Wenger on why Park and Oxlade-Chamberlain are yet to feature regularly
Written by Jeffrey on October 24, 2011 – 22:30
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger explained why striker Chu Young Park and midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are yet to feature regularly and with the senior squad, at Arsenal.
Speaking to Arsenal Player ahead of tomorrow's Carling Cup game against Bolton Wanderers, the Frenchman started by saying that former players like Robert Pires and Thierry Henry needed more than four months to properly settle down at Arsenal and how therefore it's normal for Chu Young Park to be used sporadically at this stage in the season.
On young Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the Arsenal boss added that he's not at all surprised by the progress of the youngster but also that he needs to improve from an urgency point of view, when on the defensive side of the game and also in one against one.
Wenger concluded by praising the Englishman's ability to deal with pressure, saying that he is a talented footballer but also a young man with a relaxed and positive attitude, all reasons why he is loved by all those around him.
On Monday, Wenger said:
[Chu Young Park yet to adapt?] Some players like [Robert] Pires, like [Thierry] Henry, they took four-five-six months and they became exceptional players.
Park arrived two months ago so that's normal. Some people judged very quickly our players, in a negative way, my buys in a negative way.
[But] slowly [these players] changed the mind of people through their performances.
I prefer it that way around than the other way around, people who make you jump out of your seat early and disappoint you after.
The [new signings] will win over all the skeptical people and Park is one of them.
It's hard [to score goals] in the Premier League but Park is a player with quality and intelligence and on longer term that always comes out and I'm confident he will do that in the Premier League as well.
I'm impressed by his intelligence, his attitude, as you know, many times, it's well appreciated by his team-mates and rated by his team-mates, by the staff as well, he's q quality player.
[He needs to be ready?] If you want to be successful at the Club you need three strikers, three central strikers and we have them and we are very happy with that.
[Surprised by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's progress?] No, because I had good reports about him at Southampton so I expected him to adapt quickly.
He's getting now, to a level where we want him to be and he has a good opportunity to show again that he wants to compete, now, for a place as a regular starter.
[What he needs to add to his game?] Urgency, in the final third, on the defensive side, the duals, winning the duals against men.
Because the Premier League is getting tougher, you saw that against Stoke so you need that capability to go from youth-team football, basically, or lower-level league football to top-level athletes.
He can do that, I'm confident, just we have to give him as well some time because in England there's a big impatience about upcoming talented players.
[He can handle the pressure?] That's one of his strengths. He has talent combined with relaxed, positive attitude. I like that, he's a positive boy, a positive man and I think he will be loved by people.
He has that upfront attitude, open attitude that I like because it shows that he can deal well with pressure.
Wenger on why Park and Oxlade-Chamberlain are yet to feature regularly | Arsenal Blog & Arsenal News
