Jurgen Klopp message to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – “Could have been better”
By David Gate
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had some interesting words for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain after his two-goal Champions League display against Genk.
Liverpool fans were full of superlatives for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain after he scored two wonderful goals in the 4-1 victory over Genk in the Champions League last night. However, Jurgen Klopp has some other words to add for midfielder.
When asked during the post-match press conference about the showing of Oxlade-Chamberlain, Klopp had words of encouragement and warning for him:
“His performance was exactly like the performance of the team: The goals were great, but all the rest could have been better.”
More from Rush The Kop
- Set to return, Virgil Van Dijk facing heavy criticism back home
- Liverpool making late comebacks all the rage once again
- Wolves tilt gives Klopp opportunity to tinker with lineup following international duty
- Players to watch in the matchup with Wolves
- Predicting Liverpool’s Next Five Premier League Fixtures
This may seem like a harsh assessment but it is true. Both of The Ox’s goals were quality – the first was a tidy finish and the second was a stunning first time hit with the outside of his boot into the top corner.
However, the rest of his performance was not up to the same standard as his finishing. Klopp also talks in the video about how there was space in central areas for Genk to play long balls and how some of the intricate passing was too cute from the Reds’ midfield.
At times it looked as Liverpool were playing with a 4-1-5 formation with Naby Keita and, particularly, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain drifting forward to join the attacking trio; leaving Fabinho to cover them all.
That means I am certain Klopp will rotate both of those players out of his side for the visit of Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
The manager is likely to revert to the trusted pair of Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum to play alongside Fabinho. What the team will lose in attacking verve they will gain in tactical discipline and pressing energy.
You can watch Klopp’s full press conference here:
Next. Who Was Liverpool Man-of-the-Match vs Genk?. dark
All things considered, the manager will be pretty happy to see The Ox make an impact at this level after missing a year to a horrible knee injury. It is nice to have a player who can finish like that waiting in the wings. And the rest of the performance will come back with time and coaching.