Just my opinion but I think it does matter to have English players in the squad.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain completes his transfer to Liverpool
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Good find Tommy, my recollection was in connection with Chelsea not Real Madrid though maybe I got my wires crossed.
I think around the time he was mentioned in relation to Chelsea, Rooney looked heavy and not on his game.
Maybe a bit but surely not at the expense of quality?
He's had quite a few long term injuries (or at least it seems that way) and he hardly sets the world alight when he does play for Arsenal. I'm sure he could be a fairly decent player for someone but I don't think he's ever going to be a first team regular for a big team nor for England for that matter, and just look at the state of the current England team.
Probably end up at City on daft wages replacing Navas or Nasri playing second fiddle in an attempt to improve their number of home-grown players.
Probably end up at City on daft wages replacing Navas or Nasri playing second fiddle in an attempt to improve their number of home-grown players.
Oh course but I think Oxlade would be a useful player on the RW. I think Kane has now proven enough to step up to a bigger club as well now. No chance he would leave Spurs though.
I just don't rate him too highly. Kane on the other hand I would like to see us get but as you say, it's practically impossible.
We should be all in for him. Fast as feck, great dribbler, strong, athletic, a real winner - and if I'm not mistaken, he used to be a United fan. He just chose to play for Wenger instead of Ferguson. Oh wait, so a complete moron then...
I hope the rumours are true that we are in for him.
Who knows how injury prone he really is under anyone but wenger.
At 23 he is primed for taking the next step up. Already a good player.
Who knows how injury prone he really is under anyone but wenger.
At 23 he is primed for taking the next step up. Already a good player.
Yup. If we can move Can along (isn't he on like £60k p/w ?), and have Ox be a squad/CM/wing player & super-sub with his pace, that'd be amazeballs.
Surely we have got to be setting our sights on better players then him, a squad player at Arsenal ? Come on we aint sunk that low have we ?
Even the best teams need squad players. A relatively young English talent who can cover a variety of positions, would probably cost south of £15m, and wouldn't break the bank wage-wise... He'd be a good signing for pretty much any team in the league, but for the top 6, he would seldom be first choice (which is fine).
Most of our current crop could be classed as squad players we need 1st team players who can make a difference.
No harm in moving squad players on & bringing new ones in. Given Ashley Young's wages & age, surely you wouldn't be opposed to spending £10m & bringing in a younger player on lower wages with higher potential?
(I think Young is very underrated for United, but he's gonna be 32 this year, and his wages are daft)
i would quite happily move Young on and not get a replacement in for him, we have Lingard who could do what Young does, which is most of the time not alot and Ox aint no improvement on any the 2 i have mentioned, be a pointless move for me,
Well, you know & watch a lot more United than I do, so I'll take your word for it
Would love him at Anfield, though.
As much as I like him and in an ideal world where we were finishing top 2 every season and had the chance to develop him he could become something special at centre mid.
However, he's simply not the level of player we need to be looking at to be challenging for the title again. He's not great out wide, and he's not good enough as he is to be a starter for us in the centre when there are complete, proven centre mids around who who can take us up a level.
To reach the level as a centre mid where he'd be world class (which is the level we need to be recruiting at) would require constant exposure to the position which is something we simply can't afford to give him if we wish to be winning titles, that's not to mention his injury record.
However, he's simply not the level of player we need to be looking at to be challenging for the title again. He's not great out wide, and he's not good enough as he is to be a starter for us in the centre when there are complete, proven centre mids around who who can take us up a level.
To reach the level as a centre mid where he'd be world class (which is the level we need to be recruiting at) would require constant exposure to the position which is something we simply can't afford to give him if we wish to be winning titles, that's not to mention his injury record.
I'm pretty sure I read at the time he signed that Young's wages are high because he didn't get a sign-on bonus that every player (and probably most employees) receives. I don't really care about club finance in general, there are so many factors to take into account and people bullshit numbers all the time so as long as the club believes it can afford it, then that's fine with me.
Ox can play out wide but I think his best position is in attacking midfield. We've already got players like Mata and Lingard who are like that so I don't see much point because he's not an amazing player who you buy if he's available.
He's got '£18million to Liverpool' written all over him. Runs a lot, he'd suit Klopp's idea of pressing hard and relentlessly, plus he's English and they could use a few more homegrown players. And he's not that good.
