Jack Wilshere

[Franchise FC]

To play for England or any of the Home Nations you currently need to have at least one Grandparent born in the nation. I don't see why we can't continue with this policy. Yeah our national team has become a damp squib but that's no excuse to fiddle with the gentleman's agreement and I don't care what Qatar or Croatia does.

Really ?

You've just denied us Zaha and Berahino
Somehow they qualify despite no English grandparents - how does that work ?

Or have I missed an English ancestor that isn't listed in their biographies ?

[Ian Royal]

When we next lift the WC, the team photo will be in colour this time

When we next win the WC photos will be obsolete and it'll be digitally projected holograms.

[Royal Rother]

Really looking the part now.

[jd82]

Lovely goals last night especially the finish for the first.

Still just looks like a walking ACL to me though.

[Sanguine]

Lovely goals last night especially the finish for the first.

Still just looks like a walking ACL to me though.

What does this mean?

(I know what ACL means)

[jd82]

The way he commits people and the way he goes Into challenges with sideways legs (terrible description) just looks to me like he's always on the edge of getting a nasty injury. I know he's a committed CM but I don't think ive ever seen him get through a whole game without picking up some sort of knack.

[winchester_royal]

Yep^. It's the way he plants his standing leg in front of incoming challenges to shield the ball. One day it's going to be snapped like a twig.

[Hoop Blah]

I can see where you're coming from on the ACL front, he does try to twist and turn using his low centre of gravity and it looks a little risky.

Not sure if that actually increases the chances of an ACL though, but I can see the logic.

I think he actually needs to learn not to try it quite so much. It seems Wenger and Hodgson see him as more of a deep lying playmaker, and I think I agree with that, as although he needs to be able to beat a man here and there and twist and turn to make space, I think he needs to concentrate on dictating the game a little more.

I didn't watch the game this week but it's good to read he's getting his form back.

[Stuka]

To play for England or any of the Home Nations you currently need to have at least one Grandparent born in the nation. I don't see why we can't continue with this policy. Yeah our national team has become a damp squib but that's no excuse to fiddle with the gentleman's agreement and I don't care what Qatar or Croatia does.

Really ?

You've just denied us Zaha and Berahino
Somehow they qualify despite no English grandparents - how does that work ?

Or have I missed an English ancestor that isn't listed in their biographies ?

As much as I admire Zaha and Berahnio, sadly they aren't English so that ought to exclude them from the England football team.

[Sanguine]

You don't believe in naturalisation at all? FIFA implemented this rule ten years ago to reflect increased movement of people around the globe.

Berahino came here aged 10, his family got asylum. Zaha's family moved to the UK when he was 4. They may not have been born in England, but going to school here, learning to play football here, they are very much products of English football.

[Handsome Man]

I don't really know what being English means other than being able to play for our national sporting teams. If Zaha and Berahino's parents came here to live and they both played their football in English schools, then I don't see why they shouldn't qualify to play for the national team. That would make them English for me.

[jd82]

They might be English - but they'll never be ING-ER-LISH

[Royal Rother]

You don't believe in naturalisation at all? FIFA implemented this rule ten years ago to reflect increased movement of people around the globe.

Berahino came here aged 10, his family got asylum. Zaha's family moved to the UK when he was 4. They may not have been born in England, but going to school here, learning to play football here, they are very much products of English football.

It being on the Wilshere thread I suspect Stuka was being a little playful there.

[Royal Rother]

Best English player since Paul Gascoigne.

The opening post from Jan 2013.

He's getting there.

[Brosef Stalin]

Jack Wheelchair more like! lol jk x

[Royal Rother]

Apparently he has been official MOTM in 6 out of the last 7 England games he's started.

Not even Gascoigne achieved that.

[Sanguine]

For England, I hope Wilshere can now enjoy an injury-free couple of seasons. He's missed half of Arsenal's league games in the last two years, him playing every week at Arsenal, in the same role he will play under Hodgson, can only benefit the team. Still only 23.

[Royal Rother]

I've noticed in the last couple of months that he has stopped going into silly tackles, leaving his leg dangling out there asking to be injured, so I am hopeful he is getting a little wiser with age.

[gazzer, loyal royal]

Wilshere walks on the outside of his feet, so will always be prone to ankle injuries unless they splint the ankles or something.

Good player, but will always be injury prone

[Ginger Ninjas]

Good player, excellent last night, but has now got to start doing it a) regularly and b) against good sides. It's all well and good scoring wondergoals against Norwich, WBA and Slovenia, but have yet to see anything much against Chelsea/United/City, in big CL games or at an international competition.