England's Wilshere vs. Wales' Ramsey: Comparison of Arsenal's Young Gunners
Gary Speed, the new Wales manager, handed the captaincy to Aaron Ramsey because he was the future of the Nation and it shows the faith of the manager.
Ramsey was touted to be the replacement for Fabregas before the injury and should he be back to his best, he has an excellent possibility of reclaiming his place in the Arsenal team.
Ramsey will be up against his club team mate who is currently ahead of him in the pecking order at club level. Wilshere has benefited from Ramsey's absence to some extent, as he has proceeded to establish himself in the team.
Fabio Capello has made it clear that Wilshere will start the game and he will have to shoulder the responsibility of being the creative spark in the team in the absence of Steven Gerrard.
The Welsh captain will be keen to test his credentials against Wilshere and prove that he is capable of establishing his place in the Arsenal first team.
Ramsey is one of the best players for Wales and in the absence of Bale, much of the threat should be provided by him and Bellamy.
Aaron Ramsey is a midfielder, who is blessed with vision, technique and creativity, and he could provide stiff competition for the England International.
Arsenal are fortunate to have two of the world's best young midfielders, and both could have an important role to play in the future of the club. In this article, the attributes of the two Arsenal midfielders are analysed.
The Journey So Far for Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere
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Aaron Ramsey
The talent of Cardiff City's Aaron Ramsey attracted the attention of some of the biggest clubs in the country and in the end, he signed for Arsenal, who beat stiff competition from Everton and Manchester United.
The Welsh midfielder's quality was noticed by the astute Arsene Wenger, who provided him opportunities in the Cups and from the bench in the midfielder's first full season with the Gunners.
Ramsey had made rapid strides in his first season and looked set for more matches in his second season at the club.
In the initial stages of the season, Ramsey was a regular for the Carling Cup ties and made many appearances from the bench in Europe and the League.
But in the game against Olympiacos where Arsenal played a team of youngsters, Ramsey was the leading light in midfield.
He dominated the midfield in the game, creating numerous opportunities for the forwards and had Theo Walcott and Carlos Vela been more clinical, Ramsey's assists would have secured a victory for the Gunners.
Wenger then provided the opportunity for the midfielder to start in games in the Premier League and he was becoming an integral member of the side until the game against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.
Jack Wilshere
Ryan Shawcross' reckless challenge left his leg broken and kept him out of the action for the Gunners for more than a year. The Welshman has been forced to watch from the sidelines as a young Englishman emerged to make the headlines this season.
Jack Wilshere was on loan at Bolton at the time that Ramsey got injured and the midfielder made a good impression at Bolton. He returned to Arsenal for the preseason and impressed in the Emirates Cup.
Wenger placed his faith in Wilshere, as he was awarded his first Premier League start in the high-profile opener against Liverpool and he has not looked back since then.
He has been ever-present for the Gunners and performed brilliantly against quality opposition, including Chelsea and Barcelona. Wilshere's partnership with Alex Song and captain Cesc Fabregas has been impressive, and he is already a regular for the Gunners.
Though Wilshere has been hugely impressive for Arsenal, it is fair to state that he has also had to fight extremely less competition due to the absence of Ramsey.
Denilson has been unimpressive to say the least, while Diaby has been hampered by injuries and inconsistency.
Neither of the duo have the technique, vision or the creativity to rival Wilshere for a place in the team in the long term.
Technique and Composure
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Jack Wilshere
Wilshere has got the ability to control long balls, and his technique is very good. His first touch is one of the best amongst players in the Premiership, and his passing has improved, as he has gained confidence from playing regularly in the first team.
He is arguably more composed on the ball than Ramsey and seems to have time to pick out the right pass every time he gets the ball.
Aaron Ramsey
Ramsey also has very good technique and has a good first touch.
However, his first touch is not as consistent as Fabregas or Wilshere, but he has more dynamism than his younger counterpart.
He also has good composure on the ball and can create opportunities with his vision.
