Afternoon all.
Jack Wilshere has left his role as head coach of Arsenal’s U18s side to join Norwich City in a first-team coaching role. Our old midfielder said that the opportunity to step up a level came at the “right time” in his career.
Talking to Arsenal.com, Wilshere said:
I’ve loved every minute of my time as Under-18s head coach and would like to thank Edu, Per, Mikel, my colleagues in the academy and everyone at the club for their fantastic support during my time in the role. As everyone knows, Arsenal is and always will be part of who I am, and the club means so much to me. However, this opportunity has come at the right time to progress my coaching career within a first-team environment. This club will always be close to my heart and for me, this is a ‘see you again’ rather than ‘goodbye’.”
You just never in this game, Jack might return one day in the future to occupy the seat which Mikel Arteta’s sits in now. After all, Arteta isn’t going to be Arsenal manager forever and Wilshere is just 32 years old. I wish Jack all the very best at Norwich and wherever his career takes him after. English football needs more young and exciting coaches that’s for sure. Looking at the top half of the Premier League table, there are very few English coaches/managers present.
Adam Birchall, who was at Arsenal from the age of 10 before leaving 11 years later, has been appointed the new under 18’s head coach. Good luck to him, let’s hope he can help produce a few gems for the first team.
Paul Merson, fresh from being voted off of Strictly, has been talking to Sky Sports about our fixture against Liverpool on Sunday:
This is a big football match, huge football match. I’ll go as far as saying if Arsenal get beat here, I think they’re out of it. I really do. I hope they’re thinking like I’m thinking.
I’m not sure Arsenal would be out of the Premier League race at this stage of the season but, trying to win the league would be a lot more difficult should we as a club drop many more points. As said before though, Liverpool are yet to play the likes of City, Villa, Totts etc, all who could upset their good start to the season. Ok, they’ve beaten Utd at Old Trafford and Chelsea at Anfield but they’ve also been beaten by Nottingham Forest at Anfield too.
Liverpool are beatable regardless of what players Mikel Arteta has available. The only games we’ve dropped points in are when we’ve had a player sent off. One of which was at The Etihad when we conceded an equaliser just before the last kick of the game.
The Bournemouth game was just weird. A number of players seemed off their A-game. Raya was making mistakes which were totally out of character for him, Trossard, who is usually a really good passer of the ball, played a stinker of a pass back towards his own goal which resulted in Saliba getting sent off for his “last man” challenge.
The Shakhtar performance, awful as it was, could have been because a few nerves and of course a forced change in lineup. Yet we still had 15 shots on goal with 5 on target. Irrelevant I know as we only managed to convert one of them, but, it’s enough to suggest that if the shooting boots are on on Sunday, there’s no reason we can’t beat Liverpool.
Saliba being suspended is a real pain, certainly for Mikel Arteta but considering he’s had to juggle his squad over the last few weeks, I’m sure he’ll find a solution. Ben White can play centrally and Declan Rice is more than capable of shifting into defence.
It’s often mentioned that like Arsene Wenger, Mikel Arteta does have a plan b. I disagree really as we saw a plan b at The Etihad and to be honest, it’s been a little while now since Arteta has actually had what I assume to his plan A because of injuries and/or suspensions.
Reports coming out of Italy suggest Calafiori could be out for a few after picking up an injury in the week but reports from Norway suggest Odegaard could be available for the next round of international fixtures in November.
Tomorrow we’ll hear from Mikel Arteta so at least then we’ll know more.
Catch up in the comments.
I wish Jack good luck and I am in no doubt that Cicero and myself will follow his progress in the local press . Keep you informed.
I have no doubt that Norway will want to bump start Houllier’s car , you know the one that Arsene quoted := He thinks that what the national coaches are doing is like taking the car from his garage without even asking permission.
“They will then use the car for 10 days and abandon it in a field without any petrol left in the tank.
“We then have to recover it, but it is broken down. Then a month later they will come to take your car again, and for good measure you’re expected to be nice about it.”
It’s down to the club to make sure that he has a leetle niggle just in time for the next international borefest.
As for Liverpool I am still unable to get beyond the Liverpool fan Gillett being on VAR and getting Saliba out of the team to face them and I just wish that a referee had the bollocks to stand behind his own decision.
However what’s done is done and with all the injuries in our back 4 , Arteta has the problem and I am glad it’s not mine.
I did think of you two when i read he was moving.
No international manager will give a toot about our situation. Hopefully our players will use a bit of common sense.
I think that Tomiyasu is a front line player it’s just that he isn’t available enough. Maybe he should ask Partey what his secret is?
Good evening Rico, Potter.
Jack is doing the right thing, getting some experience of coaching a different club, It could well be that he will one day return to Arsenal in the top job.
Agreed Kev. He’s a super player let down by his body..
Evening Cicero. I think so too and he knows the guy as Norwich as he was once with Arsenal.
It’s hard to gauge how long Arteta will be at Arsenal or his coaching staff. I reckon that Mikel will do a minimum of two more contracts, maybe more if we’re successful, but he won’t do a Wenger, he’s too intense and will almost certainly need a year off to recuperate at some point.
As we know Albert Stuivenberg and Carlos Cuesta were both tapped up over the last few months, something which is likely to reoccur I’d imagine. So maybe Jack does 18 months at Carrow Road and then returns home to N.5..?
It’s tragic really Rico, he’s like a Swiss Army knife, a broken one, that could fill in a variety of roles and perform to a top level in all of them.
I think he’ll go if we don’t win the league within this current contract..
It is Kev and we’ve had a few. Rosicky, Diaby, Tomiyasu, even Wilshere and Smith Rowe..
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5869757/2024/10/24/arsenal-james-king-football-operations/
Seems like a sensible move, the guy knows the club and knows the people he’ll be working with.
Garlick’s links to the Premier League don’t seem to be paying any dividends – well on the surface…
Doesn’t Arteta’s contract run out next summer Rico, do you think he’ll leave then next summer?
Surely not?
Yeah, it’s really odd Rico, it always seems to be the really good players who are injury prone. I mean why couldn’t Mustafi or Cedric or Stepanovs or Almunia be injury prone?
He’s 3 years to go on his contract yet Kev.
Garlick? Not sure what you mean about him..
Ha ha, I know what you mean..
Morning Rico, I’m not sure how that slid past me re: Arteta contract and yeah he’s got a deal until 2027.
3rd test is at a critical stage. Only 90 runs the England now with 4 wickets to get. Rehan is bowling well.
Morning Kev, me neither. I thought you were pulling my leg.. lol
I usually am Rico but not this time 😁
Just 3 wickets needed now…
Ha ha Kev.
Morning Rico and all.
I hope I am wrong, but IF I have just read it correctly it sounds like Arsene Wenger wants the charges dropped against Man C and blames the premier league for FFP Rules mess
I won’t be commenting for a few days, my brother passed away yesterday and my granddaughter is in hospital following a severe asthma attack.
Really sorry to hear that Cicero, my condolences for your brother, that’s hardcore.
Hope your granddaughter recovers asap…
Sorry to hear that , hope she gets better soon. take it easy.
Cicero, Sorry to hear about the sad loss of your brother. also hope your granddaughter recovers soon.
Cicero, that’s such sad news and my heart goes out to you and your family. Take care…
Speedy recovery for your granddaughter….