About this video

• Video Title: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on Mikel Arteta's SECRET & Playing Under Jurgen Klopp...
• Channel: Fozcast - The Ben Foster Podcast
• Speakers: Ben Foster, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
• Duration: 01:30:36

Overview

This podcast episode features an interview with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who discusses his career, his current status as a free agent, his experiences playing under various managers including Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp, and his thoughts on the evolution of professional football.

Key takeaways

• Free Agency and Future Plans: Oxlade-Chamberlain is currently a free agent and is being selective about his next club, prioritizing family needs and a suitable project over immediate offers abroad.
• Injury Perception: He addresses the misconception of being "injury-prone," explaining that his significant injuries were often due to contact rather than recurring issues, and that the integration back into the team post-injury also impacted public perception.
• Managerial Styles: The interview contrasts the man-management styles of Arsène Wenger and Jurgen Klopp, highlighting Wenger's philosophical approach and focus on individual player development versus Klopp's emphasis on intense physical preparation, pressing, and fostering an unshakeable belief in victory.
• Career Reflections: Oxlade-Chamberlain fondly recalls his time at Arsenal for its lifestyle and camaraderie, and his successful years at Liverpool for the collective pursuit of achievement, particularly the Champions League win, despite his injury during that period.
• The Importance of Leadership: He emphasizes the value of experienced, vocal leaders like Jordan Henderson and James Milner in driving team standards and maintaining a winning mentality, contrasting this with a perceived decline in such leadership qualities in modern football.

During Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's time at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta, while still a player, influenced the tactical approach by introducing a greater focus on analytical preparation and video analysis of opponents. Oxlade-Chamberlain noted that prior to Arteta's influence, Arsenal's preparation was heavily focused on their own team's strengths, with minimal analysis of opposing teams. Arteta was the one who pushed for more in-depth tactical meetings and video sessions to understand what other teams were doing.

Jurgen Klopp encouraged Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to embrace "dirty work" that he hadn't previously focused on, such as blocking a left-back's channel and forcing the ball out for a throw-in. Klopp celebrated these efforts, and Oxlade-Chamberlain developed an appreciation for this aspect of the game, even looking forward to performing these tasks in matches to help get the crowd going. This emphasis on work rate and effort was a key part of Klopp's philosophy at Liverpool.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's experiences with Arsène Wenger and Jurgen Klopp differed significantly in several key areas:

Tactical Preparation:

• Arsène Wenger: Arsenal's tactical preparation under Wenger was primarily focused internally, emphasizing their own team's strengths with minimal pre-match analysis of opponents. Arteta, even as a player, initiated the introduction of video analysis of other teams. Set-piece routines and in-possession technical drills were common, but deep tactical meetings were not a frequent occurrence.
• Jurgen Klopp: Klopp's approach was characterized by intense physical preparation and a strong emphasis on pressing and counter-pressing. Tactical sessions were highly focused on these elements, with every session designed around how the team would press in games. There was less focus on intricate attacking patterns and more on a "freestyle" approach enabled by excellent individual players, with a few key patterns of play worked on.

Player Development & Management:

• Arsène Wenger: Wenger was described as a philosopher and a father figure who gave players time and space to grow. He was more lenient with mistakes, preferring to discuss them and encourage players to try again, fostering a more relaxed environment focused on individual technical brilliance.
• Jurgen Klopp: Klopp's management was more about demanding the absolute most out of players physically. He celebrated "dirty work" and effort, and while he understood work rate and attitude, he had less patience for players not performing at their peak immediately after returning from injury or if they weren't hitting expected heights. His team talks were described as intense, preparing players for battle, and fostering an unwavering belief in winning.

Overall Philosophy:

• Arsène Wenger: Focused on "pure soccer" and intricate technical play, with less emphasis on the physical and aggressive aspects of the game.
• Jurgen Klopp: Focused on "organized chaos," high intensity, physical dominance, and unwavering belief, making players feel unstoppable.