Wilshere: “It’s a really good feeling today”

Jack Wilshere was delighted with the performance in our 8-3 win at home to Crystal Palace under-18s on Saturday.

“The performance was very good,” he said. “We always knew that Palace were going to cause us issues and I thought we dealt with them really well today. We managed their transition and executed the game plan almost to perfection. We can look back at the goals we conceded and be a little bit disappointed and probably could’ve scored a few more, but to score eight at this level and keep creating chances, keep pushing in the game all the way to the end, I thought the players who came on the pitch made a difference as well, it’s been coming.

“It’s been a tough couple of weeks where we felt like performances haven’t been that good but then to get the performance and the goals is a really good feeling today.

“Individually and collectively you have to have personality. Chido for example, scoring four goals, you have to have personality to keep creating chances and drive that throughout the team and then manage transitions by winning duels and coaching each other. I saw a lot of personality out there today which makes me happy.”

Scoring four of our eight goals, Chido Obi-Martin got some particular praise from Jack.

“I’m proud of the team because, for a striker to score four, he needs his teammates, his midfielders and defenders, but it’s the hardest thing in football and to do it four times as an under-16 in under-18s football takes some real personality,” he said. “Not just that side of his game, his link-up play, the way he pressed and set the tempo for us, he’s developing nicely. There are still things to do and get better at but I’m happy with where he’s at at the moment.”

There was also a debut for Brayden Clarke, whose signing was announced on Saturday morning.

“Talk about personality and courage to play, the first time he trained with us was on Thursday,” Jack explained. “He trained yesterday and played today 90 minutes. We weren’t sure if he’d get through the game so I asked him around 60 minutes how he was and he said ‘yeah I’m fine.’ The way he understood our style after only two days is credit to him. He’s very good technically, can manage the ball and look after the ball and I thought against Palace you’ve got to defend direct play and he did that really well.: