Those in the know, who I know, suggest young Jacky Boy Wilshere won’t be farmed out on loan to another Premier League outfit this season, with AW preferring to welcome him back to the first team squad for the campaigh ahead.
As we know, the midfield starlet spent a spell at Bolton last season and showed flair, imagination and a tough exterior to shine for the Trotters under boss Owen Coyle. Such was the success of the stint that Coyle has been making noises most of the summer about tempting AW in to leasing the England prospect back for another period at the Reebok.
He said recently: “We had dialogue over the summer and since we’ve come back and we’ll continue to do that. And I’ve said, and I’m on record as saying, I want to thank Arsenal and Arsene and obviously Jack for coming last year because he certainly helped us and what we’re trying to do. And again I feel, and I’m a bit biased in wanting him back, but I certainly feel another loan period with us would take him on another level again.”
But it seems, if the sources are correct, that he will figure with us though it remains to be seen just how many opportunities he gets. I’ve said it before and will do so again, you can never have enough good players and, as we know only to well over the past few seasons, we can’t legislate for injuries! Again, Cesc-gate could influence this but I don’t want to speculate as to the future of the Spaniard as enough has been written already on the will he-won’t he saga of his possible move to Barcelona.
Wilshere will no doubt feature in tomorrow’s curtain-raiser friendly against our annual opening day opponents Barnet at Underhill, where we are told new boys Marouane Chamakh and Laurent Koscielny will run out in an Arsenal shirt for action for the first time since their arrivals in the summer. I remember going to the fixture last season and immediately being struck at how impressive Tommy V. – set to play tomorrow – was and we must hope that the new central defender from Lorient possesses similar ability to the Belgian, without question in my mind our player of last season.
Other first teamers said to be in contention for a run-out are Manuel Almunia, Keiran Gibbs, Denilson, Tom Rosicky, Theo Walcott and Andrey Arshavin with a smattering of youth team players making up the numbers. It’ll be heart-warming to see Gibbs back in action and we must hope he can pick up from where he left off when he got injured. I genuinely think we have a special player in Gibbs and would love nothing more than for him to make huge strides this season with the glorious Gunners.
I am still in two minds about going tomorrow having attended the friendly more times than I care to remember (the best game was when we went 1-0 down after five minutes…and won 10-1), but for those who do go give the boys a cheer for me…see you at the reserves’ friendly at Crawley Town on Tuesday night. COYG.
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