Just Arsenal News

Arsenal’s answer to Hodgson by AH

In light of what Roy Hodgsen said about the lack of English footballers playing in the Premier League, Arsene Wenger spoke about the English talent he had in the Arsenal ranks. Wenger told Arsenal.com about the English divisions that implicate upcoming talent as well as the understanding that all the players want to play in the best league, suggesting that if all the highest quality of players are of different nationalities to English then its inevitable that there will be a decline in English players at the best clubs. However Wenger did make a very important point about English talent and the future. .......Read the full article here

The England manager Roy Hodgson has been speaking about the English International side being at a disadvantage because there are so many top-class foreigners playing in the Premiership reducing the pool of players that Hodgson has got to choose from.

Wenger understands his problem and thinks that the England team are a victim of the success of the Premier League. “I can understand Roy Hodgson because when you go to games and there are no English players you can complain,” Wenger said on Arsenal.com.

“But you cannot want to be the best league in the world and close the borders. So you have to find a good mixture. I think the good mixture is to produce the players from your own academies, and buy top, top, top class players. .......Read the full article here

Stuart Pearce has lost his battle with Roy Hodgson over the Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, but the manager of the England under 21 side is still hoping to get another Gunner from the first team to join his squad for the European Championship in Israel this summer.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was the star of the show for England against San Marion on Friday, and he already has 10 caps and two goals at senior level. He is still eligible for the under 21s, though, and Pearce wants to talk to Hodgson about getting permission to use him. .......Read the full article here

The England manager Roy Hodgson has admitted that he would have liked to have Jack Wilshere in his squad if Arsenal hadn’t declared him unfit, but he insists that he has no argument with Arsene Wenger over his refusing to release the Gunners midfielder.

Hodgson said: “The thing about club managers is they’ve got another job to do,” Hodgson told reporters. “That conflict is always going to be there, between club and national team, because people will want them to be there playing for them. But I don’t have any ­criticisms of them. .......Read the full article here

Arsenal fans and Arsene Wenger can breathe a sigh of relief after the England under 21 manager Stuart Pearce revealed that he would not be taking Jack Wilshere with him to the European championships in Israel this summer. The young midfielder is eligible to play, as is Danny Welbeck from Manchester United, but they are both regular players in the senior squad now.

You can’t really blame old Psycho Pearce for trying. He wants the best players available to him and Jack is certainly that. Plus he has the same tigerish spirit that Pearce used to show when playing for England. I’m sure that Jack would have happily gone, because he loves to play football and gives his all for club and country, but the senior manager Roy Hodgson has stepped in to spare the nerves of Wenger, as Pearce explains. .......Read the full article here

Jack Wilshere put in a storming performance for England against Brazil yesterday, which was no surprise to any Arsenal fan. His ability may be set to give Arsene Wenger a headache this summer, however, because he is still eligible to play for the England under 21 team. Stuart Pearce will try everything in his power to persuade Roy Hodgson to release Wilshere, and another Arsenal player Oxlade-Chamberlain, to appear in the European championships in Israel instead of another friendly in June. .......Read the full article here

The 21-year old Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is being hailed as the next big thing in the England international team. His skills, passion and drive have made his team mates, pundits and people across the football world see him as a bit of a saviour for English football. Liam Brady thinks he will join the likes of Rooney Hoddle and Gascoigne in the ranks of England’s best creative players, but the recent reports about one of those players, Paul Gascoigne, shows what too much pressure and expectation can do to people, and the England manager is keen to stop too much talk about Jack’s potential. .......Read the full article here

Liam Brady has been Head of Youth Development and Academy Director at Arsenal since 1996, and Jack Wilshere joined the club as a nine year old just months after the former Gunner took charge. That gives Brady a great insight into the progress and ability of Wilshere, and the Irishman has been extolling his virtues ahead of the England friendly tomorrow.

56-year old Brady won 72 caps in a 16 year spell with the Republic of Ireland, so is no stranger to the international scene either, and he believes that Jack is set to be right up with some of the best England players of all time. He also spoke about his fears for Jack after such a long spell out of the game due to injury, although he has now put all that behind him with a brilliant return to form. .......Read the full article here

Theo Walcott is proving his value to Arsenal with his goalscoring this season, whether playing from the right or through the middle, and he could be given the chance to show what he can do for England this week. The visit of Brazil to Wembley on Wednesday is a real glamour tie, and Walcott’s hopes of getting the chance to score were given a boost today from Daniel Sturridge.

The new Liverpool striker has pulled out of the game due to a thigh injury he picked up yesterday against Manchester City. It cannot be too serious an injury, because he played on for most of the game and turned up with the rest of the England squad last night. He did not rain today, however, and has returned to Liverpool for treatment. .......Read the full article here

It is understandable that fans of Arsenal and England are delighted to see the so-year old midfielder, Jack Wilshere, back on a football pitch after over a year struggling to come back from injury. Jack has looked lively already, but has declared that he is not even close to being back at his best yet, and that it may be some time before he is.

Wenger is sure to start Wilshere tomorrow against Tottenham in the first North London derby of the season. It will be Jack’s second Premier league start, and we should not expect too much but Wilshere has grown up with Arsenal and knows what the game means to Gooners. He will set an example to the rest of the Arsenal players with his attitude alone, nevermind his talent. .......Read the full article here

Jack Wilshere has already surprised people with his performances for Arsenal since returning from his long and horrendous injury problems, but Jack promises that there is much more to come, and it will not be long before we see it.

Arsene Wenger has been ultra cautious with our midfield star, physically and mentally, but it seems to have worked so far. Wilshere himself is surprised at how well he is slotting back into life in the Arsenal first team, and he feels that his top form is just around the corner. His attitude and application have been extraordinary after such a long time out, but he knows that he is still lacking that initial burst of speed that takes him past opposition players and makes him so dangerous. Wenger has been working him in the gym specially to get what the Frenchman calls his `burst` back. .......Read the full article here

The England manager Roy Hodgson has defied Arsene Wenger’s wishes by calling up Jack Wilshere for this weeks friendly with Sweden, but he has tried to assure the Arsenal manager that he will not be putting any undue pressure on the youngster, who has only just played one full game in the last 16 months.

“I am aware of Arsene’s concerns, which I fully understand as he needs to look after a player who has been out for a length of time,” said Hodgson.

“But Jack is an important player for us and now he is fit and playing and available for selection, he understands we are going to put him in the squad. .......Read the full article here