Wing play’s all about technique, not physique, says the Ox, so mix it up and use your strengths
“As a winger, how do you come out on top in a one-on-one with the full-back?” Ross Jankin, via email
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain says:
“The first opportunity you get, run at them. It sets the tone of the game. If I receive the ball on the touchline, I’ll cut inside and drive at the player, then as soon as he turns his body to come inside, I’ll push it back outside him so he has to turn his body all the way around.
This can help you work a yard of space to whip in a cross or shot.You have to mix it up to keep the defender guessing. Sometimes I’ll receive the ball and pass it a couple of times, then the next time I receive it I’ll run at him.
I don’t worry about how big they are. To be honest, if I’m up against a full-back who is big and tall, I’m happy – they won’t be as nippy or as agile as me.
You can’t worry about what they can do, because that’s in their control. You can only think about your strengths and how you can expose their weaknesses.
It’s about trying to be clever rather than using your size and your strength, as sometimes that’s not enough to get you by.”
