Most people know of the talent possessed by Arsenal’s midfield wonder kid Jack Wilshere, but for you Chelsea followers out there or those who keep a keen eye on the English game, you may have seen or heard whisperings of the young man Josh McEachran.
Many, including England under 21 manager Stuart Pearce, draw comparisons between the two: “He’s got a really outstanding talent, similar to Wilshere, and it bodes well for us.” Were his comments on McEachran after an under 21 international in February, which was McEachran’s under 21 debut at just 17 years old. However, beyond the fact that they are both left footed midfielders, there are similarities and contrasts in their games.
McEachran’s career has begun similarly to that of Wilshere’s, representing England through the youth levels, quietly making a name for himself and it could only be a matter of time before he’s on a similar level to Wilshere.
However, in the few games I’ve seen McEachran feature in, I’ve noticed marked differences in the ways they play. McEachran seems to be more defensive minded and more of a holding player than Wilshere, who likes to break forward and create openings for the strikers.
These differences were highlighted in the games they played in last week, McEachran started for Chelsea in the defensive midfield role normally filled by Mikel or Essien and constantly making himself available and playing a short, simple passing game whilst occasionally looking for that killer pass; Qualities leading to former Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins comparing Mceachran to Arsenal legend Liam Brady.
Already showing signs of future Arsenal greatness is Wilshere, who has shown the attacking side of his game off in recent weeks, possibly enforced by the absence of Cesc Fabregas. This was highlighted in the defeat to Aston Villa, where he looked to canter forward and play balls through to Van Persie and the Arsenal strikers. Both he and Mceachran looked assured, comfortable on the ball and rarely conceded possession in their respective games, a trait invaluable in young players who are often timid, intimidated and careless in possession.
It could be argued that the two both lack power and physical presence, Wilshere standing at 5’7 and Mceachran at 5’11. But it is evident from what we’ve seen of Wilshere that the lad can stand up for himself and put himself about on the pitch (possibly too much at times, getting sent off against Birmingham in October) however his temperament usually serves him well and the Arsenal faithful have been pleased with the passion he shows. McEachran also seems to be a fierce competitor, being unfazed by the battle with Joey Barton last weekend, a battle that could leave even the feistiest midfielder feeling timid.
Jack Wilshere of course has already established himself in the domestic and international game, making over 30 appearances for Arsenal and 4 England caps under his belt. He is now a key figure in a young arsenal side and his ability to dictate the tempo of the game has many Arsenal fans feeling that with his continued development, Cesc Fabregas will not be missed if he moves on in the summer.
Josh McEachran has made his breakthrough in the Chelsea first team this season under Carlo Ancelotti, making starts in the Champions League and Premier League. The faith Ancelotti has in the 18 year old possibly emphasises the view that he is ready for the immediate step up to first team football and doesn’t need the experience of going out on loan. However, caution must be taken in trying to rush his development; in the case of Wilshere it was shown that the loan and consistent first team experience he gained at Bolton was invaluable and helped him mature as a player. Perhaps Chelsea would prosper in following this example and getting McEachran regular first team football by sending him out on loan to the Championship or even another Premier League team.
One thing is without doubt however, the skills and attributes of these left footed Englishman can compliment each other and if we don’t see them together in an under 21 jersey soon, we’ll hopefully see them wearing a senior three lions shirt together one day. The future is definitely bright for the England midfield.
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Comparing this boy at this stage to Wileshire is like comparing Benik Afobe to Rooney.
Utter and total rubbish.
at the moment there is absolutely no substance for any comparison or looking to the future with regards to those 2 playing for england. Josh hasn;t really done a thing for chelsea, playing in no meaningful games and playing in the sitting role in the chelsea team…a position even Mikel looks good in with his %99.9 passing accuracy (only passing to JT or Luiz/Alex) where Jack has become one of the main players for arsenal and england, making over 50 appearances to Josh who has appeared less than 10 times for chelsea/engkland seniors.
maybe in a year or 2 you can talk about josh
need to think of jay spearing here
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