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From a huge fan of Sameer, I think this is anoda excellent article. And also something abt the few noises about AOC - my opinion is time wld tell. But I think He's an excellent buy. Nice one...
My Vision
Written by Squid Boy on Tuesday, 09 August 2011 14:44
Good morning/afternoon/evening my fellow Gooners all over the world. How are we all today? I hope you are basking in the warm glowing, warming glow that comes with...a new signing!
Yes indeed, for Messrs Wenger, Gazidis and Kroenke (more on the latter two in a bit) dusted off the red’n’white chequebook to sign Southampton youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for the ubiquitous “undisclosed fee”. Reports say the fee is an initial £12 million with a further potential £3 million in add-ons assuming we win the Quintuple over the course of the next twelve-months. It’s a shoo-in, isn’t it?
I’m no expert on the kid, but it sounds like he is a versatile attacking midfielder who can play on either flank or in the middle. So if we stick to our 4-2-3-1 formation, he could play anywhere across the trio behind the frontman. The majority of his appearances for the Saints last season came on the right-wing, but it is always typical to blood youths out on the flanks as opposed to in the battlefield that is the centre of the park (unless your name is Jack Wilshere).
Given his position on the pitch, age and footballing upbringing, it is difficult not to elicit comparisons with a certain Theo Walcott. The similarities are there. Having heard his first interview he seems to be softly spoken and lacking in the brash, brazen attitude that befalls many young footballers these days – a character trait shared by our Theo. The difference however seems to be that he is more natural a footballer than Theo, whose formative were less with a ball at his feet but more with sprinting spikes on them. Either way, my main hope is that AOC has a more sheltered start to his career and isn’t thrust immediately into the limelight like Theo was.
AOC most certainly impressed for the Saints last campaign, bagging nine goals in 36 appearances – a ratio of one goal per every four games is not bad at all for someone who can’t even order a pint at the bar yet. Indeed, he was even voted into the League One Team of the Season.
I know the sceptics will say:
“oh but it’s only League One, if he’s joining us for £15 million then he should be in that team”
To which I say:
“well he can only perform against the opposition he faces, and the fact that he is in that team can only bode well for us”
On the note of sceptics, it seems that the Mirror canvassed the representative opinion of the ENTIRE fanbase and decreed that “Arsenal fans angry as Wenger buys another kid”.
Really?
Almost every single Gooner that I have come across on Twitter has viewed this signing as a positive move. Securing an exciting young talent that we have been scouting for months – ahead of reported interest from our rivals, too – can surely only be viewed as a good thing, right? Right?!
Wrong.
Because it seems that John Cross of the Mirror – a man who on Twitter is often labelled as “one of us” – believes the opposite. This claim is largely based on the assumption that signing AOC immediately rules us out from chasing a centre-back. Hmmm.
Whilst I will concede that Arsene is stubborn and mysterious in his ways (we cry for defensive reinforcements and he adds another attacking midfielder to our burgeoning roster), I am fairly certain that this acquisition will NOT detract from our hunt for a centre-back. In fact it makes me all the more confident that we will make additions to our squad, that the money is there.
In fact there is even a school of thought which believes that it is creatively we are lacking more than defensively, given how the goals dried up towards the back end of last season and how nil-nil draws at home to Sunderland and Blackburn killed our title challenge stone dead. But that’s another matter altogether.
On the subject of defenders, Ivan Gazidis held a Q&A session with the Arsenal Independent Supporters Association yesterday evening. The main snippets from what he said simply reinforce what I said above re: defensive, errr, reinforcements. Ivan intimated that Arsene has identified problems in our backline and that he himself had been working day and night to secure a signing (or two?) in that department. I am more confident than I have been all summer that a Jagielka or a Cahill is on their way to Colney.
More from Ivan last night over at the excellent Ashburton Grove.
Continuing with matters off the pitch, head honcho and renowned loudmouth Stan Kroenke delivered a message to the aforementioned meeting last night too. Indeed, it was his first proclamation since he formally took control of the Club. He truly is the master of saying something but actually saying nothing at all. For the full text of what he said, again check it out at the Ashburton Grove website.
