Jack Wilshere expressed his delight with his team's performance following a resounding 4-0 victory over Leicester City on Saturday morning.
Goals from Michal Rosiak, Chido Obi-Martin, and a brace from Osman Kamara secured the team's fourth consecutive league win.
Wilshere praised his team's character in bouncing back from last week's heavy defeat in the FA Youth Cup against Liverpool.
“We needed to show character after last week. It was tough for the team as it’s probably the first time the players have experienced bad press, and negativity and you need character to overcome it.
“You need to get back to the drawing board, turn up to training and play games even harder. I asked them to show personality by being confident and getting on the ball.
“There was a lot of personality all over the pitch today so I’m very happy with that.”
Wilshere also emphasised the importance of securing a clean sheet, especially after a challenging loss. He highlighted the team's focus on defensive improvement and praised their ability to counter-press effectively and defend their box more resolutely.
“It’s very important for us to get clean sheets and we got one in the league last time out.
“When you lose a game heavily like we did last week, the first thing you think of is how can we stop teams scoring goals against us.
“When you play and dominate a game like we did today you always leave yourself vulnerable to counter-attacks especially when you’re playing development football.
“We counter-pressed better, we matched their running power and we defended our box when we had to.
"It’s an area of improvement for the team but I thought we controlled those moments much better today.”
Furthermore, Wilshere commended Michal Rosiak for his dedication to practicing free-kicks, which resulted in his fourth free-kick goal of the season.
“He’s a great example to the players because he practices and practices.
“Of course, there are other sides to the game you can practice but he puts in serious dedication to his craft of taking free-kicks.
“He actually tried a bit of a different technique today but it was unsavable. A great goal.”
Additionally, Wilshere acknowledged Osman Kamara's contribution to the team's victory, noting the challenges he faced with opponents doubling up on him.
He emphasised the importance of Kamara gaining confidence from his goals and expressed satisfaction with his overall performance.
“It’s been tough for him at times this year because teams are doubling up on him and he’s got to find new ways to beat his man.
“The goals today gave him confidence and I was happy with his performance today.”
Looking ahead, Wilshere previewed the team's upcoming quarter-final in the Premier League Cup against Manchester United.
He acknowledged the tough challenge posed by their opponents but expressed confidence in the team's preparation and determination to approach the game with personality and determination.
“We know it’s going to be a tough game and they’re going really well in the league this year. It’s a cup competition, we’ll be up for it and study them this week and work on things to help us win this game.
“However, the most important thing is that we go there with personality.”
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