Three Wise Men: The Year Of The Ox

“It does perhaps make some kind of sense, though. In its own way this is all very Oxlade-Chamberlain, a fitting case of high-profile semi-visibility for a young English player who is right now that rarest of things, neither particularly underrated nor overrated. Who is very talented, but not so talented as to induce the familiar shrieks and blurts of misplaced hope and strangled desire. And who may just end up doing something unusual. I don’t want to build him up too much. But perhaps English football might even have found a young, talented player with the freedom to be simply OK. Useful. Up to it. Decent. Par. Welcome to the age of the Ox, of the unbellowed name. Welcome to the age of quite good.”

Barney Ronay in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: say the name of Little Woodlouse Legs quietly

With the start of the 2015/16 season less than 2 days away, let’s take a brief look at the career of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and why this could be an important season for him.

So, where do we begin?

Safe to say, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was born into the beautiful game; his father Mark Chamberlain is a former professional footballer who earned 8 caps for the England. In terms of a professional career however, it all began at the age of seven, when he was fortunate enough to be invited for training by his father, who was working as a coach for Southampton F.C. at the time. True to his light-hearted nature and humility, Alex once described this as “a bit of a cheat”, though it must be reiterated that the only reasons he is in his current position today are his skill, determination, hard-working nature.

A true testament of this is how close he was to being released by the club  due to his diminutive physique throughout his pre-teen and early teen years. Like many young footballers making the transition from the under 12s to under 16s, the belated effects of puberty can prove costly to prospective careers. Yet, Chamberlain surmounted this obstacle. With his versatility, silky ball skills and of course his blistering pace, he made up for his lack of physical presence, and when the changes of adolescence finally came to his aide, regained his status as one of the clubs brightest young talents.

Soon after this small victory, Chamberlain was awarded his debut in the senior side by then manager, Alan Pardew. On March 2nd 2010, as the team were 5-0 up in a League One match against Huddersfield, a young Alex came on in the 86th minute for the prolific Rickie Lambert. At the age of 16 years and 199 days, this made him the second youngest debutant in the club’s history, second to a certain Theo Walcott; a subtle hint of the future laying ahead for the young winger. The following season (2010-11), he made his first start and quickly became one of the key figures of the senior team, earning 34 league appearances and scoring a total of 10 goals in all competitions. His contribution helped win promotion to the Championship for Southampton, while also winning himself a place in the PFA League One Team of The Year. At 17, Chamberlain was being lauded as one of the most exciting young talents England had to offer. Also watching from afar, was one Arsene Wenger; and on August 8th 2011, Arsenal announced that they had secured the youngster’s signature and welcomed him to North London.

 The Ox.

“Tenacity”. This has been the standout term used to describe Chamberlain’s playing style by football writers, journalists and pundits. Admittedly, it is one of the reasons he was able to stave off the axe at Southampton. And although a play on his last name is certainly the primary basis, it seemed fitting that the nickname bestowed upon him was “The Ox”. Tenacity is held in high regard in English football, sometimes excessively so; media and fans alike seemingly gravitate towards players that portray this trait in their style of play. However, it would be unjust to narrow down Alex’s quality to this single trait, or even claim that it is his best attribute.

The technique he displays on the ball, in particular his close control at high speed in tight situations is highly impressive. Usually picking up the ball on the wing, his determined, purposeful running often spells disaster for the opposing full-back. Cutting inside and turning out, it generates nothing but ecstasy in the stands when he goes round or gets past his marker. Acceleration over short distances, and the strength to hold off any recovering defenders almost certainly seals the deal, the tense sensation of an impending chance ripples through the stadium and living rooms everywhere. This flair has only seemed to increase with his time at Arsenal, and markedly so after the arrival of Gunner’s star Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona. Sanchez’ contagious effect on the team was plain to see, but even more so on Chamberlain. The most recent example of this was during last Sunday’s Arsenal – Chelsea game at Wembley Stadium. Using the aforementioned traits he beat Cesar Azpilicueta and drilled a wonderful finish past Thibaut Courtois, arguably the best left back and goalkeeper respectively in the league last season. This goal also marked the end to Wenger’s and Arsenal’s inability to beat a José Mourinho side and secured successive Community Shield wins, verification of his ability to deliver on big occasions.

Versatility is another of Chamberlain’s outstanding traits. Playing on either wing and as central attacking midfielder on many occasions in League One, Arsene Wenger has stated on many occasions that deploying him centrally is a viable option. The “high risk, high reward” nature of his dribbling however, works against him in deeper positions from time to time. This was evident in last season’s home leg tie versus AS Monaco in the Champions League, when he came on as a midfield replacement for Francis Coquelin, with the home team trailing 0-2. While he did score a spectacular curler to renew Arsenal’s hopes of advancing to the next round, the French side all but sealed the tie after Chamberlain was dispossessed in midfield, with hardly any defence behind him. A touch of tactical awareness is needed if he is going to master this role at the top level.

What stands in his way?

While being an exhilarating player to watch, Chamberlain’s biggest critics decry his inability to translate his efforts on the field onto the statistics sheet. In the 2012/13 season, while making 25 Premier League appearances he contributed 4 goals in total, scoring 1 and assisting 3. Last season in 2014/15, he only managed 1 goal and 1 assist in 23 appearances. Improving on these numbers is made even more difficult by the fact that the direct competition for his position comes in the form of the irreplaceable Alexis Sanchez, undroppable Aaron Ramsey and clinical Theo Walcott.

These numbers can also be attributed to injury. Sadly, injury has been a played a big role in his development so far, particularly since his move to the Emirates. As a result, the excitement about him being one of England’s finest has been diminishing yearly. Arsenal fans are all too familiar with the sight of Chamberlain pulling up after a blistering sprint chasing down the ball or a shoulder-to-shoulder tussle with an opposition defender. The ominous movement of his hand toward the back of his thigh coincides with the sinking feeling in the guts of Gooners everywhere. As avid football watchers know, repetitive injuries not only affect development as a player, but can also have negative effects on a player’s psychology and confidence. Chamberlain will need to do his utmost best to avoid a repeat of seasons past and hopefully, with the additions to Arsenal’s new physiotherapy team, manage to stay fit for a full season.

So, where do we go from here?

With an impressive preseason under his belt, scoring 2 goals and securing a Community Shield win over Mourinho’s Blues, Chamberlain stands over what could be the definitive season of his career. With Sanchez yet to return to first team action from a successful Copa América campaign, the soon to be 22 year-old will have to make the most of his opportunities and become a vital part of Arsene Wenger’s XI. Improving on the return of his end product, evading lengthy injuries and deepening his understanding of the central midfield role are all essential to complete this endeavor. This could be the season he reignites the excitement that surrounded his days at Southampton. This could be the season that stamps his authority at the top level and demands the attention of the football community. 2015/16 could very well be, the year of the Ox.

(Sources: www.alexoxchamberlain.com)