On the subject of Stan, you must do two things:
1) Check out his faux Twitter account here - http://twitter.com/#!/Silent_Stan_K - where he observes the old credo of “you say it best when you say nothing at all”
2) Listen to the man rap here courtesy of the maniacal genius that is Gilbert O’Silver
Back to more serious matters. Tomorrow’s friendly between England and Holland has been called off due to the looting, rioting and mindless violence going down in London. From an Arsenal viewpoint this has little effect on us given that our potential involvement in the match was zero with Gibbs, Wilshere, Walcott and v.Persie all missing through injury.
From a human point of view, I urge my fellow Londoners and those up and down the country to remain vigilant and stay away from trouble. Don’t wander the streets late at night and if you are, don’t try to act all heroic and confront any dangerous looking people. Keep your head down and get to your destination ASAP.
Stay safe folks.
Squid Boy (http://twitter.com/#!/TheSquidBoyLike)
Fancy writing your own articles for fellow Gooners to read? Click Your Vision section.
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09-Aug-2011 15:11 | | Ogban - MrThe know-alls wrote off Gervinho even before he signed. I gues they'll eat a humble pie soon.
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09-Aug-2011 15:12 | | Dan - AOC, New Rocky?Checked out AOC on you tube. He looks to have a bit of the 'Rocky' about him. If he's half as skillful as Rocastle he'll be a goodun.
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09-Aug-2011 15:26 | | ZamaGood write up as usual. One thing thats different between Theo & Alex is their build. Theo as a 17 yr old was slight Alex on the other hand is built like an Ox. All in all a good signing and another step towards more brits at the club
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09-Aug-2011 15:45 | | SteveAOC is a very very good signing, I used to work at Saints and they rated him very highly, fans and staff. He is as quick as Theo but with outstanding technical ability to boot.
He played against Man Utd in the FA Cup last season in the middle of the park and was spraying passes long or short, getting up and down the pitch and beating players with his pace and ability on the ball. Expect him to be a full international within a year.
For a 17 year old to play a part in 20 goals (either scored or assisted) in his first full season is a pretty impressive stat! He is also a tough kid and he won't be bullied off the ball like Theo has been in the past.
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09-Aug-2011 15:45 | | SavageWenger certainly wasn't messing around if the fees quoted are correct. He obviously believes this kid is the real deal, and by all accounts he seems to be a jack of all trades. On one hand I'm reading that he's great in front of goal, then I read Wenger saying he's a "perceptive passer", and then I read other reports saying he's good defensively. If that's all true, then he sounds like 15m pounds worth
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09-Aug-2011 16:58 | | PodgeWhen we have been linked with him for so long I'm pretty sure all gooners know about AOC so simply he looks good strong,QUICK, good on the wing offensively and puts in a shift defensively too, goes direct usually but well versed in the art of keeping possession. I'd say pretty much the perfect 18yr old for us to sign. I doubt the fee is as high as what's been reported. hopefully now that the other clubs are spending their summer funds Wenger can sign that elusive centre back we have been berating him for not signing on June1
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09-Aug-2011 17:46 | | IndiGooner - AOCI have bee reading and listening but so many gooners are not happy with signing of AOC? I believe Wenger has done a brilliant job by getting this talent to AFC.
1) Nasri and Cese will leave is this year or next We will have creative CRISIS.
2) Rosisky and Arshvin will also leave as they will be over 30 years and keeping the history in mind + lack of form..
With just Rambo, Jack and Diaby we will have crisis in Midfield should any 1 have a long term Injury. Who will we have to play centrally and pass the ball like Cese has done.. We will be in a bad bad situation next year where our midfiled will be weakest.
Ryo, Lansbury and AOC "WILL" take time to adjust and improve.
As far as Defenders are concerned we will sign Cahill or Per some one but not sure will they be able to sustain the highline we maintain?
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