The Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has admitted that he was playing through the pain barrier for the whole of last season, which severely affected his performances, but this year he is perfectly fit and ready to make a big impression on the side.
In an interview with the Online Gooner, the young England international was asked if he thought this would be his breakthrough campaign. He replied: “You’ll have to ask me at the end I think. I feel good at the moment. I feel like I had a good pre-season, I feel strong.
“I felt last year, I played the majority of games in pain and not 100% right and I was battling through up until Christmas. I managed to get around 22 games under my belt and then my body sort of gave up on me again so that’s frustrating. So to feel like I do now is almost a bit of freedom. It’s nice to be able to train every day, play every game and not be in pain. It’s a massive thing you take for granted, your fitness. So that’s something that has been really nice so far this season and it stands you in the best stead to go and do what you love to do.
“There’s nothing more frustrating than playing games when you know in yourself that you’re not 100% right. Obviously last season I started and I’d be running around and no one would know there’s anything up but I’d come of the pitch and I couldn’t walk for a day or two properly. I was really sore, my groins were sore and that can be very demoralising, especially when you’re only 21 and thinking “what’s going on with me?”
“So this year, to have that freedom and that feeling throughout pre-season, even now it’s really nice, and that obviously gives me the best opportunity to hopefully play as much football as possible. Hopefully for me and the team we can have our best year in a while.”
We are all hoping for that Alex! And we all want to see his name on the scoresheet a bit more often as the season progresses. He has made 12 appearances so far this season, although half of those have been as a sub, and his only goal so far was the brilliant solo effort that won the Community Shield against Chelsea, so we need to see some improvement in that area.
But the team is improving and hopefully Alex will go with flow and end up as one of or heroes.
Onwards and Upwards!
Great player to have even as a sub…You know he will come in and insert some pace into the game and is capable of being a real game changer…Glad to hear that he feels 100% fit and full of confidence…
we should have swapped him for draxler
Off topic. Sam Allardyce, the manager once accused of taking’ bungs’ (bribes) with his son, failed to sue the BBC and clear his name about alleged corrupt practices, was called a crook by Steve Keane has begun sprouting utter drivel and lies to the media.
He claims he has beaten Wenger more often than expected: For the record, Sam was manager at Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn and WHU FROM 1999 TO 2015 and he faced Wenger 31 times. In this period. Arsenal won 18, drew 8 and lost 5 against Allardyce managed teams, lost 9 and won only 1 of his last 11 meetings against Arsenal. It’s a shame that he media buys into lies and utter drivel sprouted by managers with a history of encouraging thuggish tactics.
Someone tell these coaches that the Ox is not a winger
Great strike from the inside channel. Ox
What’s he then? A defender?
Just saw an article on Sky. The most sprints made of any player in the premier league this season? Clear winner: Aaron Ramsey. Ramsey is not a winger, but the energy he brings to our team is invaluable, he’s the engine of our midfield.
Good for him. I suppose there’s an award for that.
Yes, there is. A place in Arsenal’s starting 11.
Ridiculous
I hope Girud will play full time, soon.
He will if he can prove that he deserves to more than Walcott at the moment.
It’s funny people always count the amounts of goals from Giroud. But from Walcott they just praised the team play that he brought.
Don’t get me wrong. A team that’s winning can’t be changes but it’s funny to see different comments on similar lack of goals and similar making the team playing
I hope that Walcott could do even better so we don’t go back to slow boring hold-up play … Even better, I hope we can get a better striker than both we have, in the near future …
A friend of mine , a barza fan, is akways telling me that our best player n and the one that give us trophies (and the one he hopes barza steals from us) is Chamberlain.
Johannesburgunner, than for debunking Sam Allardyce claims of immerse success over the Boss on the field of play. why have the media people published his claims which they should know to be full of lies? Don’t they know? They should not be publishing any sensational story just for making sales of their papers. But should 1st esterblished the authenticity of such story or claims before making it available for the public to consume them. Imagine some one comsuming the lies of Big Sam. We are happy to know that the Ox has said he’s back to his top level again for Arsenal & England. However, I want him to try to be lowering his shots at goal so that when they fly, they can still go in instead of getting skyed off the target. And can he tell us which is his preferred position on the field? I have always thought the best position for him to operate from is the left wing. But unfortunately or fortunately, Sanchez plays from there. But the Ox can be his understudy and plays there when Sanchez is unavailable.
Samuel, nobody would have bothered to prove Sam Allardyce talking rubbish, when a perusal of the facts and records show the truth. The media and haters feed off lies like these without checking simple records. I hope someone has the courage to tell Sam that 5 wins and 18 losses against Arsenal is quite an embarrassing record. Sam thinks it’s the other way around.