Tag Archives: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Arsenal need to make Bundesliga star their Number 1 target

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There is nobody better available is a common line put out by many Arsenal fans to justify our poor dealings in the transfer market.

Occasionally it is justifiable, but in the majority of occasions, there is someone else better available.

The line is also often used when we miss out on a player. Again, sometimes you can be genuinely frustrated that we missed out on an available player that is better than what we have, other times it is just idiots trying to create a stick to beat Arsene Wenger with.

One such occasion I read recently is some plonked tweet DANI ALVES IS AVAILABLE. As if it to make the point that:

  1. He is available and;
  2. He is better than what we have

This is a perfect example of fans chatting rubbish.

Dani Alves is only available because Manchester City are offering big money in terms of wages for a 34 year old, and the chance to one more work with Pep Guardiola. Alves has mutually terminated his contract with Juventus. If it was not for the Manchester City interest, Alves would not be available and would still be contract to Juventus.

Secondly, whilst Alves has had a stellar career, he is now 34. Is he really a better option than Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or Hector Bellerin – men 10 years his junior? Alves would be a short term option, a very short term option.

So if we are going to bring up names of players who are available, and are better than what we have, let’s be sensible with it. Let’s not just name names for RTs and blog or vlog hits.

One player who is most certainly available, and is clearly better than what we have is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. And I am baffled as to why it seems we are not in the race for him.

Of course, we could be moving up on sly like a Love Island alpha male muscling in on another man’s girl without the bloke she is currently coupled up with knowing. But at the minute, it just seems we are not interested. And it baffles me as to why not.

Here is a striker who is amongst the best in the world. A world where there are not too many top, top strikers. At 28 year old, he is at the peak of his powers. In 4 years at Borussia Dortmund he has scored 120 goals in 189 games.

Last year alone he scored 40 goals in 46 games for the German outfit.

He is big, he is strong, he is quick, and he knows where the back of the net is. And according to reports, he is available for as low as €70 million – in the current market, for a player of his ability, that is relatively cheap.

At the minute, it seems Liverpool are leading the race for him, with the offer of working alongside former manager Jurgen Klopp a key factor. But then you look at who else is in the race. Manchester United and Chelsea. But both clubs seem to have him as second choice if they are unable to sign Alvaro Morata or Romelu Lukaku respectively.

So you have two clubs interested in signing him as a second choice, and one club looking to signing him who can not really offer him the chance of winning trophies. Meanwhile Arsenal sit their with 3 FA Cups in 4 years and Danny Welbeck upront.

Aubameyang would come straight into the first team, and would surely be the type of stellar signing that makes Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil think I am staying here.

And imagine Aubameyang himself getting told Arsenal want to sign you and play you infront of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil. It is the type of thing dreams are made of. He would get 30 league goals next seasons without even trying.

Arsenal do not have Champions League football, which might be a down point, but I am becoming a believer that players do not actually care about the Champions League – unless they win it – and just feign an interest in clubs needing to be in the Champions League to eek out an extra 10%.

I can imagine how the conversation went with Manhcester United and Henrikh Mkhitaryan went last summer.

Man U: Henrikh, we want to sign you
HM: OK, but Arsenal want to sign me, and they have Champions League football
Man U: How much is their contract offer?
HM: £120k a week
Man U: We will pay you £140k a week
HM: Deal

Not having Champions League football is not an issue. If will not affect Arsenal financially a great deal, it will just mean we have to pay a little more for Aubameyang’s services.

With Dortmund saying a deal must be done before their pre-season training starts on July 26th, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a player who Arsenal should not just be targeting, but should be going all out to sign.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – Should he stay or should he go?

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. 1 year left on his contract. Currently making a lot of noise about leaving the club.

I had a debate in a WhatasApp group over his contract. My pal was in the corner of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Demanding they we do everything we can to get him to stay. Myself was looking at the other side of the corner. Fairly non-plussed. If he does not want to stay on Arsenal’s terms, he can go.

This is a summary of the discussion…

Give him what he wants

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain should be offered a new contract. And I am sure he has been offered a new contract. The problem is, like in so many contract stalemates, what the club are offering and what the player wants often do not meet each other.

So when the point was made give him what he wants I questioned as to what his worth actually is?

If Oxlade-Chamberlain wants £500k a week, should we pay it? Clearly no.

Let’s half it to £250k a week. Should we pay him that? Again, it is no.

Half it again, £125k a week. It is around what Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are on. It would make Oxlade-Chamberlain our 3rd highest player in the squad. Is he our 3rd best player? He is not even a guaranteed starter.

In the end we settled on £100k a week. It was what Hector Bellerin’s new contract was reportedly worth.

To put that into perspective, according to Total Sportek, £100k a week is currently what Petr Cech and Olivier Giroud get. It is just shy of Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott – who are both ahead of him in terms of first team players, but slightly more than the likes of Shkodran Mustafi, Jack Wilshere, Granit Xhaka and Santi Cazorla.

