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When is West Ham ‘flop’ Jack Wilshere going to show up?

By Adam Smith

OXFORD, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 25: Jack Wilshere of West Ham battles for the ball with Anthony Forde of Oxford United during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Oxford United and West Ham United at Kassam Stadium on September 25, 2019 in Oxford, England. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)
OXFORD, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 25: Jack Wilshere of West Ham battles for the ball with Anthony Forde of Oxford United during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Oxford United and West Ham United at Kassam Stadium on September 25, 2019 in Oxford, England. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images) /
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It was a massive coup when West Ham brought in Jack Wilshere two summers ago after the long-time Arsenal midfielder’s contract expired in North London. Two years on now and he hasn’t impacted the club at all.

Plucked from free agent-hood and saved from the endless “come to Besiktas” comments on social media, Jack Wilshere was handed a Premier League lifeline (in London no less) after his boyhood dream to stay at Arsenal died. It was a massive gamble for West Ham and with a season and a few months in the books, the Hammers have lost on this bet.

We all know how good Wilshere can be when he’s fit and playing. At Arsenal, he ascended to the first team on the back of strong performances in unlikely situations. Included in this was the 2011 Champions League match against Barcelona. Every touch Wilshere made was positive and he kept Barca on strings the entire match.

West Ham are yet to see the best of Wilshere, that is for sure, but even when he went on loan at Bournemouth the Cherries got to see how settling and impactful the England midfielder can be. He won’t pop up on the scoresheet all too often, but that’s not his job. Wilshere excels in drawing in coverage and then exposing the opposition’s midfield with a pass that splits them open.

So, when can West Ham expect to see more and better from Wilshere? Hopefully soon, but the proposition to resolve this issue is a double-edged sword. Pellegrini needs to commit more time to Wilshere to let him get back up to Premier League speed, but the Hammers can’t afford to potentially derail their impressive run to give a player league experience.

It’s also concerning that Wilshere hasn’t dominated both Cup games he’s been in this season. He scored against Newport County, but was diabolical up to that point and literally capitalized on his own misplaced pass to net the goal. As well, he struggled alongside his teammates against Oxford, where he should be bossing it and thriving against lesser competition.

Next. West Ham United’s Sebastien Haller deservedly gets weekly honor. dark

I don’t have an answer about Wilshere excelling this year, but I have an idea. A 4-3-3 formation with Rice – Wilshere- Noble could probably get him more involved and settled in the team. The question becomes who do you sit for him, Lanzini or Yarmolenko? Too many options is never a bad issue to have, but time is running out on Wilshere. Can he make an impact at West Ham?