Going Against the Grain: Wilshere’s comments hit home, but not as intended

 

Jack Wilshere’s comments on Wednesday on what it means to be an English footballer were blunt and hard hitting,

“We have to remember what we are.

“We are English. We tackle hard, are tough on the pitch and are hard to beat.

“We have great characters. You think of Spain and you think technical but you think of England and you think they are brave and they tackle hard. We have to remember that.”

Patriotic to say the least, but Wilshere may have bitten off more than he can chew with his remarks. To cite cliché and stereotype is always a dangerous game, regardless of the subject matter.

Young Jack has inadvertently  highlighted the England national side’s core problem once more, and with his proud pigeon-holing, the Arsenal man seems worryingly blind to it.

Click here to read my article on Wilshere and the blinkered view of the English, on soccerlens.com

Photo: The Daily Telegraph