I would say £100k a week should be the offer on the table to him – even though I wonder if he is really worth £30k a week more than Danny Welbeck…

So it is not a case of pay Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain what he wants to stay, but more of a case of pay him what he is worth.

Manchester City have a history of over paying players. Look at recent examples of Scot Sinclair and Jack Rodwell. They paid Samir Nasri £120k a week to poach him from Arsenal. Raheem Sterling is on £180k a week.

If Manchester City (or Chelsea) come in with a silly offer of wages to Oxlade-Chamberlain, should Arsenal match it? Clearly not.

£100k is the peak of his weekly value. If he turns that down to join Chelsea or Manchester City for £125k a week, £150k a week, or whatever they will offer over and above his market value, then we should not match it.

We should not pay him what he wants, we should pay him what we think he is worth

But he found his form last season

It feels like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had a brilliant season for Arsenal last season. But is this the mind actually playing tricks?

He only actually started 16 league games. He only actually scored 2 goals. For me, last season was no different to his previous 5 years at Arsenal.

2016/17 was the 6th season Oxlade-Chamberlain ahs been at Arsenal for. And it was a season which typified his Arsenal career.

Inconsistent performances interjected with the odd bit of magic. Unable to play twice a week, and as soon as he puts in a run of half a dozen games in a row, he picks up a slight injury.

Able to beat a man, but then runs down a blind alley, or into traffic. He is a frustrating player as the talent on the ball is clearly their, but his decision making is poor and is output in terms of goals and assists is not good enough.

Last season probably was his best in an Arsenal shirt. But 16 league starts is not the sign of a regular first teamer, yet we are willing to pay him first XI wages. And he potentially wants more?

One reason he has piped up about moving is to secure first team football elsewhere. He knows 16 league starts is not enough for a player who will be 24 in August. But would he get first team football at Chelsea or Manchester City? He would even struggle to start for Liverpool.

And just 2 league goals…

A major issue for him throughout his Arsenal career is he has never really nailed down a position. A jack of all trades, a master of none.

He found his position last season

Oxlade-Chamberlain was excellent at right wing back towards the end of last season. He has potentially found his position in the Arsenal squad. Arsenal may finally be able to offer him the first team football he demands.

But there are a handful of problems…

  1. He has only played 5 games at right wing back. Is this really enough data to say Alex, here is £100k a week, you’re going to be our first choice right wing back next season.
  2. Does Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain want to play right wing back? He has previously made it fairly clear he wants to play in the middle of the park. He is not good enough to play in the middle of the park for Arsenal. Perhaps he sees himself moving to play central midfield elsewhere and prove himself?
  3. Are Arsenal even going to be playing 3 at the back next season? If they return to 4, he is not a right back, and he will once again find himself behind Theo Walcott on the wing

But he is better than Theo Walcott

Is he really better than Theo Walcott? I hate it when people say this, as it often shows someone who prefers style of substance. Someone who would rather be with a pretty girl who is a shit shag.

Theo Walcott is not everyones’s cup of tea, I understand that. He is not a great player to watch. He is poor at crossing, can’t beat a man with skill, and often loses the ball. But he gets goals and assists.

On the other hand, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is very good on the eye. He looks busy, will nut meg a player every game, beats his opponent for fun, but he never scores and rarely gets an assist.

A friend of mine (I have 2 friends) wanted us to target Douglas Costa from Bayern Munich to replace Theo Walcott.

Douglas Costa is another one who looks brilliant, but actually produces very little. He scored just 7 goals last season. It is all well and good showing a piece of skill on the half way line, beating a man with a step over, putting in a rabona cross, but if the skill leads to nothing, no goals, not assists, it is fairly pointless. It is for YouTube advertising revenue, for teenage boys to get excited over.

I am a stats man, and Theo Walcott pisses all over Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Last season, Walcott scored 19 goals in all competition. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, in his best season ever (quote; my mate) scored just 7 goals in all competitions. 10 Premier League goals v 2 Premeir League goals.

In the league, Walcott averaged a goal every 192 minutes. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a goal every 781 minutes.

And the argument of ‘but Oxlade-Chamberlain is younger, he has more potential’ is now out of the window. Ox is 24 in August. It is time to deliver.

It is not really a debate, if we return to 4 at the back and it is Walcott v Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right win, Walcott starts every time. He is the more dangerous player.

 

I do not want Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to leave. I want us to offer him a new contract. But my opinion is similar to the one I held over Jack Wilshere a few summers ago. It is time for him to get consistent, time for him to remain injury free.

He is not a good enough player, not an important enough player, to hold the club to ransom over wages. If he wants more than £100k a week, he knows where the door is. He can enjoy sitting on the bench of Manchester City or Chelsea. Enjoy winning nothing for Liverpool.

Oxlade-Chamberlain needs to stay at Arsenal, but on Arsenal’s terms, not on Oxlade-Chamberlain’s.

Keenos

What does the future hold for 3 Arsenal stars?

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Aaron Ramsey

Has anyone had such an up and down career as Aaron Ramsey?

