Topic: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

[number 168]

The camera cut to the bench after Luis' goal. Naby was grinning and showing excitement, Ox smiled but his look was one of resignation, he knows that no mater how hard he tries, and God he does, his skill set is becoming less useful to the side. He specialises in strong runs but all too often they end in cul de sacs. Quick and accurate passing is one of the team's most powerful weapons, but Ox is prone to poorly weighted ones. I just don't see where he fits in, the Ox post injury seems a bit lost and perhaps is accepting that his time has gone with this Liverpool side. Pre-Roma the guy was important but his place is now as a squad player with less and less influence. Perhaps he will move on in the summer.

[SamLad]

Ox busts his gut every time he's on the pitch. his attitude and spirit has always been great.  not his fault he got that dreadful injury.

his career with us is possibly close to an end.  out of respect for what he has given, and continues to try to give, to the club I think posters should use less disparaging adjectives when describing his performances. 

he's not "abysmal", or "useless".

[RedSince86]

He really was a force of nature in that spell in the side before he got that horrible injury against Roma, power, pace and driving forward with the ball, it was probably the best football of his career.

[farawayred]

He really was a force of nature in that spell in the side before he got that horrible injury against Roma, power, pace and driving forward with the ball, it was probably the best football of his career.

He was also the only one who would shoot at goal from a distance instead of walking the ball in.

[Dougle]

The camera cut to the bench after Luis' goal. Naby was grinning and showing excitement, Ox smiled but his look was one of resignation, he knows that no mater how hard he tries, and God he does, his skill set is becoming less useful to the side. He specialises in strong runs but all too often they end in cul de sacs. Quick and accurate passing is one of the team's most powerful weapons, but Ox is prone to poorly weighted ones. I just don't see where he fits in, the Ox post injury seems a bit lost and perhaps is accepting that his time has gone with this Liverpool side. Pre-Roma the guy was important but his place is now as a squad player with less and less influence. Perhaps he will move on in the summer.

Yep, saw that.
Funnily enough I think he's had a pretty good season overall. He'll always have ups and downs in a game let alone a season. I agree with the observations above around passing etc. However he does bring a random element to our overall game. Because he plays high up the pitch it's less of a bother if he loses the ball going on a charge (Klopp may very well figure it in to the high press follow up style we play).
I think his biggest issue (says the fellow who knows nothing) is him getting down on himself so much. He could do with a bit more of the Luis Garcia - who cares, I'll nail it the next time -.
I think Neil Atkinson (or someone on The Wrap) was saying that if he went to a West Ham he'd end up with a bagful of goals and probably player of the season there. Playing regularly and being one of the best players in the team might do him a power of good. Playing into space is a lot more fun than endless bunches of bus parkers.
I like him, I love the way he fits into the whole Liverpool set up. I hope he gets a few before the end of a triumphant season and feels like he makes a contribution.

[El Lobo]

Fucking hell that was a grim performance yesterday. He actually had some decent off the ball moves and dribbles, but his passing and shooting is just so far off where it needs to be. I was genuinely thinking yesterday that I'm not sure I've ever seen such a discrepancy between one player and the rest of the first team squad. He's just fallen off a cliff this season, as above it almost comes across as resignation that he knows his time at the club is coming to an end pretty quickly (and with it, his time at a top club competing for the big honours). Its ever so sad because he once had all the tools to be an absolute monster of a player but as we've had a few times, his body has just let him down time and again and left someone who has fallen behind his team-mates.

[mike777]

A lot of it is probably down to the injuries, and he's had a reasonable time with us, but he just didn't look fit and/or motivated.  He knows he's moving on, and I wish him all the best, but his time with us is coming to an end

[Fitzy.]

He's not setting the world alight but I guess that is what you get from someone who has a peripheral role in the squad and limited game time. He may well be sold but the squad will always have lads like this. No rhythm but useful when others are getting a rest. Useful squad player and better than most club's 6th/7th choice.

[El Lobo]

He's not setting the world alight but I guess that is what you get from someone who has a peripheral role in the squad and limited game time. He may well be sold but the squad will always have lads like this. No rhythm but useful when others are getting a rest. Useful squad player and better than most club's 6th/7th choice.

