Tag Archives: Arsenal

Who would Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain start central midfield for?

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So Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has turned down a move to Chelsea.

According to the BBC;

Oxlade-Chamberlain believes the Blues planned to use him at wing-back, and his primary reason for wanting to leave Arsenal is to play in central midfield.

This backs up the thinking that I have had all along with Oxlade-Chamberlain, that he thinks he is a better player than he is. That he sees himself as an action man central midfielder at the highest level. He has delusions of grandeur.

He is not good enough to play central midfield for Arsenal, so what makes him think he can play their for Chelsea? In fact, going through the top sides, who would he play central midfield for?

Oxlade-Chamberlain is not a central midfield, so the reality is there are 3 positions he could play. Box to box, attacking midfield, or as a winger.

Would he get into any top sides playing this position?

Chelsea

Box to Box – Recently signed Tiémoué Bakayoko will partner N’Golo Kante in central midfield, with Cesc Fabregas backing them up.

Attacking Midfield / Winger – Eden Hazard, Pedro & Willian.

Chelsea might not have many options in their dangerously thin skin, but the options they do have are all better than Oxlade-Chamberlain. He would provide good cover for Bakayoko, Fabregas, Hazard, Pedro & Willian, but, like at Arsenal, he will find himself at right wing back, then back up for positions further forward.

Tottenham

Box to Box – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has a very similar style of play to Mousa Dembélé, but is not as good.

Attacking Midfield / Winger – Christian Erickson and Dele Alli are guaranteed starters. Son Heung-min and Moussa Sissoko are options for the other wing if Spurs play 4 at the back. They are a similar level to Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Oxlade-Chamberlain might get a chance to play for Spurs if they play 4 at the back, but the favoured formation at the moment is 3 at the back. That leaves Oxlade-Chamberlain in the same position as at Arsenal, playing right wing back.

Manchester City

Box to Box – Central midfield options of Yaya Toure, Fernandinho, İlkay Gündoğan, Fabian Delph and the option of playing Kevin De Bruyne deeper.

Attacking Midfield / Winger – The aforementioned Kevin De Bruyne, plus David Silva, Bernard Silva, Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus.

Manchester City have an abundance of options in midfield and attack. Oxlade-Chamberlain would not even get into their 2nd team

Liverpool

Box to Box – Georginio Wijnaldum is the type of player Oxlade-Chamberlain could become, but the Dutchman is better. Chuck in Emre Can and Oxlade-Chamberlain would be 3rd choice. They have also just spent a world record fee on Naby Keïta, due to join next season.

Attacking Midfield / Winger – Even without Coutinho, Liverpool had enough going forward to destroy Arsenal at the weekend. Mo Salah and Sadio Mane were electric on the wings. Add in Adam Lallana.

The side Oxlade-Chamberlain wants to play for. But do they even want him? They are also targeting Thomas Lemar. They have better options in their squad, and better options set to sign.

Keenos

 

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain & Shkodran Mustafi futures

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain really all that?

In his time at Arsenal, he has barely put 6 games together, let alone 6 good games together.

He wants to leave because he wants to play central midfield, but would he get into the middle of the park for any top 6 side? No.

At Chelsea, he would be first choice right wing back, and provide cover for Hazard, Willian and Pedro. Pretty much the same as what he is at Arsenal. He is a player who thinks he is better than what he is. It would not surprise me if he is at Crystal Palace of West Ham within 3 years.

It is incredible to think that in the 6 and a bit years he has been at Arsenal, he has managed just one goal more than Laurent Koscielny. In fact, the list of top 10 goal scorers for the period that the Ox has been at Arsenal makes depressing reading:

Taking into account that of those above him, only Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey have played every season, it perhaps shows how little influence he has on games.

Shkodran Mustafi

I wrote the below back April:

I questioned Shkodran Mustafi’s ability back in December. At the time he had no lost a single game at Arsenal which he had played in. I was mocked in the comments o nthe blog, on Twitter and Facebook. How could I be criticising a player who had yet to lose in an Arsenal shirt?

Well at the time I looked beyond the results of the team and was looking at the performances of the defence.

At the time, Arsenal had not kept a clean sheet for 10 games, with just 4 all season – 3 of which had Mustafi in defence, and the Mustafi / Koscielny partnership was conceding at a rate of a goal a game.

I ended the blog with;

Arsenal defensive frailties have become worse this season. Mustafi has solved one problem but created another.

4 months on and he was part of a centreback partnership against Crystal Palace that failed to make a single tackle. Two crude tackles in the 1st half meant he probably should have seen red. He was lucky to stay on the pitch.

Mustafi has played 17 games in 2017, Arsenal have conceded 31 goals. We have conceded more 3 or more goals on 7 occasions this calendar year. We have kept just 6 clean sheets. 3 of which have been in the FA Cup.

It is not just Mustafi’s fault. The entire defence from Bellerin across to Monreal has been shocking. But Mustafi has shown as huge technical issues which worry.

He tends to chase the ball. He is a poor judge of a high ball. His headers rarely reach a team mate. He dives in to tackles. He is beaten too easily.

I still think he will turn out to be a good player at Arsenal, but at £35,000,000 you would expect better performances than the Sunday League level ones he is putting in at the moment.

I have no issue getting read of substandard players like Mustafi and Oxlade-Chamberlain. My big issue is that we will not replace them

Keenos

Has Arsene Wenger lost the dressing room?

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Arsene Wenger has lost the Arsenal dressing room. It is clear for all too see.

There was talk earlier in the year that if Arsene Wenger signed a new contract, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would be of. Now without getting into the ins and outs of the relationship, Oxlade-Chamberlain has not progressed since he has been at Arsenal. He has gone from highly rated young talent to average squad player. It is clear he blames Wenger for this lack of development.

As soon as Wenger signed the new deal, he was always going to be off. It is like the employee who dislikes their manager, and the manager only shows him any interest when he gets a whiff that the employee is unhappy and on the verge of leaving. It is almost always too little, too late.

You get the feeling it is the same with Mesut Ozi land Alexis Sanchez. That they were almost expecting Wenger to leave, and were happy to stay at Arsenal, but things have changed, and they have lost faith in the manager.

Shkodran Mustafi is another who seems to have lost the faith. The relationship between the German and Wenger seems to have broken down quickly. From Arsenal bringing him back slowly from international duty, to suddenly he is out the door to Inter Milan.

Then we have the future of the likes of Kieran Gibbs, Jack Wilshere and Lucas Perez. All of whom have been cast aside by the manager recently.

The ship is sinking.

Keenos