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Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has no business going to Euro 2016 over Tottenham’s Dele Alli or Eric Dier

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 26: Jack Wilshere of Arsenal during the match between Arsenal and VfL Wolfsburg at Emirates Stadium on July 26, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 26: Jack Wilshere of Arsenal during the match between Arsenal and VfL Wolfsburg at Emirates Stadium on July 26, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) /
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Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere doesn’t deserve to head to Euro 2016 over Tottenham midfielders Dele Alli

If England manager Roy Hodgson selects Jack Wilshere to play as his deep-lying midfielder in Euro 2016 he will deserve to lose every match he manages. Choosing Wilshere over Tottenham midfielders Dele Alli and Eric Dier would be absolutely criminal.

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Shockingly, the Daily Mail reports that Hodgson is considering doing just that. The England boss is desperate for Wilshere to prove his fitness prior to the competition so he can deploy him as his deep-lying midfielder. It goes on to say that Hodgson and his staff are considering playing Alli in that role as a contingency plan.

The idea that Hodgson would select Wilshere over the Spurs duo is maddening. How could he possibly expect the Arsenal man to be as sharp as two players who’ve performed at a high level all season long in the Premier League? Even if Wilshere regains his fitness prior to heading to France, he won’t truly be match ready due to his extended layoff.

Even if you think that somehow Wilshere’s extended injury lay-off won’t hinder his performance, there’s a compelling case that Dier and Alli are both having seasons better than any Premier League campaign Wilshere has produced. From a purely objective perspective, both Spurs players have Whoscored.com player rating averages higher than any Premier League season average Wilshere has earned.

Wilshere put up a career-high Whoscored.com rating of 7.05 back in the 2012-13 season. In contrast, Alli and Dier have ratings of 7.30 and 7.06 during the current campaign. Admittedly, the difference in Dier and Wilshere’s ratings is very slight, but surely in the event of a tie you select the player who’s been healthy all year-long.

Selecting Wilshere would be a troubling sign of desperation by Hodgson. Selecting a wildcard like that to start in such a crucial decision is a sign that he doesn’t think his current options are good enough to get the job done. He’s looking for something unseen to supplement what he deems as a pretty ordinary group to choose from.

That’s the part that frustrates me the most. What could Hodgson possibly be looking for from his deep-lying midfielder that either Dier or Alli couldn’t provide?

If you want a classic destroyer to play that position, by all means take Dier. He’s the biggest of the three options and he’s shown a real mean streak that could be a huge mental boost for the Three Lions. He may not be a world-class distributor from deep in the midfield, but he can provide excellent cover for England’s back four.

If Hodgson feels good about the quality of his back line, then select Alli to play in the crucial role. He’s been scintillating for Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino this season and has created loads of scoring chances for Tottenham. He’s got the quality to creat scoring chances out of absolutely nothing.

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If Roy Hodgson selects Jack Wilshere over Eric Dier and Dele Alli than he really is a manager living in the past. He needs to rely on what players have shown this season, and take the Spurs duo over the injured Gunner.

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