Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain should get another chance after a disappointing but difficult game against Wolves.
You can’t really blame Oxlade-Chamberlain for any negatives at Molineux. It was always going to be a tough game, for one thing, but Sadio Mane’s injury only hurt things.
Suddenly, Liverpool weren’t even sure what system to play. Jurgen Klopp repeatedly switched in the second half and Oxlade-Chamberlain was one of those to suffer.
He began as that right-sided midfielder, then he was at the tip of a diamond, then on the left-wing in a 4-4-2. You can’t really expect a standout performance when you’re playing all over the place.
And that’s a shame because Liverpool need someone to step up and fill that right-sided midfield spot. It’s really the only weak link in the team right now.
Injury disruption
Fabinho’s injury shifted Jordan Henderson into the holding role, freeing up that right-hand spot. But no one has made it their own, despite several players getting chances. Whenever Liverpool release their team-sheet, it’s the only spot that carries any interest – we all know the rest of the first-team.
We thought Oxlade-Chamberlain had blown his chance with a poor performance at Tottenham Hotspur. He got another go at it against Manchester United but didn’t shine too much. But then, neither did Adam Lallana, who actually looked very poor at Anfield.
So Oxlade-Chamberlain got a third go at it against Wolves. But it ended up being a write-off, really, given the constant moving in an already difficult game.
If Klopp considered him to be the current occupier of that spot, the Wolves game panned out in such a way that the £35m man should keep it. Nothing changed, in a sense.
All eyes will be on him next Wednesday, though. Hopefully, Oxlade-Chamberlain finally makes that position his own against West Ham United.
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox
