Return of the Ox?

[I Sorry I Ruined The Party]

I'm neutral.

People have mentioned Bertrand, which is interesting. Because I don't think most people were like "Yeah! Bertrand! What a coup!!!!" If anything, the mood was between "Well, this could work out.. wait and see." to "Why are we taking Chelsea rejects?"

And Bertrand was just a loan, not a transfer.

I still think it would be difficult for Saints to bring in an obvious, highly sought after, World Class attacking midfielder. So someone like Chamberlain is the type of player we need to gamble on. Whether it's from the PL or another league.

I don't feel like the Artist Formerly Known as Oxo Cube is necessarily the answer. But he might be. For all I know, so might half a dozen other players. I don't have access to the Black Box and I'm no pro scout. I also have no idea about the transfer price. So if we sign Chamberlain, I think I would probably be okay with it. And if we don't, I'd be okay with it as well.

 

[RedandWhiteManofKent]

Always happy to have a double barrelled name in the ranks, think we should also go for loftus-cheek and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, to go alongside JWP, even if it's just to make the commentators earn their money.

 

[Bill Hill]

I would have him back, good player totally wasted at arsenal (like walcott)

 

[Onionman]

I've argued against taking him, However, if we were to chant:

Give us an "A"
Give us an "L"
and so on

all the way through "Alexander Oxlade-Chamberlain", he'd be worth signing just for that.

I did try to start that chant when he was with us but the chap I was with punched me into submission.

Vin

 

[Qwerty]

I did try to start that chant when he was with us but the chap I was with punched me into submission.

Vin

Your son?

 

[Archers Road]

Basic economics says that we should only buy him if we would buy him for the price offered if we didn't have history with him. Would we be looking for him if his early days had been with Bolton? His history with us is irrelevant as to whether he's a good purchase.

And I suspect that we wouldn't have our eyes on him if we didn't know him.

Vin

It's because of our history with him that we know how good he is. I've personally seen enough of him to know he's a gamble well worth taking. In fact it's hardly a gamble at all; we know what he's capable of.

 

[Schad]

I've argued against taking him, However, if we were to chant:

Give us an "A"
Give us an "L"
and so on

all the way through "Alexander Oxlade-Chamberlain", he'd be worth signing just for that.

I did try to start that chant when he was with us but the chap I was with punched me into submission.

Vin

Even that's cutting corners. Alexander Mark David Oxlade-Chamberlain or bust, IMO.

 

[Onionman]

It's because of our history with him that we knew how good he was. I've personally seen enough of him to know he was a gamble well worth taking. In fact it's hardly a gamble at all; we know what he was capable of.

FTFY.

Loads of teenage players show immense promise when young then go on to do nothing. I'm not saying AOC's done nothing, just that he hasn't really gone on to be a world-beater, or Arsenal would be using him much more.

Vin

 

[Archers Road]

FTFY.

Loads of teenage players show immense promise when young then go on to do nothing. I'm not saying AOC's done nothing, just that he hasn't really gone on to be a world-beater, or Arsenal would be using him much more.

Vin

So you think all that potential could have just come to nothing? That he hasn't made the grade and possibly never will? I seriously doubt that. In fact I'd personally bet the farm on you being wrong on this one. Just my opinion of course.

 

[Onionman]

I've posted this before. The England under 16 squad from a few years ago (when I did it I picked a date ten years earlier so I'd catch people in their prime). Where did the cream of British teenage football end up ten years later?

Steven Drench – Guiseley
James Biggins – ?
Gary Borrowdale – QPR
Ross Gardner - Shildon
David Raven – Shrewsbury Town, trialling for Tranmere
Chris Hogg – Inverness Caledonian
Wayne Routledge – Swansea
Lee Croft – Derby
Wayne Rooney – Man U
Stacy Long – Stevenage
Mark Smyth – Bangor
Mat Sadler – Walsall
Nicky Eyre - ?
David Mannix – Vauxhall Motors
Tom Groves - ?
Scott Brown – York City
Dorryl Proffitt - ?
Sean Doherty – Colwyn Bay

Remember, these were 16 year olds who were the best England had to offer. All had great potential. Would you sign them now?

I like AOC; I thought he looked good for us. However, blindly to think that makes him a good purchase now is illogical. I say again, would we be even having this conversation if he's come up at Blackburn? Would people be saying he has great potential? I suspect not. No, we'd be saying "Shame about him, looked like he could have been a great but never fully realised their high hopes for him".

Vin

 

[Onionman]

So you think all that potential could have just come to nothing? That he hasn't made the grade and possibly never will? I seriously doubt that. In fact I'd personally bet the farm on you being wrong on this one. Just my opinion of course.

No, I don't think that. Point to any place where I've said anything like that. Where have I said that he hasn't made the grade or that his potential has come to nothing.

