Do Arsenal fans consider The Ox a traitor for joining Liverpool?

Arsenal have considered many players to be traitors when they have forced Arsene Wenger to let them leave the club, like Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas, but I’m not really too sure what fans think of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The Ox joined us from Southampton in 2011 but after six years at the Emirates, in which he only averaged playing half the League games in each season and was played in nearly every position as he was moved about by Wenger whenever he needed cover. He only really settled into a run last season when he was played at wingback, which it seems he never really enjoyed according to Jurgen Klopp, and he subsequently refused to sign a new contract at the club and forced Wenger to sell him to Liverpool.

He is coming back to the Emirates for the first time tomorrow and according to David Seaman we should celebrate his return as he always tried to do his best when he was selected by Wenger.

“The Ox will feel pressure,” Seaman said.

“It was a shame to lose him but he should get a great reception because he was a great player for Arsenal and loved playing for Arsenal, you could tell that and every game when he came on he gave everything, it’s just a shame that we lost him to Liverpool.”

So there is the question. Do we consider the Ox to be a traitor or was he badly used by Wenger?

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26 Comments

  1. If he plays, he won’t receive a very warm welcome that’s for sure! The only thing he can do is score just like Arnautovic did at Stoke!
    I am getting a bit fed up with all this talk about Ox though… he’s gone that’s it move on! I don’t really care if I’m honest!!

  2. if he becomes world class at Liverpool then he was a traitor but if he remains average, we really made good business with Liverpool.

  3. They keep banging on about how he is improving, but I don’t see much of that. Bang average squad midfielder with the occasional good game/goal/assist.

    Very good business selling him for an inflated price.

    Shame we didn’t do the same with Sanchez who is dragging our team into erratic obscurity. Good old Wenger, flogging a dead horse again..

  4. It was great business getting £40 million, there is no loyalty anymore, gone are the days of men like Adams.. Keown… Dixon.. Winterburn. Bergkamp.. Loyal men instead of these spoilt brats….

    1. Football was never about loyalty.It’s just a choice.We’ll always mention how loyal some players were but won’t mention how loyalty has finisbed the careers of some players.Such players stay in the team and waste their talent till they can no more longer reproduce their ability instead of moving for better chances.I know you know what I mean.One such player is Jack Wilshere.If he had left Arsenal seasons back there was a high chance that he’d have been world class since his injuries would’ve have been greatly reduced.I’d likd to see top players who are loyal to average teams for me to call them truly loyal since it’s far more easier to be loyal to top teams.

      1. “If he had left Arsenal seasons back there was a high chance that he’d have been world class since his injuries would’ve have been greatly reduced.”

        This is absolutely rubbish. Is it only Arsenal players that get injured? Was Hargreaves an Arsenal player? Is Bale an Arsenal player? How much has Diaby’s injuries reduced since moving to Marseille? Yes Barcelona has developed a” vaccine” for Varmalen.

  5. I concur with your comments, in that based on his streaky performances since joining Arsenal, selling Oxlade for what we received was good business. The tragedy is that the fees received have not been reinvested in improving the squad!

  6. Ox was not a starter at Arsenal
    even after 5 years on 90k p/w.
    He could have stayed and coasted but
    at least made the decision to face
    a new challenge.
    Arsenal got a big fee for him.
    He is still average at Liverpool but has a go.
    I doubt Ox will start Klopp will likely protect him
    from the Arsenal fans by having him on the bench.
    I have moved on we all need to move on.
    Its Salah Mane Firminho Coutinhou Llalana we need to watch.

  7. OX was following his dream. His dream was not to sit on the bench or be played as a defender. Wenger tried to force his vision of the OX and he rebelled! The OX is not a traitor..he is just a man who knew what he wanted and stood for it.

    1. I agree with you. People have to imagine if they are the person they loathe, before condemning that person.

      Imagine if your career is stuck in the company you are working for and suddenly you have a better offer from the other company. In Chamberlain’s case he rejected better contract offer from Arsenal, to pursue a better career under Klopp’s management.

      I would say he prioritized his career over money. It would be the same case for Sanchez, Ozil, Wilshere, Welbeck, Ramsey and other expiring contract rebels.

      1. This is a very good description.Arsenal always want someone to blame.I really respect the decision the Ox made.It shows he has a strong mentality and has a proper plan for his footballing career.
        Loyalty is massively overrated in football.If footballers were so loyal why weren’t they loyal to average teams for a very long time before moving?Mind you it’s far more easier to be loyal to a top team.Most players get more credit than they deserve.

