Match Reaction vs Tottenham (home, FA Cup).

[Özim]

Wilshere is having a bad patch and he wouldn’t be first on my team sheet. When he first bounced on the scene he played with intelligence and awareness. That seems to have gone and he keeps giving the ball away. Unless we’re short on numbers in the middle of the park, he should be playing from the bench and made to force his way back into the team. Even though he’s looking shabby today, we don’t know how he’ll look next year. I think it will suddenly click for him. Or at least I hope.

Gnarby looked like a nothing player when he first bounced on the scene but then all of a sudden he’s had this performance and he looks like the real deal. But saying that, I remember when Ox made his debut and the excitement surrounding him. The following season he was disappointing and was nothing like we saw the season before. You just don’t know how players will turn out. I still remember Denilson’s debut season. He was terrific and seemed to play with such intelligence but could also tackle with aggression. I have no idea what happened to that kid. We also have Ramsey as the reverse of that. Wilshere will have to work his butt off to get back to his best. It will be hard for him to win his place back if he loses it because I think Wenger is done with the charity. Days of players like Denilson racking up over 150 appearances without doing anything of note are over.

I agree with this, but I've never really got the fuss over Wilshere to be honest, for me he's not a top talent, he's done the ordinary things pretty well when he's on form without blowing you away with his ability.

As for the others, noone knows how they will turn out, but I just like the way Gnabry plays, our game was so much more exciting when he drove forward and didn't dwell on the ball like some of the others, IMO our midfield is just too slow paced with the likes of Wilshere in it.

[Özim]

I think he needs to get back to the basics and keep things simple. He’ll take two or three touches when only one is needed, he’ll try to dance through players when a simple pass is needed and it’s costly. It slows us down and we usually end up getting hit on the break whilst he’s laid out on the floor. It’s very frustrating. When he first arrived on the scene, his dribbling was fantastic and he’d skip past players with ease. I thought he’d be better as a winger and couldn’t imagine him being much better in the centre even though that’s where he played in the reserves and where Wenger kept saying he’d play. When he finally stepped into that role, he was good and I was surprised by his work rate. But he really needs to work on his passing and shooting. His end product is lacking but even if he’s not racking up Cesc numbers for assists or hitting screamers like Ramsey, he can at least learn from Rosicky and just speed up our game. Be that vital cog in the system that speeds our game up and can control the midfield. When he takes too many touches and tries to dribble too much, besides losing the ball, we miss opportunities to play the smarter pass that can move us from defence to attack. It may suddenly click for him next year but Wenger doesn’t have to overplay him like last year.

I find him incredibly frustrating to watch to be honest, from the simple passes he gives away, half arsed challenges in key areas, to the attempted dribbles into no man's land, like you say little end product and in addition he really slows our game down.

The other day he was awful in the 1st half and better in the 2nd, without really doing anything of note, when he's not performing he's a liability though who is likely to make an error gifting our opponents a chance.

[Letters]

Not so hard to understand given our performances in the last few seasons tbh. The Ozil signing has clearly had a bigger impact than most thought, though some of the other players have also improved dramatically which couldn't have been predicted.

It's halfway through the season right now and there's a long way to go, I still personally think we need 1-2 more players to win it.

Just 1, IMO. Top class striker and we'd be very close.

[Özim]

Agreed.

EDIT: though I should say, he's looked pretty decent the last few games.

He was decent against Cardiff, rubbish against Newcastle and average against Spurs, so I wouldn't say he's looked decent in the last few games.

[Özim]

Just 1, IMO. Top class striker and we'd be very close.

Yes a striker is priority, though if we could find a winger as well that would be handy.

[LDG]

I think he needs to get back to the basics and keep things simple. He’ll take two or three touches when only one is needed, he’ll try to dance through players when a simple pass is needed and it’s costly. It slows us down and we usually end up getting hit on the break whilst he’s laid out on the floor. It’s very frustrating. When he first arrived on the scene, his dribbling was fantastic and he’d skip past players with ease. I thought he’d be better as a winger and couldn’t imagine him being much better in the centre even though that’s where he played in the reserves and where Wenger kept saying he’d play. When he finally stepped into that role, he was good and I was surprised by his work rate. But he really needs to work on his passing and shooting. His end product is lacking but even if he’s not racking up Cesc numbers for assists or hitting screamers like Ramsey, he can at least learn from Rosicky and just speed up our game. Be that vital cog in the system that speeds our game up and can control the midfield. When he takes too many touches and tries to dribble too much, besides losing the ball, we miss opportunities to play the smarter pass that can move us from defence to attack. It may suddenly click for him next year but Wenger doesn’t have to overplay him like last year.