That is my worry if we sign him (though obviously we do need someone with his pace no doubt). With Europe coming next season, and if we're serious about domestic trophies, then we'll need the squaddies. Problem is without Mane we have no real game changers or magic-moment-men. Really need to make sure we get both things right, game-changers and able bench deputies. Doesn't happen often and certainly not all in one window.
Jose still probably remembers Ox's 'goalkeeping' save in the 6-0 bashing at the Bridge.
The Machaivellian way young Alex let Gibbs get sent off means he might be his kind of guy.
Will need to pass the football a bit better though - and score a bit more.
The Machaivellian way young Alex let Gibbs get sent off means he might be his kind of guy.
Will need to pass the football a bit better though - and score a bit more.
What is his best position? He doesn't seem to have nailed down one role.
He's had about 6 games in central midfield and been alright there so apparently that's his real position
to replace Milner as a LB no doubt
How is Liverpool a step up from Arsenal?
How is Liverpool a step up from Arsenal? Genuine question, not a dig here.
Unless Liverpool are offering a position he prefers to play in, I can't think of a reason why he'd leave London and Arsenal for Merseyside given both clubs are roughly even in the league.
Apparently some people in here would turn their noses up on Ox for £15-20m because he'd be a squad player and we don't need his ilk, but would happily pay 2 times that for Bakayoko/Kessie etc. 
Ox is a low risk purchase. He'll come relatively cheap and if he's not developed in 2 years you move him on and recoup most of the money.
The potential upside is that he develops into the player he's occasionally looked like and you end up with a quality English player for 10 years at bargain price.
Ox is a low risk purchase. He'll come relatively cheap and if he's not developed in 2 years you move him on and recoup most of the money.
The potential upside is that he develops into the player he's occasionally looked like and you end up with a quality English player for 10 years at bargain price.
he's one of the few i'd actually want from arsenal provided he could stay healthy, i dont think his ability is the question mark.
He may mean step up performance wise?
I.e take his personal performances to the next level and become a better player as he gets older.
He bossed that game vs Bayern a few years back, was running rings around their defence. Hasn't done much since then though, kinda like Arsenal. Probably the only player I would take from Arsenal bar Sanchez of course though. Looks a proper talent and has been the only player who has looked half decent in their terrible run of form as of late.
But why would he be better at Liverpool rather than Arsenal for that? It's still a bit bizzare, I don't see Klopp as being superior to Wenger.
I think the fear for us is we've bought squad players before and when they don't perform as well as expected, they end up deadweight which we struggle to shift given our high wages. At least when you buy a player with the hopes of him being first XI if he doesn't hit the expected heights he ends up strengthening the squad somewhat. It's an expensive strategy but it seems our limit on transfers is more on numbers than expenditure, at least if Woodward is to be believed.
I'd defo take Ox for £10m though. But I suspect he will cost at least twice that.
Ffs
I meant step up in player development, not stage. Now is the right time for him.
I think he will leave if wenger stays. It may be unclear if we are a step up but it is overwhelmingly clear that staying with wenger means staying still.
Not sure how things pan out if wenger leaves. He does have the sound of a player who is looking for a bigger change than just a new manager.
You may have made the right call but for the wrong reasons.
I can foresee City taking on Ox and changing his position to a more defensive role. Pep has form for that.
We need English players but we've become more canny in the transfer market in the last couple of years both in terms of fees and wages.
I think he's fairly talented and can understand some managers wishing to take a punt, but personally I wouldn't want him. Good but not the level of player we should be going for. Injured all the time too. Would be a very good signing for anyone outside of the top 6. Think he could make it in a top team, but a lot to prove.
That's a peculiar comparison at best.
I'd happily sign him. Young enough for Mourinho to "de mediocarise" him...
Fair enough for Ox if he wants to leave. He doesn't get enough playing times there and he surely has some potential and talent but he's an injury prone and i didn't get to watch him a lot after 2013 because of his injuries so "probably" no.
Last thing Ox needs is moving to another possession side.. he needs to play in a more direct English style side where he can let out his natural aggressive style of play and be at his best. Liverpool and United are perfect sides for him.. I reckon he'd struggle to break into City team at all and would be a spare part at Chelsea.
He's definitely a player who needs a move. He has hardly improved in his time at Arsenal. He has the ability to play for another top 6 team but he's probably at the stage where he would be better off dropping down a level to guarantee first team football.
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