He is now 26 and been at Arsenal and next season will be his tenth at Arsenal. His career has certainly been one of peaks and troughs.

Breaking through on the scene back in 2008 having signed for Arsenal a goal against Fenerbache saw him become the fifth youngest goal scorer in Champions League history. In that game, his overall performance was exceptional. A ball with the outside of his foot especially sticks in the mind.

The next season saw him continue to grow, becoming a first team regular at just 19, leading many to declare him as a future Arsenal captain. That season was cruelly cut short in February 2010 when Ryan Shawcross through himself recklessly into a challenge, breaking Ramsey’s leg into 3.

A slow period of rehabilitation in 2010/11 saw him loaned out to Nottingham Forest and Cardiff. Whilst he was out, Arsenal saw one of their own break through in Jack Wilshire. The teenage Englishman putting in performances that defied his age.

Upon Ramsey’s return in 2011/12, the injury had clearly affected him as he had a fairly poor season. It was made to seem even worse after Wilshere’s excellent season previously. With Wilshere now out, the spotlight was back on Ramsey. And he shrinked.

2011 did have a high for Ramsey. Despite his poor season for Arsenal, he was names Wales captain. He was just 20 years 90 days. He finished the year staring for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics.

The next year saw his form continue to stagnate. With Wilshere returning, Ramsey looked well behind his English counterpart. Poor form led him to lose the Wales captaincy as new manager – Chris Coleman – went for the experience “Welshman” Ashley Williams.

The 2nd half of 2012/13 saw him put in solid performances defensively. His work rate was becoming a key asset, but he continually let himself down when it came to passing, and he simply did not score enough.

Then he had a high. The first half of 2013/14 saw him in exceptional form with 8 goals in the 1st 9 games. He continued this good form until December, when a familiar enemy to Ramsey reared its ugly head once more. Injury. This would rule him out until April.

Ramsey played just 7 games in the 2nd half of the season, but he finished it on one of the most ridiculous highs, scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup Final.

Since the high, Ramsey has had 3 tough years.

Often in and out of the team with injury, his form average, his decision making poor. It has lead to many fans getting on his back, often far too quickly.

A poor season in 2016 saw him go to the Euro’s in France and show that he was one of the best midfielders in Europe. But then once more, he got injured, ruling him out for 3 months.

His return from injury, he looked slow, off the pace, shot. Unable to score, unable to pass, unable to tackle. Was Aaron Ramsey’s time at Arsenal coming to an end?

The back end of 2016/17 saw him regain some form. In the new 3-4-3 formation, he was able to get forward more, get in the opponents box where he excels with his late runs. He once more looked a threat. And in the last game of 2016/17, another year interrupted with injury, he scored another FA Cup Final winner.

Last night for Wales against Serbia Ramsey showed what a good player he can be when he plays unrestricted, relaxed. Not trying too much, keeping it simple, running the game. He was easily the best player on the field – now before you say it was only Serbia, look at their line up: Matic, Ivanovic, Tadic, Kolarov, Mitrovic & Nastasic.

The thing for Ramsey now is he turned 27 in December. He is at the peak of his powers. This season is perhaps the most important of his career. He could still become Arsenal captain. Be a key player in the middle of the park in Islington for the next 5 years.

But he needs less troughs and more peaks. He needs to stay fit. He needs some consistency.

Laurent Koscielny

“I have a contract with Arsenal, I even signed an extension last November until 2020,” Koscielny said.

“I feel very good over there.

“I have always said that I was a Marseille fan when I was younger. When a mythical club like Marseille contact you, it is good. But will I sign for them? I have no idea at all.”

That was Koscielny’s response to a question on an appearance on Telefoot when he was asked whether he would consider a move to the newly-monied Marseille.

Now it is clear to me that he is made it clear that he is committed to Arsenal. But there will be some journalists out there who, chasing the hits and advertising revenue, will focus on the 2nd half of his quotes. That he is a Marseille fan and he thinks it is good that he has been linked with them.

My theory is simple. With a contract through to 2020, Koscielny will set out this deal with Arsenal. Come 2020, and after the Euro’s, he will be 34 and join his boyhood club on a free transfer.

At that point he would have spent 10 or so years at Arsenal, been a loyal servant to the club, but be no longer guaranteed a place in the first XI. He will return to France to see out his career at his boyhood club in an easier league. And good luck to him.

In the short term, Koscielny is going no where.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Rumours are circulating that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will sign a new contract. Hopefully leading the way for Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil to also stay at the club long term.

What is becoming key for Oxlade-Chamberlain is his versatility. Currently pencilled in at right wing back, the fact that he can play left wing back, and on the wings highlights how important he is for Arsenal’s squad depth.

There is also a possibility that if Sanchez or Ozil does go, he might end up playing further up the field, behind a striker.

Like Ramsey, he has had a turbulent career at Arsenal. And like Ramsey, a lot of that is to do with injury.

If he stays fit, stays consistent, he might finally fulfil his potential.

 

Have a good week all!

Keenos