Completely agree.

It's a bit like Ramsey a year or so ago. You sometimes have to work on the simple things first before you can crank it up and start doing the fancy bits. It's about maturity in decision making really.

That little dash, and then sandwich by players, ending with Jack on the floor is all to common. He should be playing the simple ball and moving into space. The rest follows that....

As long as he keeps his feet on the ground and digs in, he'll be a fantastic player.

[Niall_Quinn]

I think he needs to get back to the basics and keep things simple. He’ll take two or three touches when only one is needed, he’ll try to dance through players when a simple pass is needed and it’s costly. It slows us down and we usually end up getting hit on the break whilst he’s laid out on the floor. It’s very frustrating. When he first arrived on the scene, his dribbling was fantastic and he’d skip past players with ease. I thought he’d be better as a winger and couldn’t imagine him being much better in the centre even though that’s where he played in the reserves and where Wenger kept saying he’d play. When he finally stepped into that role, he was good and I was surprised by his work rate. But he really needs to work on his passing and shooting. His end product is lacking but even if he’s not racking up Cesc numbers for assists or hitting screamers like Ramsey, he can at least learn from Rosicky and just speed up our game. Be that vital cog in the system that speeds our game up and can control the midfield. When he takes too many touches and tries to dribble too much, besides losing the ball, we miss opportunities to play the smarter pass that can move us from defence to attack. It may suddenly click for him next year but Wenger doesn’t have to overplay him like last year.

Jumped in at the last page and thought this was about Walcott, because it fits so well. Walcott has been inconsistent and often worse for years but suddenly is doing the simple things much better, playing with some intelligence at long last, concentrating on the first touch, rejecting runs into blind alleys. All these faults were Walcott's trademark but he's started to correct them and turn things around. Ramsey, Merts, Kos, Ches, all improving beyond the players we thought they could ever be. Wilshere was an English prodigy for his age, not a world prodigy but an English one which is not as impressive but marked him out nonetheless. Then he had to jump in and fill Fabregas' boots, then he got a career threatening injury and had to fight back from that, now he's getting back up to scratch. He'll be a marvellous asset to this club in coming seasons. He's still a kid. And if everyone else sustains these improvements and we can add maybe a couple more names either now or in the summer I think we have some exciting times ahead.

[Power n Glory]

Jumped in at the last page and thought this was about Walcott, because it fits so well. Walcott has been inconsistent and often worse for years but suddenly is doing the simple things much better, playing with some intelligence at long last, concentrating on the first touch, rejecting runs into blind alleys. All these faults were Walcott's trademark but he's started to correct them and turn things around. Ramsey, Merts, Kos, Ches, all improving beyond the players we thought they could ever be. Wilshere was an English prodigy for his age, not a world prodigy but an English one which is not as impressive but marked him out nonetheless. Then he had to jump in and fill Fabregas' boots, then he got a career threatening injury and had to fight back from that, now he's getting back up to scratch. He'll be a marvellous asset to this club in coming seasons. He's still a kid. And if everyone else sustains these improvements and we can add maybe a couple more names either now or in the summer I think we have some exciting times ahead.

Walcott is a slightly different issue. A few seasons ago, he’d hug the touchline more, try to take on his man and run with the ball. He’d often get it badly wrong. His crossing and delivery has improved but he’s stopped dribbling on the ball. When was the last time you’ve seen him pick the ball up from deep and try to beat his man? He’s having quieter games but popping up with the assist and goal. He’s no longer trying to be creative and driving the ball forward, he’s now playing like a wide number 9 striker. It’s the same for Podolski on the other side of the pitch and why they can appear to be anonymous during games. Walcott has improved but I would say it’s down to him looking to receive the ball in the final third. After the contract talks about the striker role, he’s not playing the same way. I think Wenger has reminded him again of the role Ljungberg had in our team. I still think he’d be deadly as a striker.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

There were times as recently as last season where Wilshere was our best player and even carrying us....particularly before January. I think that is easy to forget.

I maintain that he is a top talent and I'd even go as far as saying that I think Wilshere will prove to be at the level of, if not better than Ramsey with enough time. That is something we will get to see over the next few years providing he is still with us and still relatively injury free.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

On Gnabry, it was a really mature and positive game from him but imo he's been a bit unfortunate to see so few minutes since his last showing. I think he has generally acquitted himself well whenever he has been on the field this season.

Obviously, Wenger is 'managing' him a little, by bringing him in and out of the team which helps to control the ebb and flow of hype, pressure and expectation.....But I won't object to him being used a lot more than he is.