Stan's 5-Point Stance: Wilshere Not Alright, Jack; Man Utd to Triumph in Derby
In this week's five-point stance, Stan Collymore visits topics related to Jack Wilshere, the Manchester derby, Manuel Pellegrini, Rafael Benitez and the Premier League promotion and relegation races.
1. Jack Wilshere's undoubted ability threatened by persistent injuries
Next season is perhaps the most important of Jack Wilshere's career. He will have the Euro 2016 finals at the end of it, he's been linked with Manchester City and the strongest part of the Arsenal squad is the midfield.
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For me, Jack is going to be a good midfielder you'll get 50 percent of a season from, and that's it.
The reason for that is I was present on his full debut and noticed he is bowlegged. He runs on the outside of his boots, which drives all of the power in a curve rather than a straight line, which means he will have knee and ankle ligament problems.
That means he will play only 75 percent of a season if he is lucky, and his growth as a footballer will be diminished because he won't necessarily be playing in every game and be under the pressure of featuring every week, because his body won't let him.
If you are a Manchester City fan, what is there to be gained from signing a player who is exceptional when he plays but not often enough?
I really hope I'm wrong. If Jack completes a full season next term, I will quite happily sit in the middle of the Emirates Stadium pitch and have my eyebrows and body hair shaved off.
Unfortunately, his physiology means Jack is going to be a bit of an also-ran in terms of putting himself up there with the best at Arsenal and England.
With his injury record, he is going to have a struggle to have a future with anybody. There is no doubt about his ability, but if you are not going to play the majority of games, you are going to struggle to get into good teams.
Abou Diaby is a very good player when he plays, but Arsene Wenger will be thinking he has six or seven players who feature every week instead.
If Jack can have an injury-free season next year, the world will be his oyster, and he can help Arsenal to the next level. If not, his career will be that of an also-ran.
2. Expect United to triumph with ease in Manchester derby
Having seen many Manchester derbies in recent years, they are usually very tight, although there is the odd anomaly where Mario Balotelli revealed his "Why Always Me?" shirt in a 6-1 win.
But I think Manchester United will win this one well, with a swagger and a canter. I don't think anyone at Old Trafford expected to be above City at this point when the season started.
They look fresh and vibrant, and players are playing for places. The performances of Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata, Marouane Fellaini, Ander Herrera and Daley Blind have all been good.
And they are starting to be defensively protective and keeping clean sheets. So for United, it is all good.
City, though, are looking like a side who are up for the fight when they are chasing something, but more like a group of mercenaries when they have something to hold on to.
They will go down in history as a good Premier League side but not a great one, because they cannot back their credentials up when they are champions of England.
United will win comfortably this weekend, 2-0.
3. Manchester City owners must break bank for highest-level manager like Simeone
Having been in many dressing rooms, I can say a team is made in the mould of its manager more often than not.
If you have a feisty manager, players with the same attribute will step up to the plate to show their mettle. But if you have a benign character who looks disinterested, dishevelled and tired, that is going to rub off on the players.
When things went well for Manuel Pellegrini last season, there was the odd smile and a bit of freshness. He looked like a man who could take things on. But this year he looks clueless on the bench. He appears reactive rather than proactive in his substitutions.
The way some individual players have played for him after the World Cup has been disappointing, and he obviously hasn't been able to motivate them and get them across the line.
I'm thinking of players such as Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany here, and that comes down to a manager's ability to motivate. Now I just think Pellegrini looks like a dead man walking.
Manchester City now have to break the bank to bring in a Pep Guardiola or Diego Simeone. I know Simeone has only just signed a new Atletico Madrid contract, but offer him €10 million a year, and he will come.
If they don't, City will soon realise that all the money in the world will mean nothing without a great manager. Pellegrini is not the man to take Manchester City on to better days.
Some of the players are going through the motions, and when City are playing at their worst they look like a group of disinterested mercenaries.
City players will tell you they have cohesion and strength of character after winning two of the last three Premier League titles, but I don't see the same kind of characters Chelsea have, those who will fight and grab to find their way across the line.
City have too much money not to get there eventually but are going to need a really long look in the summer and to decide whether they really will go for it and court a major name as manager, such as Guardiola, Simeone or Carlo Ancelotti.
With the players they have, I think Simeone is best suited for the role at City. I think Pellegrini is gone in the summer.
4. West Ham and Liverpool wise to consider Rafael Benitez as future manager
Rafael Benitez has managed in the three traditionally biggest leagues in Europe—England, Spain and Italy—and had success to varying degrees in all of them.
After the defeat to Arsenal on Saturday, I had lots of Liverpool fans on my Call Collymore radio show saying the Reds needed Rafa because he would be good with this group of players, he's a good coach, is a proven winner and has a great Plan B.
I asked them if they really wanted to go back to the future, and many of them said "Yes."
He has had a few seasons out of the Premier League limelight while with Napoli, but his family are still very much in the UK and I wouldn't be at all surprised if John W. Henry isn't giving it at least some thought.
Similarly, I wouldn't be shocked if West Ham owners David Sullivan and David Gold aren't considering Benitez a year away from the move to the Olympic Stadium. Benitez is a proven coach and winner, and proven to take a club on.
I think the Manchester City link is a red herring, because even though he is a good organiser and has won trophies with Liverpool and Valencia, he is not at the level the Etihad Stadium hierarchy are looking at now.
5. I want to see Bournemouth as Cherries on top for Premier League promotion race
I would be delighted to see Bournemouth promoted to the Premier League from the Championship simply because of the way they play.
They aren't prancing horses keeping the ball for the sake if it; they are always looking to play the ball forward and create chances. They have aggression and are a good all-round team.
Promotion would be a great testament to their manager Eddie Howe and the job he has done since going back there following a short stint at Burnley.
In the meritocracy of the Premier League, it doesn't matter how big your club is.
In terms of relegation from the top flight, the key teams have each other still to play.
Hull, Leicester, Burnley and QPR's run-ins look horrific, and even Aston Villa still have Manchester City and Tottenham away to play.
If I had to stick my neck out now, I would say it was Burnley, Leicester and Hull to drop, while QPR and Villa will get out of it by the skin of their teeth.
