Tag Archives: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Theo Walcott – Not simply the best, but maybe better than all the rest?

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So yesterday’s blog bought out a response from someone on the She Wore Facebook page with regards to Theo Walcott. And that comment has inspired this blog.

The comment was a simple one. That of all of the players mentioned in yesterday’s blog, Walcott was the biggest freeloader.

I responded in my usual matter of fact way; 19 goals last year. Walcott is a better winger than Ox, Welbeck, Perez or Joel Campbell.

The response from someone was as expected. Are you having a laugh???

No, I was not having a laugh. Theo Walcott, whilst he might not be mine or anyone’s full cup of tea, is the better than those others named above.

Theo Walcott knows where the net is. Not too many wide men outscored him last year. Just the top, top players. The likes of Eden Hazard and Alexis Sanchez.

He has scored 104 goals in 381 games for Arsenal. That is a better ratio than Freddie Ljungberg. Add in the goals for Southampton in the Championship, Walcott scores a 1 goal in every 3.7 games.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has always flattered to deceive. He has the ability to beat players for fun, but then will run to the corner flag and stick one into row Z. He is currently loving the celebrity life style, and is acting Hollywood on the pitch.

The simple fact is, he does not have any end product. In his entire career for Arsenal, he has scored just 20 goals. Just one more goal than Theo Walcott scored last season. 20 goals in 196 games. Add the goals in League One for Southampton, he has scored a massive 30 goals in 239 games. That is 1 in 8.

One player who will always frustrate everyone is Danny Welbeck. He has the pace, he has the power, he looks like an elegant gazelle when running. But put him in front of goal and he looks like Bambi.

Twice against Stoke City at the weekend he had the ball with the goal in front of him. Both times he took 3 touches of the ball and failed to get a shot off. You can not take 3 touches of the ball in the box in the Premier League and fail to get a shot off.

Even when he scored against Leicester, he needed 3 touches of the ball. And that was 3 years out, with an open goal.

When we signed Welbeck from Man U, there fans told us exactly what it was we were getting. A player who was class until he had to score. It is crazy to think he has scored just 55 goals in his career, at a ratio of 1 in 4.5.

Then we come to Joel Campbell. Has there ever been a player who has produced so little who ends up so highly rated by many? He certainly falls into the category of “Wenger does not rate him, so lets rate him, because we refuse to agree with Wenger”.

Joel Campbell is now 25 years old. He is no a youngster anymore. He joined Arsenal back in 2011 and has scored just 4 goals for the club.

In his defence, he has spent most of that time on loan throughout Europe. But lets be honest, he has not exactly set the world alight whilst on loan.

He scored a couple of world class goals for Olympiacos back in the day, but it has been a career of averageness.

Let me but it another way, if Arsenal were interested in signing a 25 year old winger from sporting Lisbon who last season struggled to start for them – just 7 league starts, would you be excited, or would you be screaming for Wenger to go?

It would be the later.

During his loan spell at Lisbon last season, he scored 3 goals in all competitions. This bought his career total to 25 goals in 200 games. A fantastic 1 in 8.

Lastly we have Lucas Perez. A player who some feel has not had his chance. The truth is different.

Perez scored against Sutton (it was a cross), Basel, Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth. Not exactly giants of the game are they?

Perez is a journeyman. A career that has taken him from Spain to Ukraine, on to Greece, back to Spain, then North London. 4 years playing in average Eastern European leagues did not get him the goals you would expect.

Only twice has he ever hit more than 10 goals in a season. The first was for PAOK in Greece. The second was the year he before he joined Arsenal .He scored 17 goals for Deportivo in 2015/16. That is 2 less than Walcott scored for Arsenal last season.

His record of 1 in 3.4 is superior to Walcott, but he has played in defensively inferior leagues.

If you look at just the last 5 years for Walcott – he was a very slow starter – his goal scoring record is one goal ever 2.5 games.

Theo Walcott might not be what we want, but he is better than what we have. And anyone that disagrees is an idiot. Simple as.

Keenos

TWO in the frame to replace Oxlade-Chamberlain at Arsenal

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So rumours seem to be floating about that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is on the verge of going to Chelsea for £35m, and the response from many seems to be mixed.

On one hand, he is an extremely talented player, homegrown, and has come into his own over the last few months playing at right wing back.

