18 Sept 2012

LFC legend claims: Overhyped Arsenal star is 'not a classy player'...

Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has come on leaps and bounds over the last twelve months, and st the age of 19, he's already represented England at a major tournament, and his career at the Emirates seems to be going fantastically well. Is he worth all the hype? Liverpool legend Steve Nicol doesn't think so.

Discussing the recent World Cup qualifiers on ESPN recently, Nicol poured scorn on the ball-retention incompetence of England's players, and dismissed the suggestion that young players like Oxlade-Chamberlain would end up making a difference for England. He said:

"The young players play the same way as the older guys. Look at Oxlade-Chamberlain - he's just another English wide player: strong, quick; has a good shot; scores the odd goal.

"He's not a classy player who's going to come inside, connect the play and make a real impact. The young players coming through are the same as the ones they [England] have already"


Granted, Nicol is Scottish, and may be biased (!), but I think he's right overall, but is he right about Oxlade Chamberlain? Is he a 'classy player', with the individual ability and technique to make a real difference at International level, or is he just another product of the media hype-machine?

Jaimie Kanwar


40 comments:

  1. all i know is raheem is better than ox

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  2. He's no better than Walcott
    Tons of so called talent and very little impact

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  3. Definitely got more to his game than most English wide players, if not all, when coming inside and light years ahead of Walcott in that (though that isn't saying much considering the standard of England wide players. Early days on Sterling for me, so not taken him into my thinking just yet in this context) but still I can see where Nicol is coming from, he hasn't got a high level of clever & subtle movement coming inside on & off the ball, like say former Arsenal players Ljungberg or Pires. Against us, especially in the first half, when the ball doesn't go out wide to him, he finds it very hard to get in the game as he is not used to coming off the wing to collect/receive well. Though who knows, maybe experience that comes with age may help him develop that side of his game to a good degree.

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  4. Keep taking the pills son...

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  5. Alex Oxalade-Chamberlain is not a winger. He's a central midfield player being played out of position.

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  6. He might become a classy player in a few years time but right now he's not and he's not an international player. Can't really see what he's done to justify his place in the England squad..

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  7. He's an eff sight better than the likes of downing and you canhave that for nowt.

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  8. I think he's got lots of potential and could end up being a regular international, he's what, 19 and already looks comfortable on the international stage.
    Right now an watching the Real V Man City game and i'd love to know-why did Arbeloa go to Real for so cheap????

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  9. not to sound too bitter, but alex fulfilled a very demanding role of a cente mid against milan at the emirates, that shows a lot of maturity in all honesty he's miles better than most wingers england has produced and being under wenger u can sure hope he'll become better, sterling on the other hand is your typical winger...good at providing unexpected shots, not very good at providing defence splitting passes and too one dimentional...thats comin from a liverpool fan..

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  10. Just because he did not appear marketable for us. The 3.2ml we got for him is a joke and it still riles me to this day that we let go of such a consistent player who could score the odd goal for such a cheap price. One of the main reasons we have not become strong challengers for the league is that we have overspent on players and sold players on the cheap, making our net spend worse than Man.UTD in the last twenty years. With that said, we have nowhere the debt they have and I do not know how to reason that out.

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  11. This boy has one stand out performance against AC MILAN last year and has done nothing else since. When we played ARSENAL I didn't even realise he was on the pitch. What has he done for the national side? He set up DEFOE for a chance against MOLDOVA and that's it. The match against UKRAINE he made no impact on the game.
    RAHEEM STERLING at 17 is fast becoming one of the EPL's most effective and eye catching performers. Can you say the same about the OX?
    He's the most overhyped player in ENGLAND. His nickname makes him sound like he's the sort of player that dominates games but in reality he will have one good game in 10 matches and go missing in the other 9.

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  12. like i upset some people with my statement the truth hurts u know raheem had ox in his pocket in the arsenal match

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  13. I think Ox is slightly better than Raheem right now but Raheem has more talent and is more complete player than ox and with time Raheem will prove to be much better than Ox.

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  14. Id say at 19, its ridiculous to form any concrete opinion.
    The fact is, he could turn out to be the next Xavi but just as easily, he could fall into obscurity - nobody knows.
    He is light years ahead of Walcott. No Arsenal fan will argue with that. He also seems more comfortable in the middle of the park.
    Sterling is a promising player no doubt, but he is nowhere near the level of Ox, at least not yet.
    This would be a good subject to return to at the end of the season.
    Regards.

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  15. agree with u imo to the ending of last season ox looked very good so far into this season (and in the euros) he doesn't seem like the player he once was he used to cut inside and try to get into the box or get past his man on a regular now its every once in a while

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  16. He's better than Walcott anyhow.

    Nicol really is some mouthpiece, ESPN must pay him by the word, he never shuts up. EVER!