I think he definitely it.....but he's someone who needs that rhythm to really play at any decent standard and he's not getting it. I'd almost be tempted to play him in the U23s for an hour or so to at least give him some game time and try and coax some sort of confidence out of him.

[Charlie Adams fried egg]

I think he's stuck in a series of ever decreasing circles.
He fell down the pecking order because of injuries, his injuries have affected his form, so when fit he doesn't get the starts, which affects his confidence. Then when he does play, a combination of previous injuries plus low confidence leads to him either trying too hard or just being out of rhythm, which leads to being hooked and then frustration.

It's sad because pre injury he was looking excellent and he knows that ultimately it's the injuries, not lack of talent that has done for him. He's also seeing the squad develop around him and he's probably bright enough to see what's happening.

I can't see a world where he gets offered a new contract.

[redwillow]

Klopp wont be bothered by his body langauge when being subbed off as he's said before he understands players being frustrated by being subbed, but that combined with his sulking at the League Cup final trophy celebrations really irks me.

We have an incredible squad of players who are making history and could achieve the greatest accomplishment in club football - there is no place for toxic energy

[Fitzy.]

Klopp wont be bothered by his body langauge when being subbed off as he's said before he understands players being frustrated by being subbed, but that combined with his sulking at the League Cup final trophy celebrations really irks me.

We have an incredible squad of players who are making history and could achieve the greatest accomplishment in club football - there is no place for toxic energy

There's no place for toxic energy but as fans we can be guilty of making sweeping judgements about these things based on virtually no information or evidence. Snapshot interpretations of body language are possibly unhelpful.

[Fordy]

I think he's stuck in a series of ever decreasing circles.
He fell down the pecking order because of injuries, his injuries have affected his form, so when fit he doesn't get the starts, which affects his confidence. Then when he does play, a combination of previous injuries plus low confidence leads to him either trying too hard or just being out of rhythm, which leads to being hooked and then frustration.

It's sad because pre injury he was looking excellent and he knows that ultimately it's the injuries, not lack of talent that has done for him. He's also seeing the squad develop around him and he's probably bright enough to see what's happening.

I can't see a world where he gets offered a new contract.

It depends on what he wants.

He can cover a number of keys positions, great in the dressing room, homegrown and his value won't lower that much. You are not getting that much better for a squad player.

He needs more game time though but its hard to see where that will come from now due to the games coming up but for me I would certainly offer him a new contract.

[El Lobo]

It depends on what he wants.

He can cover a number of keys positions, great in the dressing room, homegrown and his value won't lower that much. You are not getting that much better for a squad player.

He needs more game time though but its hard to see where that will come from now due to the games coming up but for me I would certainly offer him a new contract.

It doesn't depend on what he wants at all, thats not how contracts work Fordy. It depends on what we want and what he wants, and I suspect we've already decided that what we want is for him to carry on his career elsewhere and see what sort of money we can get for him in the summer. He can't just go 'I've decided I want you to offer me a new three year contract' and then it just happens.

In terms of being great in the dressing room and homegrown....so was Lallana. Its all pretty irrelevant if he isn't at the required level when he gets on the pitch, which more and more he isn't. Plus we're at the stage where this summer is likely to be the one where we can get the highest transfer fee for him, which probably wouldn't be an insignificant amount.

[markmywords]

It doesn't depend on what he wants at all, thats not how contracts work Fordy. It depends on what we want and what he wants, and I suspect we've already decided that what we want is for him to carry on his career elsewhere and see what sort of money we can get for him in the summer. He can't just go 'I've decided I want you to offer me a new three year contract' and then it just happens.

In terms of being great in the dressing room and homegrown....so was Lallana. Its all pretty irrelevant if he isn't at the required level when he gets on the pitch, which more and more he isn't. Plus we're at the stage where this summer is likely to be the one where we can get the highest transfer fee for him, which probably wouldn't be an insignificant amount.

Depends what you mean by significant.  With I think 1yr left on his deal, I would be surprised if we saw 7m+ for him.

We tried to use him as a potential 9 in preseason, we should have used him as a reserve right back, where his pace, dribbling and stamina could have proved useful and could have got him extra minutes to stay in tune. As a genuine attacking RB, he could be the 2nd best operator in our squad currently. We know he looked good for Arsenal there yrs back, he may not like it ideally, but he should prefer that to what he has faced this season

[El Lobo]

Depends what you mean by significant.  With I think 1yr left on his deal, I would be surprised if we saw 7m+ for him.

