OPINION
The last thing you want to see as a new manager in your first game in charge is your side blown away by the opposition – but that is exactly what Manuel Pellegrini witnessed at West Ham.
Having spent all of pre-season with the Irons, and being one of the busiest Premier League managers over the summer window, the Chilean might have been feeling quietly confident about his side’s ability to compete with the top dogs of England’s elite.
How wrong he would have been.
The Hammers were demolished by a brilliant Liverpool side at Anfield, leaving Pellegrini’s men licking their wounds in their preparations for their next game.
However, in the build up to the home clash against Bournemouth, the manager has been speaking about his tactical decisions, and there is one massive blunder being made which is quite simply setting the club up for failure.
He was quoted by Football365 as saying: “I see Jack playing as a holding midfielder. He can give us good build-up and is a player who is always creating during the game.
“He’s done very good in the Premier League. The length of time he was there reflects how good a job he’s done.”
A holding midfielder Manuel? The former Arsenal star could not even hold his breath!
How is utilising Wilshere’s passing talents and vision in a deeper role going to have the desired impact?
He is hardly a tough tackler, and considering his injury history, putting him in a position where he expected to be a physical presence is only putting him at risk of being sidelined once again.
Yes, he is aggressive, but that can quite often come out in the wrong way, and he is definitely more prone to make a reckless challenge when operating in a role where tackling is part and parcel of his duty.
Pellegrini might have won a Premier League title, but a holding midfield position for Wilshere is a managerial disaster waiting to happen.
Use his talents as a pass master properly, and he can slice through defences like a hot knife through butter, but that can only come if he is pushed up the field and given free rein on the pitch.