da supremo： Earlier this week, Arsenal’s long time pursuit of a much courted teenage Southampton winger came to an end when they paid a fee of around £12 million (dependant on which paper you read) to bring the youngster to The Emirates. It seems like we have been transported back in time to 2006 but we haven’t – it’s 2011 and the young flying winger is not Theo Walcott, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
da spicy bet： The parallels between the two deals are uncanny, as no doubt you’ve already heard, but for many, the hope is that this is where the resemblance ends. You see Walcott’s career at Arsenal has been far from smooth so far. The flashes of brilliance and excitement he is so very capable of producing have so far been outweighed by a nasty inconsistency in his game that has seen him be unable to cement a guaranteed starting place. It doesn’t help that there seems to be confusion, even in Arsene Wenger, over what is his best natural position on the field. Is he the much vaunted winger that everybody once claimed he was – with his searing pace and body movement? It seems not as his crossing and final ball leaves a lot to be desired and has surely been noted as a weakness by Wenger. Is he a striker, or forward? He does seem to appear cool when in one-on-one situations, but his shooting often lacks bite and Wenger has doubts over whether he can lead the line. Another of Walcott’s major obstacles has been that many thought of him as the new Thierry Henry – which he quite clearly isn’t, yet (the Frenchman also has a slowish start to his career as an inconsistent but pacey winger, before Wenger’s masterstroke of transforming him into a front-man).
Maybe this added pressure and heightened expectation, all heaped on his young shoulders from the start, has effected what should have been a smooth transition to the big-time for Walcott. His surprising and controversial inclusion in England’s 2006 World Cup squad, before making his Premier League debut, did nothing but help serve the hype surrounding the youngster. Walcott’s career at Arsenal has also been hampered by injury, which has disrupted any rhythm and momentum, and whilst here is certainly no doubting his immense potential, after all the hype, one can’t help but feel underwhelmed thus far.
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Enter Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. As stated above the Southampton youth academy product instantly invited comparisons with Walcott coming from the south coast side, alongside his style of play which is all about pace and an ability to beat defenders. However that’s where the comparisons should end, especially if Arsenal and their fans are to avoid the mistakes made with Walcott. Oxlade-Chamberlain is equally adept with both feet and such ability has led him to play on either wing comfortably. He can also play centrally, though his incredible turn of pace saw him move outside in order to utilise this weapon fully. However he only turns 18 next week, and whilst he played a key role in securing Southampton’s promotion to the Championship, he has yet to play above League One level. With this in mind, maybe a future loan deal would be a sensible option for the teenager in order to gain some constant first team action as surely, he will only see limited playing time in this season’s Premier League – any of which will add un-needed extra pressure on the youngster. However the fee paid for Oxlade-Chamberlain brings instant pressure for his inclusion into the first team and probably rules out any loan deal – especially as Wenger has yet again chosen to spend the relatively large amount on an unfinished article, whilst it’s glaringly obvious there are more pressing needs in his squad.
In this sense Arsenal fans have found Oxlade-Chamberlain’s signing bitter-sweet in nature. On the one hand, they have again captured an immensely gifted youngster with massive potential, beating the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United to his signature. But on the other, it yet again seems like Wenger won’t spend money to purchase an experienced ‘finished article’ which is desperately needed if Arsenal are to challenge for honours right now – particularly in defensive and goalkeeping areas.
At least Oxlade-Chamberlain can use Walcott as a blueprint of the perils of heightened expectations, and talk to his new team-mate about his experience, whilst Theo had nobody. Also, Alex’s father, the ex-professional, will know all about the pitfalls awaiting any young player. He wanted his son to sign for Arsenal and felt certain his son was coming to the right place in order to progress the right way and aid his development. All at Arsenal will be hoping that Walcott’s experience will provide a smoother, more positive path for Oxlade-Chamberlain.
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