We tried to use him as a potential 9 in preseason, we should have used him as a reserve right back, where his pace, dribbling and stamina could have proved useful and could have got him extra minutes to stay in tune. As a genuine attacking RB, he could be the 2nd best operator in our squad currently. We know he looked good for Arsenal there yrs back, he may not like it ideally, but he should prefer that to what he has faced this season

Don't see why we wouldnt get £10-15 million, but even £7 million is pretty significant considering thats (hopefully) the sort of fee Carvalho will be costing. An touch wood at that point, he'll be two years without a particularly significant injury. I could see a few teams interested (West Ham, Southampton, Leicester maybe)

[Chakan]

Hate to say this , but he's definitely the kind of player Newcastle would be interested in.

[AlphaDelta]

I feel for the guy, its clear the injuries have affected him, not to mention his mental health has probably took a pounding.

That aside, it sounds cruel but we can't afford passengers, especially this end of the season, so can understand the frustration towards him. As others have said, he knows he's going and that probably doesn't help.

[thaddeus]

I thought he played quite well but seemed to be forcing it a bit with his end product.  I'm sure he was hoping to make a bigger splash as his opportunities are few and far between at the moment so I can understand why he was upset at being substituted.

I don't think the substitution had anything to do with his or the team's performance, it felt like a pre-planned set of substitutions.

[CanuckYNWA]

I thought he played quite well but seemed to be forcing it a bit with his end product. 

I mean this is his season in a nutshell,

Hes %100 gone in the Summer. Could see a couple of suitors like Southampton, Newcastle, Brighton. Maybe even Leeds if they stay up. Or someone promoted next season.

[rob1966]

Really feel for the lad, he was becoming a very vital part of the team until that knee injury, deffo a case of what could have been.

[Lynndenberries]

Really feel for the lad, he was becoming a very vital part of the team until that knee injury, deffo a case of what could have been.

He looked like the perfect Klopp 8 and one of the best midfielders in the world for a good three months.

When he has gotten a run of games, you still see what he is capable of. The problem though is he constantly picks up these small injuries and then doesn't get minutes, understandably, to gather some rhythm again.

[Schmidt]

Depends what you mean by significant.  With I think 1yr left on his deal, I would be surprised if we saw 7m+ for him.

We tried to use him as a potential 9 in preseason, we should have used him as a reserve right back, where his pace, dribbling and stamina could have proved useful and could have got him extra minutes to stay in tune. As a genuine attacking RB, he could be the 2nd best operator in our squad currently. We know he looked good for Arsenal there yrs back, he may not like it ideally, but he should prefer that to what he has faced this season

Almost every full back we've had under Klopp has spent a few months adjusting to the role, even Robertson struggled to get on the bench initially. I'm guessing either we don't think he's suitable or it would take too long for him to acclimate.

[farawayred]

Really feel for the lad, he was becoming a very vital part of the team until that knee injury, deffo a case of what could have been.

Luck plays a huge part in a player's life. He just didn't have any...

Ox looked dejected when he left the game. I think even he realizes that it's time for a change, both of luck and scenery. He doesn't control the former, but he can have a different career path elsewhere. I really feel sorry for him.

[Ravishing Rick Dude]

Really feel for the lad, he was becoming a very vital part of the team until that knee injury, deffo a case of what could have been.

Aye, he was a monster before that injury. We'll never forget his world class goals against City.

[fowlermagic]

Whatever happens the lad won't be suffering too much hopefully with a young kid with a gorgeous partner who's worth more than him. Makes 100k a week, has won nearly everything in the game and should be sorted for life at the age of 28. Life is good as long as he doesn't dwell on the few negatives.

[RedForeverTT]

Aye, he was a monster before that injury. We'll never forget his world class goals against City.

He could still be a monster for clubs like Brighton and Southampton. He looked ordinary now because our level has gone up. Pre-injury he was starting alongside 2 of Emre Can, Gini, Henderson. It is much easier to look impressive then than against the likes of Thiago, Fab, PFA’s Hendo, Keita and Diaz.

