Southampton fear the return of the Ox!
Today’s game marks the two year anniversary for the Southampton boss Nigel Adkins. That game was in League one against MK Dons and there was a young kid in the side called Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Southampton’s rise to the Premier league since then has been astounding, but no more remarkable than the meteoric rise of the Ox.
That season, aged just 17-years old, Oxlade-Chamberlain made 34 league appearances, scoring nine goals and providing eight assists. He had been at Southampton since he was seven but took his chance to further his career last summer when Arsenal came calling and has not looked back. He doesn’t seem to possess nerves and looks at home against any opposition and at international level.
Nigel Adkins says that the club are very proud of what the Ox has achieved and are expecting him to torment them today. Arsene Wenger has claimed, however, that many players find it overwhelming when they return for the first time to their former clubs.
“Sometimes they are absolutely outstanding, but most of the time they have a very average day.
“He has to forget that it’s his former club and just play.”
Wenger believes that experience helps players deal with such occasions, so maybe he is suggesting it could be tough for the lad. Wenger may also be trying to take the expectations off his shoulders. He might not start the Ox, to be honest he could do with a rest before the tough games start coming around quickly, but he could always come on as an impact sub when Southampton players are tired and the pressure is not so high.
unleash the ox!
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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I don’t think he will start today as he played with England on Tuesday.
I think Arsene might go with Giroud, Podolski and Gervinho to start with and introduce him in the later stages.
I’m going for 2-0 today and continue our solid start.
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AOC IS A BEAST but I’d bench him and put the forehead on
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Ox-chumbers so tired, after the England matches. But he come on 65mins score goals add to Girou huttricks! I BET!
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Bring on arshavin and lets rebuild his fourm !!! The little russain gonner be at his beat again i can feel it !
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Liam Neeson as Zeus: Release The Kraken!
Arsene Wenger as Arsenal’s Almighty: Release The Ox!
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Like someone said before start with the forehead and bring on Oxcube Chambermaid last 20. Start with Mannone too!!! Hopefully daddy long legs can start in mid………
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The OX might get a few minutes to shine, but over-usage is what Wilshire suffered from. Gotta be careful
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lol, Chamberlain is the least of their worries. They should be more worried about Podolski, Cazorla, Giroud, Arteta, Gervinho, Gibbs and any of our other defenders.
Ian Wright scored a hattrick against Southampton on his league debut and Bergkamp scored his first goals against Southampton, so there’s a bit of an omen for Giroud The Man!!!
He’ll score today and if not, he’ll be doing a Reyes against Chelsea in two weeks time, about the same amount of games will have been played by Giroud at the time of that game. It’s an Omen. Even more so since it’s the second time I’m attending a wedding on a Saturday when Arsenal play Chelsea and we won that game. My mate who’s getting married is a Chelsea fan too and they always lose when we have a bet … still trying to get him to accept a wager. It will seal their fate and stop him rubbing it in for the rest of the day.
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Rest Chamberlain and start Gervinho
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