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Arsenal’s problem this year, the big overlying problem, is beyond obvious to see. And as Ian Wright has pointed out, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is just the latest sufferer.
Arsenal is suffering from several, easily diagnosed problems this year, most of which are mental. But the biggest and easiest to see is the gross lack of motivation. How a “top-tier” Premier League club can be lacking in motivation is up to interpretation, but there are several theories.
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The first of which is a lack of urgency. What happens if they don’t win this year? They can try again next year. No one is going anywhere. No one will be sold. This is the Arsenal, where longevity is valued over skill and abilities.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has fallen victim to this same mind set, and it’s tough to see. He is an impassioned young man when he is on his game, capable of slicing and dicing even the stoutest of defenses, but when it starts to go bad, you can see the despondency set in. The lack of confidence overtakes him and just like that, the sharpness goes dull.
Ian Wright has called out this lack of urgency, as he saw it in England’s 2-0 win over Lithuania. Given the central role again, the same that he has craved and the same that he has begun to excel at with Arsenal, the Ox wasn’t at his sharpest.
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“I don’t think he is imposing himself as well as he would like to. I think all he needs to do really is get a bit more urgency about him, step it up a bit, sharpen himself up,” Wright said of the Ox.
To a certain extent, it’s hard to blame our burgeoning midfield maestro. Having spent his entire career out wide up until this point, it has to be frustrating to only now be given a proper chance at central midfield now that he has openly admitted to perhaps seeking an exit.
Not to mention the fact that he has been passed over so many times in the past, no matter how strong his performances have been.
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It’s not an excuse though. The Ox has to shake this off, as Wright has indicated, and figure out how to push through the usual doldrums that an uninspired Arsenal side can lead to. Once he is able to do that, then he can become a catalyst of this team, and a primary driving force.