Former Everton manager Sam Allardyce has shared his worries about West Ham United midfielder Jack Wilshere, admitting that his partnership with Mark Noble is a “concern.”
New boss Manuel Pellegrini signed the 26-year-old on a free transfer earlier this summer after his contract ended at Arsenal, starting him in both of the Hammers’ opening games this season.
He admitted that he has major concerns about the partnership between the 5’6″ [Transfermarkt] central star and the Irons’ mainstay, which is sure to leave Pellegrini sweating.
He told beIN SPORTS: “The new manager will be really worried, because now they’ve gone out and spent, but they haven’t introduced all of the new players yet.
“Still Mark Noble and Wilshere would be a bit of a concern, but not the talent – just the legs.”
OPINION
Based on the pairing’s last two performances, Allardyce has a right to be concerned about them. They were completely outplayed in their season opener against Liverpool, and they appeared to continue that form in their second match against Bournemouth on Saturday. A player of Wilshere’s experience and calibre should be performing at a much higher standard than he has already, and he will have a lot to prove when he faces his former club Arsenal this weekend. Based on Allardyce’s criticism, Pellegrini needs to add some new legs to the midfield to freshen things up a bit. There is no doubting the duo’s talent, but they look tired this season, and some energy is needed to increase the pace in the middle of the park. If Pellegrini does not solve this issue soon, then West Ham are in for a long season if the midfield continues to get outplayed game after game. However, we are only two games into the new campaign, so it would be unfair to judge both players so early on.
