Arsene Wenger believes Jack Wilshere is ready for England; John Carew lauds new Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has sent a message to England manage Fabio Capello and said that Jack Wilshere is ready to play for England. Wilshere got his first European goal for the club in the 5-1 Champions League win against
Shakhtar Donetsk.
Jack Wilshere was at the centre of some unwanted controversy after his red card against Birmingham last weekend. The action of Wilshere on Tuesday night did not help his cause either, as he once again made a rash tackle against
Shakhtar Donetsk's Tomas Hubschman.
However, the manager is still standing by his player and said that the tackling is just evidence of his over-enthusiastic approach to the game, and as he learns and matures it would get better.
Wenger, while talking to a French newspaper, said that: “He does not hide from challenges and I don't want to lose that quality from him.
"Wilshere's maturity is miles ahead of his age and that is the sign of as real talent. If you ask me if he is ready to start for England against France next month, it would be difficult to say 'no'."
Jack Wilshere did get his first England cap against Hungary; he was sent on in the 2nd half by Fabio Capello, but was later dropped from the team.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa striker John Carew has said that he is enjoying the new regime under Gerard Houllier. The Norwegian has been the top scorer for Villa this season, and in fact, he has been doing that for the past 2 seasons
at Villa Park.
Aston Villa showed a determined performance against Chelsea on the weekend, and Carew believes that their latest performance shows that they can hold their own against the big teams. Carew said that the new system employed by Houllier
enabled them to keep Chelsea at bay, and could have in fact won the game had things gone a bit better for them in the front of the goal.
The front man said that the team has been working a lot on the tactical side of the game. He added that the manager has emphasised on the importance of possession and organizing the defensive line more efficiently. The striker
went on to say that Martin O’Neill was also a good manager tactically, but every manager has his own style and it is a matter of the players being able to follow the instructions correctly. The six-foot-3-inch striker said that the whole team has adapted easily
to the new style of play and feels that they have more mobility and flexibility on the pitch.
Aston Villa are currently placed 8th in the league with 3 wins and 2 draws so far. Villa narrowly missed out last season on the all important 4th spot, but Carew said that this season, the team is determined
to mount a serious challenge for the all important 4th spot and want to be playing in the UEFA Champions League next season.
Gerard Houllier was signed by Aston Villa in the summer after the departure of Martin O’Neill. The Scottish manager departed after having differences of opinion with the club management and club owners.
Houllier was one of many candidates believed to be interested in the job; the Frenchman was in charge of Liverpool for over 6 years and has plenty of experience in English football. Houllier was not able to take charge of the team
for first 4 games of the season, as he had prior commitments with the French Football Federation. Kevin MacDonald, the caretaker manager, continued to lead the team, but since Houllier has taken over, he has made an instant impact. The former Liverpool boss
has been admired by players, board and fans alike.
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