On the other side of the coin, he is in the last year of his contract, is very inconsistent, has never really fulfilled his potential, and seems to want to play central midfield. On top of this, he has struggled to maintain his fitness throughout his Arsenal career.

At £35m, I think Arsenal would be getting a good price for a player who’s own plans does not really fit into Arsenal’s plans. The big problem that Arsenal will face is replacing him.

We already have enough deadwood players to get rid of, and whilst Oxlade-Chamberlain has often flirted with being surplus in the past, he has recently become a player we need to keep.

Let me paint another picture to you. Oxlade-Chamberlain leaves, it means either Mathieu Debuchy or Carl Jenkinson is back up to Hector Bellerin. This is the thing of nightmares. That two players who really should have been shipped out 12 months ago, would now be back in the plans of Arsene Wenger.

But we could buy a replacement you are currently thinking.

But remember, this is Arsenal, this is Arsene Wenger.

We have already messed up getting Thomas Lemar over the line this summer. We look no closer to a central midfielder, and a centre back will not happen. Our transfer dealings are done. And it is not good enough.

If we sell Oxlade-Chamberlain, we will not buy a replacement. Wenger will not spend what is needed to bring in the quality. He will not want to kill Hector Bellerin.

That means Ox out, and either Jenkinson or Debuchy, or even both, stay.

And our summer transfer window gets progressively worse…

Keenos

Where will Arsenal’s 9 contract rebels end up?

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All the news in recent weeks has been about the future of contract revel Alexis Sanchez’s future at the club.

Whilst Sanchez has taken up all the column inches, Arsenal have another 8 senior players who’s deals are coming to an end in 2018.

Here is my opinion on where they will end up…

Mesut Ozil – The German wants to leave Arsenal. But the problem is that no one wants him.

No club in England fancy him.

A return to Spain is impossible. Real Madrid won’t have him back, Barcelona don’t need him, and he won’t suit Atletico’s style (and they have a transfer ban).

Bayern Munich don’t want him, no other German side can afford him. A move to Turkey will see his wages massively cut. That leaves Italy and France.

He might be waiting to see if PSG will make a move. Then you have the new cash rich AC Milan and Inter Milan.

Likelihood is he will realise he has no other option but to stay at Arsenal. Either sign a new contract, or leave on a free to Fenerbache after the season – with Fenerbache paying him a big lump sum to make up for lower wages.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – In a World Cup year, the Ox has realised that his career has stalled. He has not moved forward since the last World Cup – where he started every game – and he is now in danger of not even making the squad.

The Ox wants more game time, and not at right back. His future rests on Alexis Sanchez’a decision. He sees himself as the perfect replacement for Sanchez behind the striker. If he is guaranteed a chance to fight for that position, he will stay. If he has told “we see your future at right wing back” he will be gone.

Jack Wilshere – Missing pre-season again is a disaster for Arsenal as it means they can not shift the no-longer-youngster on.

With a year left on his deal, so Arsenal offer him a new 4 year contract and risk another Abou Diaby situation? Or do they let his contract run down and lose a player for nothing who cost nothing.

This is a situation that is in Arsenal’s hands.

Wojciech Szczesny – He wants to leave. Arsenal want to sell him. But until a decision is made on the future of Petr Cech, David Ospina and a new 2nd choice keeper, he might be another who ends up staying.

Would be Arsenal’s second choice for a year, before likely joining Juventus on a free transfer to replace Buffon.

Kieran Gibbs – Basically can pick who he wants to join. Offers will come in for him from the likes of Newcastle, Watford, West Ham and more. A simple case of seeing what they offer him, and deciding where he wants to go.

Per Mertesacker & Santi Cazorla – Both just signed new one year extensions. Will probably be their last at the club.

Carl Jenkinson – Like Kieran Gibbs, Arsenal are looking to move him on. But the lack of Premier League interest will be a a worry for him.

He might look to push a loan deal to a Premier League side to prove himself as a Premier League player before leaving on a free next year.

Might end up with a lifeline at Arsenal if Debuchy, Bellerin & Ox leave.

Joel Campbell – “Get out whilst you can Joel”. Arsenal might wish they had of got him out after the last World Cup when they could.

Likely to be sold to a La Liga or Portuguese side, but not for very much.

Keenos