Henderson had a better game than Chamberlain for me.
No doubt that Chamberlain was better than Fabinho though, who once again shown his weakness at defending the counter. A terrible performance from him.
Ox wasn’t awful, he just didn’t do enough to make his mark on the game. There were numerous opportunities for him to drive at West Ham in the first half but he shirked it. One decent pass through the lines isn’t enough to save that first half performance.
He was playing very deep in the 1st half and also doing a good job. What I was criticising was that he was over commiting when trying to tackle. I don’t know if it’s possible but he needs to learn how to block players as he is a poor tackler. What I mean is he needs to learn how to put a player on the foot he wants them on and hassle them rather than commit to the tackle and get skinned.
I also think your being harsh on him it was his best performance for us for a while and offered some hope. He was doing a lot right. Offered himself a lot and showed good movement for the role he was playing.
He was definitely asked to do that but I agree Klopp would have wanted him to show his natural talents more. He could be useful if he stays fit.
I think Alex has the weakest defence among our midfielders.
My view is Oxlade came in when we played high octane gengen pressing transition football… Where he excels.
Then he was out for 2 years where we transitioned to a possession based, press on occassion, pressure intense type of game.
He just doesn’t fit anymore, he needs space on a pitch to run into and most of the time we come up against low blocks which basically play to none of his strengths and expose all of his weaknesses… He is a poor tracker in defense, his short passing is average (80% completion is really not good enough, so no he’s not doing the Gini job, who would post 90%+ every game).
For me he needs to move on, he doesn’t look like he can adapt to our new style…
Not just style of play but formation too, think during the time he was recruited and settled in we were looking to move from 433 to 4231. He’d be much better in the 3 behind the 1 than he does as a wide forward or an 8 in a CM 3.
“Oxlade-Chamberlain’s current deal expires at the end of next season, but there has been little sign of movement in terms of an extension.
“If he does not start soon, it is hard to see a long-term future for him on Merseyside.” [@neiljonesgoal]
It was only temporary though, after that 4-1 defeat to Spurs at Wembley in 2017. We needed better balance, flipped the formation, went on a good run of results and Ox started playing more. Then he had his even better period in the spring of 2018 in our usual 4-3-3. I think he’s fine for that central role, but perhaps the time has come for him to drop down a level frop a top side like us, in order to find more regular football.
One thing about what you say that I have been going on for a while, we seem to over commit to winning the ball rather than ‘jockeying’ i.e showing a player where to go or just slowing down the attack. For me it must be our coaching and ethos as it happens too often for it to be individual.
Our tackling is high risk. It was one of the biggest changes when Klopp came in. He wants players to stay on their feet, and tackle in such a way that we win the ball cleanly and are able to start a counter. That’s the essence of Gegenpressing.
There is a high risk in this that the tackle doesn’t work, and either the opponent is able to carry on with the ball or the ball ricochets away to create a 50/50 elsewhere.
This year that over comitting has cost us a few goals and chances, players need to be able to adapt in when and when not to commit. Also, we can’t as fans slate players when overcommitting if it is what Jurgen wants, I do feel it has cost us quite a few goals this year against the counter
There is having high risk and then there is the passive shite we are seeing this season. How Bowen manages to get away from 3 players for their 2nd goal is just not good enough.
Our game management really needs to step up, players need to have enough nous to realise that if we are on the back foot we need a period of stability and control. This means stopping attacks through any means, it means not over complicating our passing… Our inability to manage the ebb and flow of a game is really impacting us at present.
I think we see this sort of thing each season around this time of year. The coaching staff have made some tweaks to our way of playing at the start of the season, teams start to counter it and so we give it another tweak and we’re off again. Add in the constant changes being made to midfield this season and its little surprise our consistency has been a bit off.
Yes I think it sadly co-incided with half our midfield being out or coming back from fitness. Hendo for example is looking really leggy out there.
It very much is Trent playing as an inside right midfielder, Salah coming central attack wise and Hendo (was Elliot) providing the overlap). In attack it works well, the problem is on defensive transition we are at sixes and sevens. Hendo/Trent are caught up field with our right back spot totally vacant (usually Hendo would have slotted in behind Trent), Fabinho is trying to cover much bigger spaces so is constantly on the back foot so it’s very easy to be 1 v 1 with a central defender being pulled out of position, this makes our back line disjointed and our usual excellent offside game is none existant.
You are right that usually a tweak happens and it’s all good, it needs to come fast though! I’m hoping now Thiago is back Klopp now has the right balance, I feel he always wanted the right side as I’ve described but the left a bit more traditional, i.e. Thiago as a “controller”, Mane going in/out with Robbo and him alternating overlaps.
Very much been some square pegs in round holes, all since Elliot and then Keita got injured.
Back to Ox I don’t see him ever playing the Thiago game as that left sided midfielder, Jones actually does it ok (his passing stats are 90% + which is key) v’s Oxlade who is always around 80%ish, he just needs to learn the defensive side of the game. I also don’t see Ox playing that right sided position Hendo/Elliot/Keita have been as it’s based on short, quick passing (see Oxlades poor short passing game).
Shall we play him against Porto? Those minutes will be hugely beneficial. But we are scrapping the barrel in terms of midfielders and can’t really take any risks.
I think the more the Ox plays, the more he will improve. The problem is, keeping him injury free.
Loved him today. We still saw evidence of the bits that make people pull their hair out, pushing it too much at the wrong time, but overall I still thought he was very effective.
You don’t really think of him as steel in midfield, but there was some real grinding from him yesterday. Kinda need that with where our midfield is at the moment, especially with a slow Thiago and Fabs a tick off his best.
Really good tonight, in my opinion better than his last game. Nothing much to say other than just stay fit, play where you’re asked to play (might be also an option for the false #9 when we have issues there), take care of the ball, show some responsibility, don’t play just to wildly take on players and blast shots. Quietly getting into a bit of rhythm. Regardless what happens next summer, him getting in form and meriting more game time than maybe expected can only help all parties.
Not sure what Klopp and the coaches have shown/told him but it’s very refreshing to see him track runners from midfield. Really impressed with his defensive game the last couple.
Good to see him getting games and actually looking good in our team.