Passing
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Aaron Ramsey
Both Ramsey and Wilshere are very good passers of the ball and have a high completion rate of their attempted passes. Ramsey has a better passing range and can spread the play with his useful passes.
He does not control the game like Wilshere or Fabregas but can change the tempo of the game with his passing. Also, his ability to pass with his left foot is quite superior than that of Wilshere with his right.
Jack Wilshere
Wilshere keeps things moving with short passes and spreads the play with accurate long balls to the wings. He is a better crosser of the ball, but he could work on playing longer passes on the ground.
Dribbling
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Aaron Ramsey
Ramsey is a typical midfielder whose strength lies more in passing the ball than in dribbling it past defenders. Though he is a decent dribbler of the ball, he looks to set up the play by finding the right pass.
He has occasionally lost the ball when trying to dribble the ball further than he should have, and this is an area on which he can improve on.
Jack Wilshere
Wilshere has quick direction changes which makes him extremely difficult to tackle for the oppositions and also, he interchanges short passes from Arsenal midfielders which helps him drive into the midfield.
There have been a number of occasions when Cesc Fabregas has dropped back to allow Wilshere to drive into the midfield.
Shooting
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Aaron Ramsey
Though Ramsey missed a glorious opportunity to equalize against West Bromwich Albion, he has a great eye for goal and can shoot from distance from well.
His goal against Portsmouth at Fratton Park with his weaker foot is his best Arsenal goal, though he has scored some other very good goals.
He is a confident lad who has the ability to shoot from long range as well. With time, he can be a regular goal-scoring midfielder like Frank Lampard.
Jack Wilshere
Arsene Wenger has backed Wilshere to score more goals as he progresses just like Cesc Fabregas did at Arsenal.
Wilshere has scored some good goals for the reserves but he has shown hesitancy to shoot on a number of occasions this season.
However, in recent games, he is attempting more shots, and that is a sign of improvement from the youngster.
Work Rate and Defensive Qualities
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Aaron Ramsey
Ramsey covers a lot of ground but is not the best when it comes to defensive attributes. However, he is a willing worker and works hard for the cause of the team.
Ramsey's positioning has not been the best in some games, but he does not buckle under pressure.
Jack Wilshere
Wilshere was asked to play in an unfamiliar role alongside Alex Song at the start of the season. However, he has excelled in that role, prompting Wenger to state that this is his best position even in the future.
Wilshere has good tactical awareness and makes crucial tackles and interceptions. His tackling was slightly reckless in the earlier matches of the season but he has considerably improved on that aspect as well.
Leadership Qualities
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Jack Wilshere
Both Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey have impressive leadership qualities, which is good for the future of Arsenal.
Fabio Capello has already labeled Wilshere as a future captain for England, and he has certainly led from the front in many games for Arsenal.
The Englishman will soon be a leader in the Arsenal dressing room and could be captain for the Gunners in the future.
Aaron Ramsey
Aaron Ramsey is currently the captain for Wales and the manager praised his mental strength and character after recovering from the injury.
Ramsey is not a "shouter or screamer" in his words, but he is confident that he can lead from the front. He certainly has leadership qualities which is why Speed has given him the armband.
Arsenal FC Debate: Can the Duo Form a Successful Partnership in the Future
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Arsenal are extremely fortunate to have two young midfielders who are determined for excel for their country and club. With Wenger at the helm, there is every chance that they will realize their potential and perform at their best for the club.
Fabregas might move on to Barcelona in the future but in these two, Arsenal have the stars of the future who could lead the club to glory.
These two youngsters are certainly promising for the long-term future of the club, but both the midfielders have played few games together.
Arsenal supporters will hope to see the best of the duo in the future. But can England's Jack Wilshere and Wales' Aaron Ramsey form a successful partnership in the future?
I certainly think they can, and would like to read your opinions in the comments column.
This article is also featured on The Invincible Gunners, a blog on Arsenal
