Oxlade-Chamberlain

[Red Astaire]

The concept that a sack of sh!te could also have a whiff of class is one I find interesting, my dear sir. Care to elucidate? 🙂

Macca and others have pointed out above how much Klopp has improved Lallana. Oxlade-Chamberlain is still far from the finished article, arguably farther than he should be given how much experience he already has, but if Lallana's anything to go by I'm hopeful Klopp can do the bizzo with the Ox as well.

Well me and my friend came up with the concept when discussing rugby players during a France Vs England game once. We decided that a merde sac is basically someone who is a bit shit but has 'une petite quantite d'elegance' - Basically can show flashes of goodness. I think the Ox fits that bill nicely - Of course I hope he turns out the be a 'un diamant a l'etat brut.' 🙂

 

[Judge Jules]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf-4Gbqyni4

 

[manwithnoname]

Boss story doing the media rounds following the stuff leaked by Barkley's camp about him deciding to turn Chelsea down because Conte wouldn't answer his phone and tell him where he wanted him to play/ didn't care enough to speak to him blah blah blah.

Apparently that's because Chelsea had instructed Conte NOT to get involved or actually speak to Barkley, following his fruitless pursuit of Chamberlain, in which Conte (let's imagine he was typically gruff and spoke in pidgin-English, Don Corleone style) said:

"I wanna you to play the wing-back role, no? This Victor Moses....ahh.... you take-a his place, yes? And that's that, capisce?"

Which is exactly where The Ox didn't want to play, so told Chelsea to fuck off.

So they decided Conte would do more harm than good with the attempts to sign Ross, and let Emelano and that Russian bird handle it all.

Arf!

 

[manwithnoname]

He's like a cross between De Niro's Vito Corleone in a wig, and a bitter gelato salesman, permanently angry about melting ice cream.

 

[Red Bird]

He definitely stagnated at Arsenal and in large part this is as much his fault as Wenger's.

At least, he seems to have recognised that he needs to move to reboot his career and for that,I agree, he has chosen probably the best coach to work with. But for someone who has played for almost 6 seasons in the top tier, he's some way behind in development. I don't think the Lallana comparison is apt-- Lallana already had footballing brain but was physically lacking, a flaw which in my view is easier to address.

 

[moron]

I really hope he dont play against City on saturday. So far between England and Arsenal game....i just dont get why we signed this guy. I think we should start him in a league cup game. Getting this feeling he is gonna cost us games.

 

[6TimesaRed]

 

[Judge Jules]

He definitely stagnated at Arsenal and in large part this is as much his fault as Wenger's.

At least, he seems to have recognised that he needs to move to reboot his career and for that,I agree, he has chosen probably the best coach to work with. But for someone who has played for almost 6 seasons in the top tier, he's some way behind in development. I don't think the Lallana comparison is apt-- Lallana already had footballing brain but was physically lacking, a flaw which in my view is easier to address.

Let's agree to differ. Lallana's fitness did need addressing but at times his judgment also lagged behind his skill - he'd make himself some room with a lovely bit of footwork, then over-elaborate and see the opportunity go begging. Klopp needed to improve him in both respects, and he has.

 

[Red Bird]

Let's agree to differ. Lallana's fitness did need addressing but at times his judgment also lagged behind his skill - he'd make himself some room with a lovely bit of footwork, then over-elaborate and see the opportunity go begging. Klopp needed to improve him in both respects, and he has.

But Lallana did have skills and positional sense which Oxlade-Chamberlain seems to lack. I just think it will take significantly more effort to address those.

Or I maybe exaggerating Chamberlain's flaws

 

[reuque]

Footballing aside, there's an endearing vibe to the Ox. He's like that toothless kid in Stranger Things who cracks everyone up coz nobody can figure out whether he's serious or not but he seems to be having a jolly good time. Here's hoping that will go some way to negating the sulky vibes potentially lingering with Phil staying, help the team spirit at least.

 

[Judge Jules]

I think you're on to something. Not everyone I talk to seems to agree with me on this, but I've been quite impressed with the way he handles interviews, not just now he's a Liverpool player but previously as well. He comes across to me as quite mature and balanced (for a footballer anyway), an impression reinforced by his decision to turn down the Chavs and the 50% extra in wages they were reported to have offered him. Perhaps what you've noticed is part of that.

 

[Buddha]

I'm ridiculously optimistic about this working out well despite not being hugely enthused about the prior prospect of signing him.

I just feel it in my bones. He's got all the tools to be an all action Lallana plus attacking midfielder.

 

[Hansern]

 

[Markeh]

He came for the hugs, I knew it

Hugging Wenger must feel like the grim reaper has come for you

 

[doctor_mac]

He came for the hugs, I knew it

Hugging Wenger must feel like the grim reaper has come for you

haha

 

[FoxForceFive]

I'm still happy with this signing. At the very least it makes Arsenal worse. That Lacazette nobhead must be wondering what he signed up for. I' concerned about his injury record,not his skill set, Klopp will get the best out of him. And what an ace message that the country's best young players want to leave Arse to come here.

Your posts have made me very optimistic about him having previously being ambivalent towards the move.

Of course, that means if he turns out to be shit I'll be blaming you for having raised my expectations.

