How Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has finally got his head round his inner self
England midfielder opens up his heart and says: 'As I’ve grown older I’ve learnt that you really can’t please everyone'
ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN is coming to terms with the Arsenal fans' perception of him.
The England midfielder has often taken criticism of his performances to heart - but now he's working at becoming more confident.
It's been another disappointing start to the season for the former Southampton player who is struggling once again to hold down a first team spot.
But The Ox, who scored the last goal in Arsenal's 4-0 EFL Cup triumph at Nottingham Forest, said: “I’m the type of person that tends to care a lot about what people are saying and what people are thinking.
"I think as I’ve grown older I’ve learnt that you really can’t please everyone.
“As I’ve got older, the pressure on myself and the expectations go up. You need to find a way to manage that the best for yourself and I’ll be honest, it’s not until recently, the last six months to a year or so, that I’ve fully got my head around how to go about that with dealing with people’s expectations on me and my own expectations.
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“It can be hard and I still think I’m quite young, I’ve just turned 23 and now it’s focusing on how to push myself further and better myself as a player.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain missed out to both Alex Iwobi and Theo Walcott for last Saturday’s trip to Hull and instead joined several reserve and youth players in the side that took on Forest.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said in January that he believed the 23-year-old is “too hard on himself” and Oxlade-Chamberlain admitted the is still learning to deal with the expectations of others.
The winger’s current contract is up at the end of next season and it could be he needs to draw on that new-found positive attitude to pull off another one.
Sadly, it looks doubtful he will start Saturday's London derby with Chelsea.
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