Arsene Wenger has stripped Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain youngster tag, and told him he must now show consistency for Arsenal.
The England international joined Arsenal just before his 17th birthday having enjoyed an eye-opening breakthrough season with Southampton in League One, which also earned him a place in the League One Team of the Year for 2011.
Oxlade has since been in and out of the Arsenal first-team, with competition as well as a number of short-term injuries hampering him from regular starts.
The Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has now told him that he must show he is the finished article at 23, and show he can remain consistent in his bid to earn an extended run in the starting line-up.
He said: “He is not a young player anymore, he is now 23 and at 23 you become a football player who is the finished article.
“Before 23, you learn your job. At 23, you become more consistent, you know what’s expected of you, you know how to deal with the pressure, with the situation, with the competition inside the squad. But he was so talented, so young.
“In the national team, so young. People forget that he was still a young player.”
His namesake Alex Iwobi is most likely to be at risk of rotation should the Ox get his desired increase in regular action, with Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez likely to be ahead of the young Nigerian in Wenger’s plans.
Iwobi could also be rested by the French boss as he looks to safeguard the 18 year-old, with Wenger known to worry about his younger players being exposed to too much limelight from an early age.
Can Alex finally make the step-up from a potential star and start earning his stripes as a regular starter?
Pat J
Keown brought up an interesting point, he believes Jack going to Bour has giving them a wake up call. I think he has a point, though I reckon Walcott was already fearing his future before Jack left. Ox might be thinking he’s next if he doesn’t get amongst the goals. Iwobi Jeff looking good would have to keep them on their toes too, also I believe we did bid for Mkhit, and Arsene did try wooing Greizmann. We got better players in other areas even replacing our captain, so these boys would be fools to begin feeling safe.
Leave Kewon alone. i already mentioned it here lest week before the last game – Wishere move- a wakeup call. all in all, with the disappearance of ‘the core’ and replaced by competition we are good to go. i also wish we stop mentioning how injuries are looming because every time we do that it actually happens. This dec, AW will utilise diff players. i see more Rambo and OG and OX playing more in Dec as well as ElNeny. We are safe.
OX needs to improve his creative part,apart from scoring goals! Against Reading he scored goals but MAN was he poor on crosses!! he needs to be calm on crosses and passes,I mean that final balls bcoz if he doesnt score and he doesnt improve on those areas, he will struggle to be a starter
Sell him off, he has been average for better part of his time here. Give Adelaide more playing time, I’m confident he will be miles better than the OX