 

[Squiggles]

My expectations are for him to be better than Wijnaldum away from home. At the very least Chamberlain isn't a player who goes AWOL and will see more competitiveness in the middle of the park.

If he improves his end product and decision making then he cling could be a great player. We just have to hope Klopp can do with Chamberlain what he's done to Lallana.

 

[dee]

His finishing is fucking dire. I find it hard to believe that can be changed at 23/24

 

[King Binny]

 

[gkmacca]

Wenger's implying we tapped him up. What a bitter old hypocrite he is. How he clings on to that image of the 'classy' thinker is a mystery. Someone should remind him of how he managed to agree a deal with Suarez before the club knew about it.

 

[Oliver Twist]

What did he say, Macca?

 

[Judge Jules]

Macca: quite. At times nowadays I get the impression he's becoming a stranger to reality and actually believes some of the load of old cock he habitually comes out with. Presumably that's what comes of leading a club stuffed to the gunwales with yes-men.

 

[doctor_mac]

Macca: quite. At times nowadays I get the impression he's becoming a stranger to reality and actually believes some of the load of old cock he habitually comes out with. Presumably that's what comes of leading a club stuffed to the gunwales with yes-men.

He has always been capable of astounding hypocrisy though. His failure to see any incident where an Arsenal player dived, cheated, committed a heinous foul contrasted with his omniscient knowledge of occasions when a ref made a mistake or missed something, or a linesman got a call wrong has been a longstanding aspect of his persona. His powers of hypocrisy and delusion have habitually been pretty impressive.

 

[Fabio]

He has always been capable of astounding hypocrisy though. His failure to see any incident where an Arsenal player dived, cheated, committed a heinous foul contrasted with his omniscient knowledge of occasions when a ref made a mistake or missed something, or a linesman got a call wrong has been a longstanding aspect of his persona. His powers of hypocrisy and delusion have habitually been pretty impressive.

I'd just call him a prick myself

 

[gkmacca]

What did he say, Macca?

This:

Arsene Wenger has claimed it was “inevitable” that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was “tapped up” by Liverpool.

Wenger insists it is a widespread problem and even questioned whether it was done on the day of their Premier League clash at Anfield when Oxlade-Chamberlain played, was substituted and Arsenal were thrashed.

Gunners boss Wenger said: “Even in the games, you sit there before the games and even in players’ minds they have no clarity. Are they in? Are they out? Are they half in? Are they half out? Are they tapped up in the afternoon of the game by people who want to get them out?

“You are not naïve enough to think that will not happen. Have they been tapped up? Of course. But on the day of a game? I don’t think so, I hope not. But it’s inevitable.


I mean, the sheer brass neck of him to talk about tapping up at all, but to also suggest the player was tapped up on the day of the game is just laughable. So he's blaming other clubs for his failure to motivate his own players? Really, the man deserves all the flak he gets these days.

 

[Judge Jules]

He has always been capable of astounding hypocrisy though. His failure to see any incident where an Arsenal player dived, cheated, committed a heinous foul contrasted with his omniscient knowledge of occasions when a ref made a mistake or missed something, or a linesman got a call wrong has been a longstanding aspect of his persona. His powers of hypocrisy and delusion have habitually been pretty impressive.

Fair comment to a large extent, but I'd differentiate somewhat between those two characteristics and suggest that the pendulum has swung from hypocrisy towards delusion as time has gone on. For a long while Wenger knew he was talking through his fundament, and didn't care one bit - at times there was even a skeletal kind of twinkle in his eye as he came out with it. My impression - and I freely admit there's no proof of this in any way - is that he's now slipped into a kind of mental twilight zone in which, whether wholly or partly, he actually believes that rubbish.

 

[mark1975]

This:

Arsene Wenger has claimed it was “inevitable” that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was “tapped up” by Liverpool.

Wenger insists it is a widespread problem and even questioned whether it was done on the day of their Premier League clash at Anfield when Oxlade-Chamberlain played, was substituted and Arsenal were thrashed.

Gunners boss Wenger said: “Even in the games, you sit there before the games and even in players’ minds they have no clarity. Are they in? Are they out? Are they half in? Are they half out? Are they tapped up in the afternoon of the game by people who want to get them out?

“You are not naïve enough to think that will not happen. Have they been tapped up? Of course. But on the day of a game? I don’t think so, I hope not. But it’s inevitable.


I mean, the sheer brass neck of him to talk about tapping up at all, but to also suggest the player was tapped up on the day of the game is just laughable. So he's blaming other clubs for his failure to motivate his own players? Really, the man deserves all the flak he gets these days.

Quite. The fact AOC has been linked for quite a few years is (I guess) just coincidental and we suddenly decided last week, after watching him put in a drab performance, that we wanted him.

What a deluded bellend. "You hope it won't happen" - You mean you've never tried to make it known to a player, before approaching his club, that you were interested in him, Arsene?

 

[juniormember]

I like it.
He seems to know 100% that he has to fight for his place, seems level headed and we have someone that can talk normally for a change.
Looking forward to seeing how Klopp can make him a top player. The tools are all there.

 

[Silver Sean]

I really hope I'm wrong, but I remain convinced that OC is a bit shit and will remain so.

 

[Hyena]

I was 90% sure he's shit but the fact Klopp's, Conte and Ryan all rate him has given me some hope