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  17. Anyone doubting ox's ability knows nothing about the game which they are talking about. He has everything and will be a mainstay of the arsenal and national team for years to come.
    Steve nicol should get a new job

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  18. Steve Nicol deluded fool. If the ox is not classy then heaven help England as he and wilshere are the only 2 classy young English players there are. Sterling wouldnt get a game for a top 6 club he would be on loan in the championship.

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  19. mcklampsps couldn't agree more. Bet Nicol wouldn't say the same of Raheem Sterlinng

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  20. Anyone with half a football brain would have noticed that this season Ox has been playing on the wing with a lot more responsibility as opposed to a Walcott style wide man. Everyone knows that Ox will be playing centrally eventually, a position that he has only played a full 90 in once for Arsenal, when he had a cracking game against AC Milan. To compare Sterling to him as I've read above is ridiculous. Sterling is currently too lightweight, again he has bags of talent but the lad would never be able to play a central role. To suggest that Sterling "had him in his pocket" against Arsenal is also ridiculous.
    He's a central player, who has a bit of pace and can beat a man gaining experience on the wing- the way he pings the ball around when playing centrally, brings the ball forward and picks a pass playing in a more central position is where he should be judged eventually.
    Imagine Gerard playing on the wing as a youngster to get some minutes under his belt and a relative no one saying he "lacked class" at 19 years old because he wasn't Steve Macca. Its rubbish!

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  21. well one play for the big boy the other one play for a midtable team who live on former glory, sterling was a ghost against us ,only Allen is worth mentioning form you midfield who play against us the rest was pure carbage

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  22. The real star at Arsenal is Arsene Wenger. He is absolute world best at spotting and developing talent, though he has yet to prove it when it comes to British players. Anelka at 500k to Henry at 11 mil to Adebayor at 3 mil to RVP at 2.75 mil, these are real prospect buys with a total amount of less than half of our AC. Definitely not spent 35 mil pounds, put the player on the bench and proclaimed he is a 'player for the future. Sadly, this is the difference between the great Arsene Wenger and our ex-managers, and thus the contrast in progress between the 2 clubs.

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  23. No, this is not an accurate assessment of the young lad at all !

    Oxlaide does have the ability to run at players and take them on - an asset already noted by Alex Ferguson, as well as Arsenal's own manager, Arsene Wenger. Hodgson knows about this quality in Ox too, that is why he gave a free attacking role for England recently and we all saw how effective he was at going forward and taking players on. He is only 19 and we mustn't forget this fact - he will develop and all indications are that he will develop into a very effective player.

    I think this Scot is talking out of his rear-en, put mildly !!

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  24. Let stop referring to all former-players as Legends, at best Nicol is right in that the lad is not ready for national team, as his position is already filled and was a massive disappointment in the last match. The issue of picking some young players burdens them with extra expectations, and they never perform as long as the whole side struggles. Sterling should be left alone by Roy, but Ox-C should be an impact sub not to be played for more than 45mins.

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  25. Do these people actually watch games?

    His best performances have actually come in central midfield "connecting the play" he tore Milan apart from that position which is where he will probably end up playing long term.
    Although if you want someone who is "not a classy player" and "has a good shot" what about Stevie 'I'll just hit everything as hard as I can' G?

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  26. im an arsenal fan and i respect liverpool fc but i cannot stand steve nicol he is the most biased pundit around. everytime he opens his mouth he dribbles $hit and if liverpool is the topic, i stop listening because it is never an objective opinion.

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  27. the best thing i ever did was cancel ESPN, so I do not have to listen to all the sh**e that is on that channel.

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  28. Considering a Liverpool legend is anyone who helps them finish above 7th i don't think i'll be taking this guys opinion too seriously

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  29. Sterling will just become another aaron lenon. He is a little quicker than the ox but that's it.
    Chamberlain is fast, good dribbler, amazing at shots and corners and he also has a very strong body which he is not afraid to use. Ridiculous article really

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  30. He is 19 and also coming back from an injury before the start of the season

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  31. i agree every ex player is referred to as a legend on this site, the word legend should only be used to refer to the very very best players.
    Bobby Moore, Pele, Maradona, Bobby Charlton, Stanley Matthews, George Best, Ian Rush, they were legends but not Steve Nicol he was a decent player who played for the club in the past but not one would put in the legendary category.

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  32. Chamberlain has all the potential in the world along with all the talent. He can dribble with pace, definitely cut inside and as we have seen already, he creates chances out of nothing. Will he be the next "big thing" ? Who knows, but all the signs are certainly there!! Another great signing by Wenger.
    The fact that he is an ex Liverpool player means I don't give a eff about what he has to say.

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  33. omg the big boy whose only accomplishment is taking the number 4 spot for the last 8 years in the prem whoa watch out GO GUNNERS

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  34. also where are all of these arsenal fans coming out from

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  35. He is an embarassment to the club.

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  36. I think most pool fans (including me) agree mate. Hes well past his sell by date.

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  37. great article.finally i got some one who knows football

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