Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has to betray his mates

Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain needs to put the best mate routine away and betray a few of the Reds boys. For his career’s sake.

For three weeks, the England international could get what he’s been craving for a whole season: uninterrupted football as a midfielder. There would be no shuffling onto the left wing, no substitute appearances. Just pure football.

And hasn’t he looked good when he’s had the chance? Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a man who can change things in the blink of an eye when he’s trusted and when he’s allowed to let rip, and it’s a skill that Liverpool need to see more of.

But the former Arsenal man needs to take life by the throat and force his way into Jurgen Klopp’s thinking on a permanent basis. Sure, this might alienate Naby Keita or James Milner but that’s the way the game works.

Henderson, Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum have been the hegemony for most of this glorious season but now there is a chance to shift the balance of power away from the favored three.

This is a man who could let Klopp on a more dynamic, risky and ballsy approach. If we’re being dramatic about it, and of course we are because this is football, he could be the man that eases Wijnaldum out of the first team.

He’s nearly 30, someone had to do it.

This is a massive three weeks. Not because of the run of Premier League fixtures or because it builds up to the Atletico game, but because it could provide a blueprint for how the boss wants his Liverpool midfield to look when Wijnaldum and eventually Henderson aren’t top dogs any more.

But first we need to beat a sad looking West Ham, lead by the sad looking David Moyes and playing sad looking football. First things first, eh.