Jürgen Klopp in a nutshell
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has come on leaps and bounds since his move from Arsenal to Liverpool, almost as if the problem was never a lack of talent. His man of the match performance last weekend against Newcastle encapsulated his progress since joining the Reds; he covered every blade of grass and carried the ball with purpose.
He’s finally getting to play in central midfield too, after years of being shifted out to the wing at Arsenal. But it hasn’t been as easy as he’d hoped.
Speaking to BT Sport as part of their Champions League coverage, Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool manager and the mastermind behind Oxlade-Chamberlain’s transformation, told an anecdote about ‘Ox’ and his desire to play in central midfield which sums up his footballing philosophy in a nutshell.
“I remember a conversation with Ox, he said to Hendo ‘When I play midfield, I don’t feel as intense as on the wing because I don’t have to sprint that often.’…. Ok that’s your first mistake”, Klopp said.
If you want to play in central midfield because it means less sprinting to do, you would be better advised not to join a team managed by Jürgen Klopp, who famously demands extremely high energy levels from his midfielders.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has adapted well, though, and Klopp is very pleased with his new signing:
“Technically he has made a few fantastic steps, to be honest. I think there’s no doubt about his football skills; right foot, left foot, speed, physicality and generally. And he’s still young, there’s a lot to come I’m sure and I’m really happy about this signing.”
