossed the imperious Barca defence – I disagree. I think he has been there for all to see, but his game has evolved somewhat. He showed the tenacity and positional awareness that prompted Hodgson to place him at the base of a midfield diamond and he displayed an all-action show in attack that oozed confidence. Just watch his right foot finish ( yep, that is the infamously one-footed Wilshere banging in a goal with all the skill of a 30-goal striker )in slow motion. He eyeballed England’s No.1 and won the footballing equivalent of a Wild West showdown, all crammed into what amounted to two seconds in a huge match against a genuine rival. It was a joy to behold.

The way he nutmegged Zabaleta, arguably the best RB in the Premiership – at 2-2 and late in the game – could be perceived as arrogance but it evidenced how much Jack believes in himself. No-one worked harder than he did, but his work-rate has been clear to see since the start of the season. I’ve championed him before the season kicked off and I’ve seen nothing to make me change my mind. Jack is back.

He showed that his error-strewn displays were coming to an end. He evidenced that the surging, driven runs that often reap opportunistic set-pieces or gilt-edged chances, were still a massive part of his repertoire. He still has everything that he possessed when he took Xavi and Iniesta to school on a balmy night in the Camp Nou. He was vital against the industrial Turks – at both ends of the pitch.

With all his precocious talent and the ever-important ingredient of Arsene Wengers faith, if he stays injury free I'm going to stick my head on the block and say Jack will have his glory season. He's in my fantasy football team anyway.......

@JokmanAFC Tell us what you think! If you agree, or have a different view, please leave a comment in the comments section or why not write a response or your own article on YouWrite?

Think you know Arsenal? Test your Arsenal knowledge on our trivia page and see if you can beat the top score.

Don't forget to like us on Facebook, add us to your G+ circle and follow us on Twitter.