Joe Fitzpatrick 
Recent weeks have been incredibly difficult for Gooners everywhere to say the very least. If my life has been anything like yours, you have been getting endless amounts of stick from work colleagues, friends and maybe even the odd family member. If any of you are as unlucky as I am to have "friends" who are Spurs fans, you may very well at one point or another received the following SMS message referencing the Japan disaster for their sick and twisted amusement;
FFS people!! I dont think it’s appropriate to make jokes after a tragedy. I know it’s hard to feel sorry or sympathise coz they are foreigners, but we have to remember they lost everything in almost an instant. They've been left with nothing... Still chin up Arsenal.. There is always next season :D !!
For us to be out on our ear while Manchester United, Chelsea and the Scum still compete in the Champions League is bad enough, but for us to have become a laughing stock after our capitulation in both domestic cups as well? That, my fellow Gooners is indeed a bitter pill to swallow. Having gone out of three competitions in quickfire succession it seems that a dark cloud has descended over the Gooner nation but while having a few pints with my mates in Highbury recently, enjoying the unexpected sunshine, I realised that it's not all doom and gloom being a Gooner at the moment.
A recent quote in the newspaper from Cardiff manager Dave Jones ahead of last Saturday's Wales v England clash, really caught my eye and brought a broad smile to my Gooner face. The Cardiff manager said: "It is going to be a fascinating battle between two of the best young prospects in the game, players who both have the ability to change the course of a match. You count yourself blessed if you have one player like that in your team - I know I did when Aaron was a Cardiff player. And Arsene Wenger must be sitting at home barely able to believe his luck that he has two kids that good. They will be stalwarts for Arsenal and for their national teams for the next decade or more and seeing them on opposite sides in such a big game is a mouth-watering prospect."
Well Mr. Jones, that is indeed a mouth watering prospect for Gooners everywhere and certainly gives us at least two reasons to be cheerful! Don't just take Dave Jones' word for it though, Arsene Wenger had this to say about young master Wilshere back in 2008, “He can play anywhere. People tell me he's a bit like Liam Brady because he has good balance and a change of direction. I believe later in his career he will be a central midfielder or play behind the strikers.”
High praise to say the least. For anyone to even mention a young player in the same sentence as Liam Brady is an honour, when it's Arsene Wenger saying it I cannot help but dream. My father being a Gooner Irishman, I have been brought up worshipping at the altar of the great Liam Brady. Since I was knee high to a grasshopper I was constantly being shown old video footage of the great man and told that I missed out on the "greatest Arsenal player ever to wear the shirt!" It follows naturally then, that the chance to possibly witness the second coming is a dream come true for me!
I didn't think that we would witness someone break Cesc Fabregas' record as the youngest player ever to play for Arsenal so soon but, Jack managed it aged just 16 years and 256 days. Jack's season so far has been the most impressive breakthrough season from a young player that I can remember since, erm, well, Aaron Ramsey's breakthrough season! Before we move on to Ramsey, take a look at this quote from Cesc Fabregas after the home leg against Barcelona on the phenomenal talent of our Jack.
‘Jack is a phenomenon, he already looks a world-class star. He’s a great lad too, with an English heart but with Spanish quality.’ Fabregas also mentioned that Wilshere reminds him a lot of himself, and deserves the recent praise he’s receiving: ‘It’s difficult to compare him to someone, but he reminds me of myself a lot. When I started the boss put his trust in me more and more. Now he’s a regular starter at the heart of our midfield. He started at just 17. He trains hard and gives everything and has earned his place in the starting line-up.’
If Jack can, at his age, step onto a field with Xavi, Fabregas, Iniesta, Messi, Nasri and Van Persie and not look at all out of place then the sky is well and truly the limit for this young lad. However, as Dave Jones rightly pointed out, us lucky Gooners have not only one, but two reasons to be cheerful!
Aaron Ramsey was well on the rise before his horrific injury, courtesy of the much maligned Ryan Shawcross and seeing him back in an Arsenal shirt has been a sliver lining to the dark cloud that has descended over the Gooner nation. Arsene Wenger had this to say recently to crush any fears we may have held over the future of our favourite Welshman.
“He will be better now because he is a young boy, 19 years old and you expect him to be stronger. When he will be really back on the competitive side of the game he will be stronger. When you have a big injury before the age of 20 normally you come back and you develop normally. That is why the big question mark about him was whether he would be back fully fit physically. That is now sorted out in a positive way, the rest is just a question of playing games. He has dealt with it very well but he could talk much better about it than I can. Certainly he has been very down for a long period but on the outside signs he has shown he is always highly motivated and determined to work hard. It feels good to have him back because it happened one year ago basically, his injury. He had to be very patient and he must feel himself very good to be back.”
Phew!, that's a relief! But who does Aaron remind you of as a player? Some have suggested that he is the heir apparent to Cesc's throne but the young Welshman says he sees himself as more of a Steven Gerrard than Cesc Fabregas. He said "I like to attack, I like to get forward and join the strikers when I can. I have always liked the way Steven Gerrard plays and I have tried to model myself on him and his game.
So there you have it! We could very well have the next Liam Brady AND Steven Gerrard in our squad! If that doesn't get you smiling, then I don't know what will, to be quite honest. In these two young men we could have our very own Xavi-Iniesta style partnership in the heart of midfield. They, like the two Spaniards have a lot of time to develop a deep understanding of each other both on and off the field and on current evidence there is no reason as to why they cannot form a devastating combination that could very well unlock the tightest of defences.
Last Saturday we saw two of Europe's top midfield prospects going head to head and we can be proud that they both are Gooners and are both very, very young. Obviously there is a worry of injuries from these international games, as we need both fit and firing for the title run in. Fortunately, they didn’t do anything stupid to each other!
