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Jack Wilshere Continues To Live Up To 'Wheelchair' Moniker

nevillenixon's picture
Submitted by nevillenixon on Thu, 13/12/2018 - 16:11

Ahead of Hammers televised match against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday, Manuel Pellegrini attempted to put a positive spin on squad fitness: "I think one of the merits of this team is having six or seven injuries, and winning the last three games, I hope we continue with the same spirit." He then discussed individuals by saying "Lucas Perez has a pain. We are reviewing it. Jack Wilshere continues his treatment. He will not play in this game, tomorrow we will know exactly who will be in the squad. Every player who recovers from injuries is an important player for us."

Perez and Wilshere were regular visitors to the medical facilities at Arsenal, Wilshere in particular. For a while when he was on a season's loan at Bournemouth 'Wheelchair' seemed to have finally put his injuries behind him managing to play nearly two thirds of the matches, unfortunately when he went back to Arsenal his injury curse returned although not to the same extent as before. Wary of Jack's injury record, new manager Emery wanted to avoid any more "you are awful" moments and so made him available for transfer.

Having had their fingers well and truly burnt by Andy Carroll's plethora of injuries, the West Ham hierarchy were reluctant to offer anymore than a one year deal with possible options rather than the three year deal he eventually signed. It appears that the same blindness that afflicted Sam Allardyce and the Two Davids has descended on Manuel Pellegrini as it was he apparently that sanctioned such a risky contract. Why is it that people, even very clever ones, sometimes refuse to accept the facts and plough on regardless of the circumstances?

On his day Jack Wilshere is some player, the problem is that 'his day' does not occur with anywhere near the frequency that it should, and at currently £100,000 per week excluding add ons he is an expensive luxury that the club can ill afford. One thing that is certain is that he will definitely not be rushed back from injury too soon, there is a common thread among many elite clubs now where a strong squad means players can be allowed to recover fully whereas back in the past it was a question of patching players up between games which invariably leads to long term and possibly career threatening injuries.

Jack Wilshere should have been Mark Noble's replacement in waiting, however given his recent injury scares that is looking increasingly unlikely, the club all but confirmed this by yesterday extending Noble's existing contract, which had eighteen months left to run, by a further twelve months. Hopefully the Hammers medical team will work miracles with Wilshere, but they are only human, as was presumably the person who conducted the player's medical ahead of his move to the London Stadium, who paid him or her for their invaluable appraisal and which club were they really working for?. - Ed

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