  8. He probably looked at Theo and thought ‘nah bruv – don’t want to end up like that’ so left. Don’t blame him

    1. I know you made this comment to deride Wenger (which is done by many here to get thumbs up). Chamberlain’s case is different from Walcott’s. Walcott was always a starter when fit either as a Winger or a centre forward. His role was very defined (you don’t score over a hundred goals without a defined role. Only 19 players have done so for Arsenal in it’s over 130 years of existence). He lost his place due to poor performances after returning from injury. Chamberlain however was played in many different positions unlike Walcott. However, this was because Wenger liked him and wanted him to play and had to make a place for him in the team (forced him into the team if you like). Without this, he would be regularly on the bench because he was behind the pecking order for his preferred position in the midfield. He was never going to bench Ozil or Ramsey.

      1. It seems you have missed the point. It doesn’t matter what your theory is – it is as simple as neither had a career that was going anywhere at Arsenal.

        I don’t see how that is deriding Wenger. Ox had a handful of decent games but was mediocre for the rest. There was an injury crisis a while back where he did play as a cm. He was good a couple of times and mediocre other times. That is basically it.

        1. If it’s not deriding the manager how then would a player look at another and think ‘nah bruv – don’t want to end up like that’. They player would have blamed the manager/club by thinking that the others fate is the making of the manager/club before thinking same fate awaits him. Stop being clever by a half.

          By the way, scoring over a hundred goals for a club (only achieved by only 19 others in over 130 years) can never be described as “a career that was going anywhere”. Walcott is 28, he’s usually judged by what we wanted him to achieve rather than what he achieved. He’s had a very descent career at Arsenal only that he played for the club at a time when it was not winning a lot of trophies.

  9. He was not improving at Arsenal, so it was best for both parties to split up.
    But I think, it was a big mistake by Wenger to play him against Liverpool, and his own performance in that match was a disgrace.

    1. Is he improving in Liverpool. What i saw was an entitled player who thinks he is better than he is. ls he even as good as Mose who is in similar situation at Chelsea who stays grounded and do the job assigned to him.

  10. absolutely not, its all wengers fault for not playing him. i can understand he wanted to play regularly and started looking around for a chance. if you were him, what would you do?
    he is an athlete and has to play. why would you keep walcott and sell ox? its beyond me. also the fact that wenger let gnabry leave is just another sign that the ones in charge are not really doing their job. im not in the wenger out brigade but i dont think that he has delivered and unless there is somebody that can make him understand i think this should be it what goes for wenger. thanx but this club needs to move on

  11. None of the above.
    He is like he never existed to me..i dont care…but god i am so glad he do not play for us!
    As for Van Persie and Cesc…yes i missed them when they were gone but i dont hate them and i dont think they are traitors…
    Why they left?Its The old fool who is to blame for that!

  12. Oxalade is an ambitious boy who prefers playing time rather than wages like Theo. He left Arsenal for footballing reasons and I’m happy the deal was fair enough to all. We got a decent transfer amount and he got what he desired. Boy was fed up due to playing in all positions apart from goalkeeper. Wenger was sold responsible for this and I am afraid he’s doing the same thing with Maitland.

  13. 9 goals in 132 games, he’s one of the most average players ever to play for Arsenal. You talk on here as if we lost a good player. Unbelievably good business, good riddance.

    1. The really near miss own goal was that Wenger actually offered this “flatter to deceive” less than top level player, a fortune of £180k p w to stay? IF OX HAD NEVER PLAYED FOR US WOULD ANYONE NOW BE CALLING ON US TO BUY HIM? Of course not, That is ridiculous. At 24 when all the truly top players have long proved their talent this man/boy is still flattering to deceive , as Walcott has also done extensively over twelve years but failed to deceive most of us. You are right Kenny. We did good business(for once) but only due to Ox himself who had the sense to see our club under Wenger is going backwards and that Klopp is a motivator in full contrast to fossil face Wenger. God, how I wish Walcott had the guts to have done the very same a decade or more ago.

  14. I don’t hate Chamberlain. I don’t blame him for going as he was only ever a squad player for us. He was with us for 6 years and blew hot and cold, mainly cold, in that time.
    I thought £40 mil for him was good business for us and I was pleased that he went and did not accept the £170k pw that Wenger offered him as I could not understand why so many people on this forum thought he was so good and sang his praises.
    With him going as Del Boy would say “everyone’s a winner”

  15. i dont hate the ox for leaving arsenal what i hate is the same bullshit he is said about leaving similar to rvp. he could have said i hated playing on the wing, or wenger was the reason and we wouldnt have minded but saying he left to ‘improve’ at liverpool and play more regularly is stupid.
    Next he will say the little boy inside him wanted to join liverpool, well the little boy inside me says f**k you!

  16. talking about this man or even pre planned boo’s will not change the way wenger thinks or the way the club is run.

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