Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: Page 18 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Captain

Problem is that Owen's prime lasted about two seasons and after that he became a leech at every team that he played for. Owen had great concentration and finishing ability but let's not go overboard.

And saying that Theo has no balls is absolute nonsense.

lorddulaarsenal

Injuries put pay to owen

Rex

Alfonso wrote:
Comparing Owen and Walcott is laughable. Owen was a world class striker who in his prime could get into any team in the world whilst Theo was and is a headless chicken with the skills of a league 1 player.

I dont think Theo will ever be the player we want him to be, one he has no balls, and two, he is a very naive player as well.

Harsh. In my book Theo steps up in important games more than any other player currently playing for us. Think about it.

Captain

He's one of, if not the, mentally strongest players at the club.

Rex

THAT run against Pool in the CL, FA-cup semifinal against Chelsea, CC final v Chelsea, last season v Chelsea. He is a big time player IMO.

goon

I don't think anyone who comes through the sort of bullshit he's had flung at him since the age of 16 can be called mentally weak.

Ricky1985

otfgoon wrote:
As revealed in his book Capello want's him to hug the touchline, which in my view is a bit like telling Cesc to sit in front of the back four and play short square passes.

He said that in his book? Wow. I've long criticised Capello (and Wenger) for that, but still surprised he/they actually order him to play that way. Absolute madness, might as well tie his shoe laces together, it'd be less of a handicap.

goon

Ricky1985 wrote:
He said that in his book? I've long criticised Capello (and Wenger) for that. Absolute madness, might as well tie his shoe laces together, it'd be less of a handicap.

Yep, screamed that he'd kill him if he came inside again in training infront of everyone apparently, just before droppoing him from the world cup squad.

In fairness to Wenger, he showed Theo videos of Ljungberg which has done wonders for him in my opinion. A couple of years ago his movement was appauling but it's now one of his strongest assets.

Klaus

Humble Rex wrote:
THAT run against Pool in the CL, FA-cup semifinal against Chelsea, CC final v Chelsea, last season v Chelsea. He is a big time player IMO.

And let's not forget the goal against Barcelona coupled with a performance that turned the game around. Created Bendtner's goal at Camp Nou that season too. Or the goal against Villarreal in the quarter-final of Champions League. If we're playing an important game against a big club I'll back Theo over any other player at Arsenal to step up and deliver in the goal end.

Ricky1985

otfgoon wrote:
Ricky1985 wrote:
He said that in his book? I've long criticised Capello (and Wenger) for that. Absolute madness, might as well tie his shoe laces together, it'd be less of a handicap.

Yep, screamed that he'd kill him if he came inside again in training infront of everyone apparently, just before droppoing him from the world cup squad.

In fairness to Wenger, he showed Theo videos of Ljungberg which has done wonders for him in my opinion. A couple of years ago his movement was appauling but it's now one of his strongest assets.

Unbelievable. Capello really is a moron and has been a very average England manager (please no one give me a history lesson about what he's won in the game, I'm well aware). Theo obviously can't stand him or he wouldn't have included info like that in his book. No wonder he has struggled for England in the last couple of seasons.

Theo's movement has always been good, maybe not in some of the basic moves a wide player must make, those have had to be learned since the switch in position, but the timing of his runs and his understanding of where space is, is out of this world and always has been. Wenger, Redknapp, Eriksson, Capello, every manager he has had, has said as much.

lorddulaarsenal

Capello must have hated seeing Theo drift inside then go on and lay the ball wide to ash young to square for rooney

Captain

Capello was never the right appointment for that england squad.

y va marquer

Theo can do damage and he scares defences.
He might not do it consistently during a game, he can be almost invisible for long spells, but deliver the right ball to him and watch him leave people for dead as he heads towards goal.

It's a brilliant sight when he gets it right.

He never gives up either, he rarely looks despondent or beaten on the pitch.

People say that's down naivety, maybe so, but I think it's what's keeps him in the game even when he's had one of his lulls , meaning that when he does get a chance he's got the confidence to go for it.

