Jurgen Klopp is not in the slightest bit worried about Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and the Englishman’s unremarkable start to life at Liverpool, writes Dominic King in the Daily Mail.
The versatile midfielder cost us £35m, but has so far been given just one start – and that was in the Carabao Cup defeat to Leicester City…
It’s led many to question why we purchased Ox in the first place, when that money could have been spent more sensibly on defenders.
But Klopp’s project with the 24-year-old is very much long-term, and according to the journalist, the club is fully behind the player – who’s actually taking time to adapt to our training methods as they’re so different to Arsenal’s…
Here’s what King has to say:
“Jurgen Klopp, however, is not in the least bit flustered by the quiet start and has made it clear this is a transfer that will benefit Liverpool over the course of six years, not just six weeks.
“Those who work alongside him on a daily basis insist it is a case of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ it all comes together for him in a Red shirt, with his quality and technical ability shining through in training. There are no doubts about him in the dressing room.
“The feeling within those confines is that once he gets fully attuned to Klopp’s very specific way of working, which Oxlade-Chamberlain has privately acknowledged is vastly differently to Arsene Wenger’s methods, he will be up and running.”
This is a pretty interesting point, although when you compare Oxlade-Chamberlain to many of Klopp’s other big signings, like Sadio Mane, Gini Wijnaldum and Mo Salah, it doesn’t make much sense – as the boss stuck those three straight in from the outset.
With Mane’s serious hamstring injury, the Englishman may now get some more opportunities, however.
We can’t imagine he’ll start today’s clash with Manchester United, but can see him getting the nod midweek against Maribor, when the boss will likely switch up his lineup slightly.