One of the most noticeable things about the way Arsenal struggled against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night, and there were plenty of them, was that we looked like we had much less energy than the Germans. They seemed faster and fitter all over the pitch.
Arsene Wenger could not really explain why that was and it should not have been the case, despite a tough game against Man City on the previous Saturday. But it was also noticeable that the introduction of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for Mesut Ozil on the hour mark.
The young England international is all about pace, power and direct running and that seems to speed the whole Arsenal team up. So far this season, however, he has only started two games. Maybe that is because he has been working back to fitness, maybe just because of the competition for places, as he suggests in his interview on Arsenal.com, or maybe the boss sees him as a great sub to bring on towards the end of a game as the opponents are tiring. But the Ox says he is fully fit now and raring to go if called upon.
Chamberlain declared, “I feel good in myself and when I get told to play I will be chomping at the bit to help the team. It is up to the boss to decide when that is but I will be ready.
“I have been [dealing with competition for places] for four years. I know what this game is all about. I am a young lad in a very good Arsenal squad and I understand that.
“I want to play as much as I can but I have bought into the idea of what our team wants to do this season and that means it will need all of us to pull our weight to start games or come off the bench. We have to be 100 per cent focused for when our chances come.
“I think that is the kind of player I like to be, I like to come on and make an impact with the game by running with the ball or just generally, bringing an injection into the side.
“I will continue to try and do that. We have a lot of players capable of doing that. Once everyone fires on all cylinders we can get the results we are looking for.”
With a really important Premier League game tomorrow, I think it might be time to hand the Ox his third start of the season, because Aston Villa are confident and flying high and there game is all about energy as well. If the Gunners don’t match that, we could be blown away again early on and bringing him on as a sub will be too little, too late.
Take Ozil out of the firing line because the German does not look fit to me, he was blowing like a steam train when Wenger took him off in Germany, and put the 21-year old on one of the flanks with Alexis on the other. That should give Villa something to think about. What do you think Gooners?
Wenger seriously needs to change the team around but more importantly stop playing that terrible, abysmal formation 4141. We need to go back to 4231, worked last season for the majoirty and it will help most of the players. Switch up Wenger!!
Definitely 4-4-2
We hear about Ox being unleashed
all the time. Yet others are usually prefered.
To be fair though Ox huffs and puffs
his end product is often average.
Podolski, Rosicky Gnabry Ryo and Campbell.
are consigned to the reserves till the Mickey mouse cup
or when serious injury strikes.
We have to start playing more quick. Ox and Campbell and Le Coq. Theses young guys surely can’t do worse. They will inject speed and energy to the team.
Also Wenger has to start rotating and making earlier substitutions when games don’t go our way. We have the players but we don’t seem to be making any changes in our games. Not being creative and not thinking outside the box. Also we are not shooting from range.
I’m very worried about this weekend. If we don’t win at villa park we are pretty much f****d
If we lose at Villa and Chelsea rapes us again Wenger has to go because nothing is improving.
We buy good players and then Wenger flucks up the formation and reverts to his old ways of playing players out of position.
When Cesc assists to score against us after cutting through our defense like a knife through butter because they have targeted Belarin and Monreal after leaving Arteta for dead as Ozil freezes out on the wing the fans should begin a non ending chorus of Wenger out!
I don’t really see Ox as a left winger (yet). I feel like he can do much more damage through the middle but it’s so packed there I hardly see a chance for him and so does Wenger.
In my opinion if anyone should be unleashed it’s Tomas Rosicky!
Wenger must listen to what others are saying especially we the fans, if Ozil and Wilshere are low, they should be included in what we consider small oppornents as compared to big teams. Lets try Ox, Rosisky and others as we wait for fitness of Ozil and Wilshere etc
Wenger needs to give some chances to the ox. It can’t be worse than Ozil on the left really. Rosicky and Podolski could use a game. We can’t do much rotating at the back or in the striker area because for the n’th season in a row Wenger decided not to improve our squad where the obvious leaks lie, but since we have a midfield packed with talent and fail to rotate when its obviously not working is just absurd
Ox can play in the middle as one of the two pivots, he tracks back better than anyone in the team, he is full of energy, he is fast and can tackle.
