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Liverpool faced another hurdle on Sunday afternoon, losing 1-0 to Fulham in a game that kept the theme of the Reds struggling to break through a defensive blockade. Once Scott Parker’s men stepped forward, they seemed more than happy to absorb the pressure with the realization that Jürgen Klopp’s team would eventually run out of ideas.
Before the competition, Liverpool’s form was as bad as it gets and Klopp made seven changes as the German looked to integrate new legs. Neco Williams was one of the players presented with a start, with Trent Alexander-Arnold rested before Wednesday’s fight with RB Leipzig.
The young Welshman did his best, but did Klopp overlook the skills of one of the players on his bench who has also struggled for playing time?
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was an unused substitute, but he possesses appropriate qualities for playing winger at times, especially when Liverpool dominate all possession and territory. The English midfielder has highlighted his desire to play in midfield and that was reported as one of the reasons behind his willingness to leave Arsenal in 2017, but given his lack of minutes on the field combined with the Reds’ struggles. , it is reasonable for you to suggest that you would seize the opportunity to act.
Rather than selecting Williams as Alexander-Arnold’s replacement and placing an emphasis on him to forge openings and move the ball into valuable areas, Oxlade-Chamberlain could have been seen as an interesting alternative and a means of mixing things up.
The 19-year-old defender tried to impact the play multiple times during the clash, but struggled to use situations like the ones above to really make a difference in the final third. The teenage winger shouldn’t take any blame, but his display captured the logic behind experimenting with Oxlade-Chamberlain.
One of its greatest qualities is its mobility; he is difficult for opponents to handle when on the move due to his speed combined with his strength. Oxlade-Chamberlain is prone to errors and his decision making is not always optimal, but he is direct by nature and very capable in dribbling.
Arsene Wenger used the 27-year-old as a winger at Anfield a few years ago before being sold, and that was because he has applicable traits considering his one-on-one ability, his ability to carry the ball, and his tendency to thrive when featured with space to enter to live.
Based on league minutes played by Liverpool midfielders since 2018, only Naby Keita averages more successful dribbles and progressive carries by 90 than Oxlade-Chamberain, and the Englishman has the advantage in the shooting department by registering 2.6 attempts per 90 against the 1.6 Keita attempts.
Pep Ljinders has previously stressed the need for the Reds to have open threats, stating: “Every opponent closes the middle for us, so space is on the sides. The openings must come from there. Trent and Robbo literally give us wings. “
Alexander-Arnold is not absent very often, but when he is, it would be worth testing the Oxlade-Chamberlain threat on paper rather than Williams, especially during an unprecedentedly difficult period when the onus is on everyone. player to contribute in danger zones.
Klopp has a plate full of problems to solve at the moment, one of the most prominent being ensuring that Liverpool are unpredictable again; Alexander-Arnold will rightly regain his place, but perhaps altering the conventional positions of some of his players, such as Oxlade-Chamberlain, will help the champions’ cause.
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