Liverpool 2-1 Brighton: Three things we learned in Virgil van Dijk Show
Play the Ox down the middle
I don’t just mean in the middle of the park. I mean right down the middle. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a great central midfield player, and Klopp needs to use him in that capacity.
Today, against Brighton Oxlade-Chamberlain put four shots towards the net, one of them was on target. He drew two fouls and put in a cross. He put up a team-leading five interceptions. He completed 80.8 percent of his passes and had one key pass.
Down the middle is where Oxlade-Chamberlain is his most effective. Sure, he’s got pace and can play down the wing. But playing down the middle where he can cut open defenses is where he’s at his most effective.
He’s clearly not Klopp’s first choice to put in the middle of the park. Klopp likes his trio of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, and Georginio Wijnaldum. But with Fabinho out for a number of weeks with an injury he picked up against Napoli in midweek, Oxlade-Chamberlain is likely going to get some more playing time.
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If that’s the case, Klopp has to find a way to keep Ox playing down the middle of the park. Not on the wing, but down the middle where Chamberlain can be his most effective and efficient self.