Andy Robertson was impressed with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s pressing during Liverpool training yesterday.
As seen on LFCTV’s Inside Pre-season video, Robertson praised his teammate for his intensity during Liverpool’s traditional ‘rondo’s’ session.
With Oxlade-Chamberlain in the middle, the ball ended up at Diogo Jota’s feet. Ox pounced on the Portuguese, biting into the tackle and winning the ball back cleanly.
“Yes Oxy!” shouted Robertson as Jota took his place in the middle of the circle. Great energy from the 28-year-old as he looks to win his place back in Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Oxlade-Chamberlain bites back in pre-season
It may only be a short clip from one of the first sessions of pre-season, but this actually really encouraging.
After such a disappointing end to last season, Ox could have been forgiven for easing off. In fact, he could have been forgiven for looking for a way out of the club having not featured for the final two months of the season.
Instead, he now looks certain to stay and fight for his place during the last year of his Liverpool contract.
If this is anything to go by, fight will be the operative word. Klopp will be delighted to see the bite in Oxlade-Chamberlain – eager to waste no time in showing the manager he deserves to be in the team.
Klopp said to beIN SPORTS at the end of last season that it was ‘unbelievable’ that Ox wasn’t in the squad.
At the time, it felt perhaps a little like lip-service to a player on the way out. But if the former Arsenal man has been training like this the whole time, then it will continue to be hard for the boss to ignore him.
There is big competition for places in the middle of the pitch and up-front. If Oxlade-Chamberlain can keep this level of intensity up though, he should get plenty of chances this pre-season to catch Klopp’s eye again.
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