[afc tukrish]

Whatever happens the lad won't be suffering too much hopefully with a young kid with a gorgeous partner who's worth more than him. Makes 100k a week, has won nearly everything in the game and should be sorted for life at the age of 28. Life is good as long as he doesn't dwell on the few negatives.

Dispassionately, from the outside looking in, agree.

But when your identity is wrapped up in your minutes on the pitch, at the highest level possible, as anyone who has sacrificed to put themself in that position inevitably does, can imagine that even though the negatives are ultimately few, moving past them will be very difficult for him...

[dutchkop]

very difficult one.
He is a far better player, form and fitness than Lallana had for us at the end & now at Brighton. I think Ox could be a huge asset for us and another team - does he want this kind of role?

Not one of his best games for us in terms of performance - but I think the fact that the whole midfield was replaced and we hav e Thiago, Henderson on the bench and we do not have Gini wijnaldum in this squad - he could be putting  in better shifts. Nothing wrong with being  substituted with Fabinho in CM. We have real quality and numbers in the Midfield

Also I think Forest had a game plan that involved marking nearly man to man in the midfield when they lost the ball.

But sadly there was a big improvement in our midfield threat, pace and passing when Thiago Henderson  Diaz Minamino came on  - which is not a poor reflection on Ox, nor Fabinho and Elliot - we needed to change things and capitalise on having fresh players - while Forrest started tiring.

I do think Klopp has learnt that if he brings on 3/4 new players together earlier in the game there is more chance of them gelling and really making a difference.

I have been impressed on how he has used the subs and when he brings them on lately. Specially in Cup games when we can sub 5 .. subbing 4 a time on Sunday was  really impressive but VERY  BOLD STATEMENT OF INTENT

[Jookie]

Really feel for the lad, he was becoming a very vital part of the team until that knee injury, deffo a case of what could have been.

I think the injury has hampered AOC in terms of becoming a regular 1st XI player.

However, since the injury he's still made some key contributions. In 2019/20 I think he was 4th top scorer at the club. There were 3 or 4 occasions were he scored the 1st or 2nd goal in a league match we ended up winning. That's a key contribution. He's done the same this season. Scored our 1st v Leicester in League Cup and scored 2nd goal in 2 key away victories at Palace and Brentford in January when Salah and Mane were away at AFCON.

Whilst that's not the impact he or we would have wanted I still think he's been an important squad player and contributor in the league since his injury.

[Illmatic]

He's a good squad player nothing more than that really. I think he would be a good option for us for at least another season as he counts as homegrown where as a substantial English upgrade say Bellingham would cost a fortune.   

Even when we signed him I remember many were surprised at the time, he's suffered some bad injuries which haven't helped but ultimately he has to make a decision now. Is he happy enough being a squad player at a big club like LFC or does he want to play more regularly somewhere else. He also needs to consider just whether his body could withstand the rigours of a 40-50 season some players just cannot and are not necessarily honest with themselves about this.   

[CanuckYNWA]

Is he happy enough being a squad player at a big club like LFC

Not sure why you think its all HIS decision?

I highly doubt LFC want someone on 100k+/week who is behind a 20 and 18 year old.

[SamLad]

I really feel for Ox, he's a great lad who can do so much for the team, but has had horrendously bad luck in the past couple of years.

I'm wondering to what extent his future with the cub may hinge on the outcome of the 5-subs vote the PL will hold in the summer.

what I mean is:
if Klopp has 5 subs available for PL games, he may think he can give Ox more minutes, since he'll have more sub options like the other night - ie Ox gets minutes more often (starts or late sub) to allow others' workload to be manage more ?

(BTW my guess is the PL will continue its ridiculous stance on 5 subs.)

[El Lobo]

very difficult one.
He is a far better player, form and fitness than Lallana had for us at the end & now at Brighton. I think Ox could be a huge asset for us and another team - does he want this kind of role?

Not one of his best games for us in terms of performance - but I think the fact that the whole midfield was replaced and we hav e Thiago, Henderson on the bench and we do not have Gini wijnaldum in this squad - he could be putting  in better shifts. Nothing wrong with being  substituted with Fabinho in CM. We have real quality and numbers in the Midfield

Also I think Forest had a game plan that involved marking nearly man to man in the midfield when they lost the ball.

