ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN has hit back at the “stupid” criticism from Gary Neville and Thierry Henry following his £35 million move to Liverpool.
After six years at Arsenal, the 24-year-old opted for a change of scenery in the summer of 2017 as his contract ran down in north London.
There was a feeling that a man who was handed his England debut and place in Roy Hodgson’s Euro 2012 plans at the age of 18 had failed to fulfil his potential with the Gunners and was in danger of stagnating.
Arsenal legend Henry claimed to have been “watching him for a very long time and I still don’t know what he’s good at”, while Manchester United icon and former Three Lions coach Neville said the Gunners had got a “brilliant deal”.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has, however, played his way into form at Liverpool and blasted back at those who questioned him by saying: “Those comments are probably a bit stupid.
“When you have watched someone long enough you know what they can do.
“If it was aimed more at the end product side of things and doing those things that lead to scoring a goal or setting up a goal then fair enough, I will take those comments on the chin. Saying you don’t know what I do, when you have worked with me, I think is a bit stupid.
“If they are referencing more end product then that is fair enough, I hold my hands up. That is something that I have been working on and still need to work on.”
He added: “It is not nice to hear it from your peers or people you have worked with and I have worked with them both in different capacities.
“They can have their opinions. It cannot shake me. The important thing is that when I came here I had a manager [Jurgen Klopp] who had faith in me and he felt something different to that, and I had faith in myself. That is why I made the step.
“Everyone says you have to be your own biggest fan and believe in yourself.
I am old enough and wise enough and I have been around long enough to know that things will be said, and not nice things a lot of the time. And when you are doing well, nice things will be said. That is all part and parcel of it. But it is never nice to hear it from people you have worked with.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain has contributed four goals and five assists to the Liverpool cause this season and believes there is still plenty more to come as he takes inspiration from those around him.
He said: “There is more in me, I know I have to keep pushing on. I can take so much from someone like Mo Salah. Just look at him this season. It has been relentless and when someone can go from – obviously he is a great player – but to be competing with Harry Kane and Sergio Agüero for top goalscorer is something you have to learn from.
“People probably wouldn’t have expected that from him at the start of the season. To put himself in that position is down to the mentality he has to work hard and get the best out of himself.
“Every season there is always an example of people like that. You can take inspiration and I have got to keep pushing myself. I have nine games left in the league and we have the Champions League and I want to give the best of myself in those games and do as much as I can to help this team finish as high as we can.”
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This guy is completely overratted
@jay bernard: don’t know how he warrants a contract of that size given his achievements in the game. He needs to start scoring regularly especially if the Wissam Ben Yedder rumours are true. WBY is a real fox in the box, Deschamps really rates him.
Best goal tally for 21 and under in the EPL, La Liga & Seria A in what was a shocking season under two different managers. 200k going to 300k based on incentives. Manchester born and bred. He’ll turn out to be some player yet
An absolute joke.
It’s 200k a week max as per Simon Stone – reliable United journo
@Brian: and you think that even £200,000 is acceptable for a player that scored 10 league goals last season. He’s English!!! He has been overhyped and overrated since they Day he broke into the first team by the British press, £200,000 per week for a very average player that would be more suited to playing for a team like Newcastle, Everton or Southampton. Mid table player at best, that shouldn’t be earning anything over 100,000 never mind 200,000 or 300,000.
@Devilsavocado: And eventually he will be destroyed by the British press too, I wish Utd would sell him on now
Beans Beans Beans
@Alan Brazil: is all you eat. Stand well back!
The club is a circus. Run by clowns who aren’t football men
@munsterman: and if you look at the nonsense that ich bin Brendan has been scribbling up there, it seems they are supported by a few clowns as well…..
@Devilsavocado: haha! G!mp
@Ich bin brendan: come on,, seriously mate, you really don’t believe the nonsense that you were writing in your previous posts do you?? There isn’t a club that finished in the top 5 above Utd that the lad would get into as a first team player. Not a single club that will be in the champions league next year had a bit of interest in buying him, he’s at best a bench player for Utd, but a 200,000 a week bench player??? WTF is going on at Utd that they offered that much money to him?? Where else was he going to go, they easily could have halved that and even then he should still consider himself lucky to be wearing the Utd jersey,, come on, I can’t be the only one who sees this….
@Devilsavocado: quit looking for validation. I’ll correct myself in that he didn’t score v pool in their 3-1 spanking but everything stated is fact inc. turning the best rb inside out and scoring in every debut. Barcelona were being touted as making an official approach, how much of that is being true is as truthful to say not a single team were, it would take a team of that stature to pull a local lad away from his local team. Apart from Kane for Spurs there isn’t a top 5 team that would produce an academy player like him. 200,000K is daft money but that’s the state of the club atm, not many want the Glazers there but that’s what they’re working with. I’m delighted he’s there for another 4 yrs, he’s got the wage now it’s upto him to start earning it, I believe he will.
@Ich bin brendan: ok fair enough, you have your opinion on the matter and people that actually know a bit about football have there’s. Let’s be honest here, I doesn’t matter that your opinion is obviously that of a delusional fan that can’t look at things without your fan glasses on but that’s ok,, we will leave it there and I’ll let you get back to your colouring book and crayons, there’s a good boy,, don’t stay up to late… :) validate myself, ha ha ha ha ha..
@Devilsavocado: “that actually know a bit about football” you have me stumped, you’ve trouble validating your opinionated drivel. “Ha ha ha” like I said before, G!mp
He’s got to start delivering on his promise . A lot of cash for a man still not scoring regularly but he does have the potential to be an absolute world class player I just hope he does start getting 30 odd goals a season .
On his debut he’s scored 2 in the EPL, same in his Europa, 1 Champions league and on his derby debut. Also turned the best rb in the country inside out to score against their biggest rivals, with the golden glove winner in goal!
@Ich bin brendan: can throw in his debut in the EFL & FA Cup as well. So every cup comp available to him. Calling him over rated is being bias, he’s proven he’s capable, needs consistency with age.
Reminds me of Ian Rush
His nose is offside
Even as a man utd fan, I think he doesn’t deserve this, prove your worth then get the money, he didn’t prove anything last season to deserve half this money.