Having said all of that I wanted to strangle him during the United game.
He just constantly ended up either being dispossessed or dispossessing himself.
Still managed a goal though and at a time when, if the team around him had been stronger, it might have galvanized the effort for the second half.

goon

Ricky1985 wrote:
Theo's movement has always been good, maybe not in some of the basic moves a wide player must make, those have had to be learned since the switch in position, but the timing of his runs and his understanding of where space is, is out of this world and always has been. Wenger, Redknapp, Eriksson, Capello, every manager he has had, has said as much.

Completely disagree there. My biggest gripe with him was how he always used to position himself behind an opposition player for most of the match and as a result rarely ever getting to ball. He'd rarely ever play one-twos, and when he did make runs it was often to a position where it's impossible to get the ball to him. Up front he might have been fine, but that's a completely different thing.

It's no coincidence that he's started scoring goals for fun. His finishing ability has always been there but it's only over the last 2 or 3 years that he's started getting into the right areas and now it's to a point where he's very good at it, though there are still occasions where he misses an opportunity to get in behind.

Timbob

It's all conjecture, and you're welcome to disagree, but imo Theo would score 20+ league goals a season playing up top with a decent partner.

Ricky1985

otfgoon wrote:
Ricky1985 wrote:
Theo's movement has always been good, maybe not in some of the basic moves a wide player must make, those have had to be learned since the switch in position, but the timing of his runs and his understanding of where space is, is out of this world and always has been. Wenger, Redknapp, Eriksson, Capello, every manager he has had, has said as much.

Completely disagree there. My biggest gripe with him was how he always used to position himself behind an opposition player for most of the match and as a result rarely ever getting to ball. He'd rarely ever play one-twos, and when he did make runs it was often to a position where it's impossible to get the ball to him. Up front he might have been fine, but that's a completely different thing.

It's no coincidence that he's started scoring goals for fun. His finishing ability has always been there but it's only over the last 2 or 3 years that he's started getting into the right areas and now it's to a point where he's very good at it, though there are still occasions where he misses an opportunity to get in behind.

I think we're talking about slightly different things. I'm saying if you played Theo as a striker at 16, in the Premier League, his movement and timing was such that he would get in time and again against good defenders and defences, but I do agree that he had a lot to learn from a wide position - run-of-the-mill, basic stuff that all players can grasp with games.

Timbob

His movement and the timing of his runs has always been good. But it's been the movement of a forward, not a winger.

goon

Ricky1985 wrote:
I think we're talking about slightly different things. I'm saying if you played Theo as a striker at 16, in the Premier League, his movement and timing was such that he would get in time and again against good defenders and defences, but I do agree that he had a lot to learn from a wide position - run-of-the-mill, basic stuff that all players can grasp with games.

Fair enough.

I don't think it's basic at all though, Aaron Lennon for example still doesn't get it, and plenty of other pacy wide players still have not been able to get. But I guess that's where Theo's 'understanding' kicks in as you put it.

I think whether or not Miyaichi can grasp it will be the making or breaking of him.

Ricky1985

Wires crossed a little again. In terms of movement, what Theo does from a wide position now is not standard or ordinary - it's exceptional - and I agree he couldn't do that 3 years ago. His great timing and nose for space gets him in so, so often but he did have to learn to do that from a different starting position. If he was picked out only half the time he makes a great run he'd still get in 5 times a game. As good as players like Young or Nani are they can't do what Theo does off the ball, not even close.

The run-of-the-mill stuff I was talking about was more positional stuff - when receiving the ball, working the fullback, combining with your own fullback etc. The sort of stuff Shaun Wright-Phillips was taught when he was 15, I think Theo was very raw in those terms when he came.

I couldn't agree more on Ryo btw, he's got to become a player that threatens the defensive line over and over again - he really should study Theo. Got to go from the winger he currently seems to be, to more of a wide forward.

Burnwinter

It seems vital that the wide players in our side can both cut in and go to the line, and that they do both in a typical match. Predictability has hurt us in those areas for a while - we have players like Arshavin who almost invariably cut in.

The thing I find odd about the way some discuss Theo is that he's obviously improved considerably just in the last couple of seasons, but he's still talked about in the same disparaging terms he was at 18. "Just an athlete, sure he's fast, but he's not a footballer." Ridiculous, he's much better at decision-making now.

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