The OX is now looking very much like a class act in a Celtic shirt with back-to-back starts and brilliant performances……
Last season Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain didn’t exactly set the heather on fire in his short time in a Celtic jersey, but he’s now rolling back the years with impressive performances against Falkirk and Aberdeen, as he starts to show his true worth to the Celtic supporters.
To be fair to the former Liverpool and Arsenal player, when he signed as a free agent back in February, he was badly lacking the necessary match fitness to make an impact due to being without a club for a significant period of time.
The Ox is the best trainer at the club says Shaun Maloney
The last few months of last season, plus the significant benefit of a full pre-season has been a terrific help to the former England international. He has built up his match fitness, and he’s reaped his rewards with those with two impressive displays on the bounce, in the victories over Falkirk and Aberdeen.
Shaun Maloney was speaking to the mainstream media earlier this week and pointed out that The Ox was the best trainer at the club, doing more extra sessions that anyone else and it certainly looks like all of his hard work has paid off as he is now showing why Martin O’Neill was desperate to sign him initially on a short term deal at the start of the year and then again in the summer on a permanent contract.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is a class act
The 33 year old is clearly class act of a footballer, and admittedly whilst not as influential as he was in his absolute prime, he still possesses that ability that makes him stand out from most footballers in the Scottish top flight.
Along with Callum McGregor, Alex offers not only great quality in the middle of the park, but his experience is also a great asset, as he is after all a player who has represented his nation at major championships, as well as competing and winning at the top level of club football in his hugely successful career.
We may have lost the fantastic energy of Arne Engels, and the creatively of Reo Hatate, but the likes of the OX and of course the new arrivals this summer can fill that void with his terrific natural ability and experience.
Here’s what the Ox had to say to Celtic’s in-house media after last night’s 3-0 victory over Aberdeen…
🎙️Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and back-to-back Man of the Match winner Camilo Durán give their post-match thoughts following tonight’s victory. 🔥#CELABE | #CelticFC 🍀 pic.twitter.com/ovEhrjJyDX
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) September 2, 2026
New signings Oliver Sorensen, and Joel Van den Berg will add some much needed fresh input to our ailing midfield, but having a fit and available Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be of great benefit to our side.
The OX is now fully fit, and now showing us the class that we always knew he possessed. It very much looks like this is another call that Martin O’Neill has got right. He’s such an intelligent operator is Martin.
🗞️ Camilo Durán & Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: Post-match reaction
🔗 – https://t.co/8BfJTr5prL#CELABE | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/Db6ZMWmgiQ
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) September 3, 2026
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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1 Comment
First sight last night, of seeing that the OX and Calmac, can operate well together within our central midfield areas imo?
Last season, our midfield areas was meant to be the strength within our squad? But it didn’t work out that way, with the midfield areas not functioning as well as it should have done?
The main change added has been the interchange play between the midfield 2, of going forward and holding, in order to combat the man to man marking system placed upon them imo?
Still only a work in progress, which i believe that the experience of the OX and Calmac will enhance the younger additions in our central midfield areas?
Baur is already a good footballer within his own rights, and will become even better as such an understanding grows also?
Nygren has always had a high degree of footballing intelligence, within his own game, aided with his amount of goal involvement. But his all round game, has already hugely improved upon last season imo?
The vision of the OX, and even Baur, with the longer cross field passing in play now, adds another dimension to our midfield areas, that wasn’t really in operation whatsoever last season?
Especially as it’s not a strong suit within the play of our CBs?
So already great signs of ourselves having a far better and more functioning midfield this season imo?
Along with greater competition, for those starting positions, and options developing from the bench also?
Should hopefully make MoN managerial decisions easier, especially if it involves more game management minutes as a result of having more midfield options available for this season?
The biggest test, will still be within the europa league, where we won’t be dominating the football as much. So playing longer periods upon the back foot?
Is potentially going to be our biggest test to overcome, within our approach taken by MoN in our midfield areas imo?
So getting the right combinations will be crucial for ourselves in that regards?
But with more options and better understanding developing, still think our team will only grow stronger during the course of this season, in that regards imo?