‘We stuck to it’- Oxlade-Chamberlain defies brutal Coutinho critique

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has hailed Liverpool for sticking to their game plan for the entirety of Saturday’s 4-1 win over West Ham.

A slow start eventually moulded into a disciplined and calculated performance from Jurgen Klopp’s men, serving as a reminder of just how dangerous the Reds are without the ball.

What appeared a 4-3-3 on paper quickly transformed into an unfamiliar 4-4-2, with the team’s abundance of counterattacking stars giving Liverpool the freedom to position Emre Can and Georginio Wijnaldum as protection for a deep-lying back four.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has praised his teammates for executing the manager’s instructions- something Philippe Coutinho claimed the Reds failed to do in the recent 4-1 defeat to Tottenham.

“We had a game plan and we stuck to it all game,” the summer signing told Liverpoolfc.com.

“We wanted to be dangerous on the break and the first goal showed how deadly we can be – from defending a corner to scoring as quickly as we did. That was exactly what we wanted to do today.”

“Then it was key for us to make sure we defended well; West Ham came out in the second half and made it tough, it was a really intense game.”

“In the second half, we showed time and time again what a threat we are on the break. We created a lot of opportunities. Four goals and we probably could have had some more. It was a really good win all round.”

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The new formation subsequently paid off, with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane regularly breaking quickly on the hosts.

Oxlade-Chamberlain himself enjoyed his most productive performance in a Liverpool shirt, adding his side’s third to restore a two-goal immediately after West Ham had pulled a goal back through Manuel Lanzini.

10 goals and three consecutive wins later, things are beginning to look up for the Reds.

More Stories Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Jürgen Klopp Liverpool Philippe Coutinho West Ham