However, I will be as categorical as you one one subject: We should not sign someone because of the potential he had.

Vin

 

[Dark Lord SFC]

I would have him back, good player totally wasted at arsenal (like walcott)

And Callum Chambers

 

[Archers Road]

No, I don't think that. Point to any place where I've said anything like that. Where have I said that he hasn't made the grade or that his potential has come to nothing.

However, I will be as categorical as you one one subject: We should not sign someone because of the potential he had.

Vin

Fair enough. We'll have to disagree then.


And if by some miracle we do sign him, which I'm not really taking that seriously till it happens anyway, I will confidently sit back and wait to be proven right. Because I have every faith in the lad; as for that list you posted above, with the right coaching at the right club I'd expect Alex to develop into a better player than Rooney. Again, just my opinion. But an opinion I'd be more than willing to back.

 

[fatletiss]

Why is there an assumption that Arsenal, consistent top four finishers, are idiots who can't get the most out of a player?

Loads of good 17 year-old don't develop into greatness.

Vin

I've been trying to say this every time it gets mentioned. Theo was only 16 for goodness sake.

 

[Archers Road]

I've been trying to say this every time it gets mentioned. Theo was only 16 for goodness sake.

Theo's hardly been a failure at Arsenal. Perhaps he hasn't quite reached the heights some observers thought him capable of, but he's been a regular in a top 4 squad for over a decade.

 

[fatletiss]

No, I don't think that. Point to any place where I've said anything like that. Where have I said that he hasn't made the grade or that his potential has come to nothing.

However, I will be as categorical as you one one subject: We should not sign someone because of the potential he had.

Vin

I agree with everything you posted Vin in regard to potential and particularly the England list - saved me looking for one.

I do also agree with Archers in that Chamberlain is good enough now. I've seen enough of him at Arsenal to see he'd be a good signing for us.

I don't agree with the people who talk about Arsenal wasting the talent, as we all just guess at how good they'll be when we have them. We should do the same excercise on our kids and our young signings. I wonder what Plymouth fans say about us and Sam Gallager?

 

[hotbovril]

Most Arsenal fans I know would tell you that The Ox is used too infrequently and in the wrong role for their liking. As for whether we should be happy about potentially signing a young, direct, exciting, attack minded full international from Arsenal, is it really even a debate?

 

[fran-MLs little camera]

If we are interested, we must assume that Saints feel he will fit in and has potential. He is a young player in the Arsenal squad, so (even if we didn't know him) we are safe to assume he has potential. I think we can assume that Arsenal are looking to offload him....after all (although held back by injuries or Arsenal disease as it is known) he would have made his mark by now if he was going to. Even Wenger must realise by now that Arsenal need to spend, so AOC is just blocking a squad place.

So assuming he is available and we want him, who are potential rivals for his signature. That isn't just teams that he will suit, but teams that need someone in that position....may only come down to a few. I'm sure he'd turn down strugglers, so we would be in a good position unless a top club come in for him. This is the most important move he will make. Saints to Arsenal for such a young player was a no brainer...but his next team need to bring out the best in him. He may then be pursued again if he shines (my guess would be 5 mins after he scores a goal for us if he chose Saints), but the wrong move (where he scarcely plays) could lead to obscurity.

P.s. No club (inc. Saints) will promise he will play...he isn't that big a star.

 

[fatletiss]

Theo's hardly been a failure at Arsenal. Perhaps he hasn't quite reached the heights some observers thought him capable of, but he's been a regular in a top 4 squad for over a decade.

I agree Archers and that is my point (I never have said Theo is a failure). Some posters keep saying he hasn't reached his potential and Arsenal are at fault. No-one knew that potential really and as you rightly say, he has played at the top for a decade. I think people confuse the team failing to win the title with an individual's potential fulfilling. He might be frustrating at times, but he looks a good player in a top 4 side.

 

[San Tejón]

I agree Archers and that is my point (I never have said Theo is a failure). Some posters keep saying he hasn't reached his potential and Arsenal are at fault. No-one knew that potential really and as you rightly say, he has played at the top for a decade. I think people confuse the team failing to win the title with an individual's potential fulfilling. He might be frustrating at times, but he looks a good player in a top 4 side.

I would welcome both Oxo and Theo back.
Both have pace and can be very direct, when carrying the ball.
Theo, I think, has definitely improved at Arsenal. You have to have good technique, movement and vision to fit into Wenger's teams, and his goal scoring is probably as good, if not better, than anyone we currently have (not counting Austin as he hasn't done it for us, yet).
Oxo, would give us a more direct player, to compete with Davis, in the advanced midfield role.
Just looking at pace alone, having these two plus Mane, Long and JRod in the team/squad, would be quite scary, from a defender's point of view.
Plus we would have two of our academy players back in the squad.