I'm Glad Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Wasn't Called Up For England

Some people like to have a pop at Arsenal for absoluuuuuuuutely any reason possible. We even get the blame for crappy weather or if someone's car breaks down. You name it, its Arsenal's fault. 

One of the main things they love to have a go at us about is the fact we hardly ever seem to have any players in the England squad. And its Arsenal's fault England aren't any good too.

Despite our lack of 'Englishness' the football future of the country rests in the hands of Arsenal. Jack Wilshere will captain his nation at some point and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, AKA the Ox, will become a key player one day for the Three Lions too. 

Yet, just a couple of months ago, people were saying Arsene Wenger had paid over the odds for another youngster in the Ox. Now most of these very same people are saying he is better than Pele and can't believe he hasn't been called up to the latest England squad.

For me, Oxlade-Chamberlain not being called up is a good thing and Stuart Pearce has made the right call in leaving him out. Don't get me wrong, to see an Arsenal player in an England shirt is fantastic, and it sticks two fingers up to the haters, but the right decision has been made here.

The Ox is being touted as England and Arsenal's saviour left, right and centre and the pressure on the boy, and he is still a boy, is becoming as huge as Beth Ditto's right buttock. That is some huge pressure.

I've no doubt Alex can cope with it, he seems a very level-headed kid, but lets not ruin him before he has even began his footballing career. 

To play him in the England senior team right now is a double-edged sword. On one hand he could tear it up but on the other he may have a bad performance and the criticism will come more Fast and Furious than a Vin Diesel movie.

Alex has plenty of time on his side. I mean he has only been able to buy booze legally for six months. We need to give him the opportunity to progress naturally and not rush him.

It's not fair to rest the whole nations hopes on an 18-year-old. It's bad enough for his shoulders to have the weight of Arsenal's campaign on them in some peoples eyes. That is heavy enough.

In his own time the Ox will become an England regular, but that time isn't right now.

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Keep It Goonerish........