But sadly there was a big improvement in our midfield threat, pace and passing when Thiago Henderson  Diaz Minamino came on  - which is not a poor reflection on Ox, nor Fabinho and Elliot - we needed to change things and capitalise on having fresh players - while Forrest started tiring.

I do think Klopp has learnt that if he brings on 3/4 new players together earlier in the game there is more chance of them gelling and really making a difference.

I have been impressed on how he has used the subs and when he brings them on lately. Specially in Cup games when we can sub 5 .. subbing 4 a time on Sunday was  really impressive but VERY  BOLD STATEMENT OF INTENT

He definitely can, but the problem with us is he's never likely to get the sort of run of games he needs to be that. So we're in this vicious circle of him playing rarely and when he does, not looking good and then not playing again for weeks. I actually think he's better playing in the front three, he's contributed pretty well when he's played there but again with the options we've got now with Diaz signing and Harvey recovering him injury (and hopefully Carvalho arriving) its hard to see where he'd get games there either.

Good point with the five subs though, he'd likely get more minutes if we had that in the league.

[Felch Aid]

I think what's difficult for him is that he isn't particularly versatile and many managers have tried to find his best position - not really a winger, attacker or midfielder - just a combo that he can perhaps fill in.

At the time he was bossing most things was just Infront of the midfield running into gaps but other than that he doesn't necessarily have that consistency.

Does he accept a bit part role for the last 12 months or look elsewhere?

[Sharado]

However, since the injury he's still made some key contributions. In 2019/20 I think he was 4th top scorer at the club. There were 3 or 4 occasions were he scored the 1st or 2nd goal in a league match we ended up winning. That's a key contribution. He's done the same this season. Scored our 1st v Leicester in League Cup and scored 2nd goal in 2 key away victories at Palace and Brentford in January when Salah and Mane were away at AFCON.

Genuinely can't remember - but was he playing in the front 3 in all of those games? Wonder if that's where his future lies, whether it's here or elsewhere.

[macmanamanaman]

I think he should just focus on becoming a right sided John Arne Riise....

[Knight]

He's a goalscoring 8. He's not really a wide forward. His best games for us have all come when he's been played as an 8. It's just his 8 position no longer exists, partly because we've evolved and partly because teams sit so deep against us now that Ox never gets space to run into, which is what he needs. When he's driving down the middle of the pitch he's at his best. I think his physicality has probably been effected by his terrible injuries too which, when a player is so explosive naturally, isn't ideal.

Now he does have the knack for a goal and so he does sometimes pop up with goals and if you stick him in the front 3 his lack of impact in any other way matters much less because for all of our front 3 aside from Firmino, the single most important thing for them to do by far is put the ball in the net.

[Fromola]

Not sure why you think its all HIS decision?

I highly doubt LFC want someone on 100k+/week who is behind a 20 and 18 year old.

The likes of Ox, Keita, Minamino and Origi we would have been very open to offers last summer but there was little to no interest, albeit in a bad market.

Ox will either do a Lallana and leave after his last year and go back down south, or he'll go out on loan next season or leave for a nominal fee. He's 29 in the summer, I don't see a club giving him 3-4 year deal on anything like his current salary. Any fee we'd get would be offset by having to make up the salary difference.

It's clear he wants to play regularly though which he's not going to do here again. Last season after Christmas we were crippled with injuries in midfield but Ox still wasn't playing much (same earlier this season).

[Fordy]

It doesn't depend on what he wants at all, thats not how contracts work Fordy. It depends on what we want and what he wants, and I suspect we've already decided that what we want is for him to carry on his career elsewhere and see what sort of money we can get for him in the summer. He can't just go 'I've decided I want you to offer me a new three year contract' and then it just happens.

In terms of being great in the dressing room and homegrown....so was Lallana. Its all pretty irrelevant if he isn't at the required level when he gets on the pitch, which more and more he isn't. Plus we're at the stage where this summer is likely to be the one where we can get the highest transfer fee for him, which probably wouldn't be an insignificant amount.

Sorry didn't Lallana leave on a free?

Of course its up to the player. He is the one under contract and doesn't have to leave no matter what offers come in for him. Klopp seems happy with him being a squad player and its up to him if he is happy with that also.

People have to remember it is looking very likely 5 subs will be coming into the PL next season so he will get more game time in matches.