He can also play on the Wing because of the above qualities as well. there is definitely a place for him in this team.
is Wenger to scared to try out the pace aspect of our side.?
imagine ox sanchez cambell welbeck running at jonny evan surely 1 of’em defenders is bound to shit in their pants. I think after the 06 final against barca, wenger fell head over heels inlove with technical short players capable of doing tika taka. its easy Wenger, rotate revert to 4231, use the pace in the side, use chambers as a dm or utilise diaby effectively, then mayyyybeeee a small maybe gun for the ECL. then once u have have that, im sure you shall go down as one of the best footballing managers, as you the only top manager not having that in your locker. shout out to the South African Goonnerrssss eks vannie kaap
ADMIN ADMIN ADMIN
Every time I log into this site the first title is “Why it’s TOO SOON for Arsenal fans to PANIC…”
Then I have to scroll down to each article and go to next article… so frustrating..as if Wenger is not enough frustration
These are sad times 🙁 🙁 🙁
#AdminOut
#sackAdmin
Exactly
spend some money and sign some quality admin
I also noticed that as well, in chrome browser, chrome appears to be displaying a cache of the site from yesterday and even f5 refreshes won’t load the current site.
Before match..article..jack wilshere..arsenal must not lose to Dortmund.. I wait for same article for villa game.. Mertersacker.. Arsenal must not lose to villa.. Then we lost.. Bash bash bash.. Next game same sentence different player.. Sighhh..
My starting 11 will be.
Szec
Bellerin Per Kos Gibbs
Wilshere Ramsey
Ozil
Sanchez Welbeck Campbell/Podolski
I wish I was good in literature as I am in math..I would then have written a play, a very sad play, of a HOT girl with potential to be married by the richest King, but with a mean, arrogant and ignorant dad who squashes all her efforts 🙁 🙁 It would be more captivating and more sad than Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet 🙁 🙁 🙁
These are indeed sad times 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁
Because of my inadequacies in literature, I’ve missed out on being famous like Shakespeare.
Now another person will take MY idea and be rich and famous
These are very very very sad times 🙁 🙁 🙁
Your literature looks pretty good to me Pi, go pursue your dream.
I struggle to remember anytime the OX has put in 3 consecutive great performances for Arsenal. He dribbles, dazzles then disappoints. It’s a scandal that Campbell still hasn’t got a single start – or at least 45 mins – for Arsenal. I’ll pick him ahead of the OX as he seems to be a bit further in his football development.
Seriously. Wenger does need to give Campbell a chance.
You can’t have a player like Campbell who put up an incredible World Cup performance and made it to the quarterfinals with freaking Costa Rica and not give him a game. It’s honestly disrespectful.
enough of this ox fans. he is just a runner but poor in decision making. the only players to be unleashed at the moment are podolski and rosicky, Campbell. BTW this site is becoming annoying. upgrade your standards pls.
Ox is good, only his finishing is poor, but he is very good in all other sectors, dribbling, pace, tackling, passing..name them
diaby in training such a beast cant wait for him to be back in the first team.
Unlease the ox? Why not unlease ” joel campbell”? Please wenger lets not waste this talent!
I think its time for thomas rosicky to get in the starting lineup! Coyg!
. . . or at least be brought on when one of our CAMs fail, and at the moment, one (or more) of them definitely will. Must be extremely frustrating for him watching the mediocrity on the pitch and then not be given a chance.
Can someone invite Wenger to be visiting this page and read fans opinion in order to understand that some of us understand this game as he his! Enough has been said, time for changes in our attacking formation!!! God Bless Arsenal!