Klopp: Oxlade-Chamberlain Will Be a Really Important Player

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had an excellent game this weekend: he scored on his first Premier League start for Liverpool, and both fans and the boss are pleased with his performance in midfield. Klopp chatted about how the former Arsenal man has taken to life at Liverpool and how well he’s adapting to the club (even if Klopp is still shouting instructions at him throughout the game).

“It was very intense for him, completely different to the things that he is used to,” Klopp said. “He did really well. I know for these offensive skilled players, how difficult it is for them, to have me all the time shouting. In the first half when he was on the other side, it wasn’t good for my voice.”

“I just like this player because he is already experienced but he is so open to [getting] used to what we do and that is really nice.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s goal was a particular bright spot for Klopp. The goal came immediately after Manuel Lanzini put West Ham on the board, and Klopp believes that’s the kind of response Liverpool should be working towards any time they concede.

“He needs to get used to the intensity that we ask [for],” Klopp added. “It’s not that Arsenal didn’t, they play fantastic football. But we are really on it with these counter-pressing things and the switch immediately to make the break.

“The problem is that we are all used to it and if you are not used to it, and you defend differently and you drop when they get the ball, that is a different thing. He knew when he came and we signed him that this will happen and we would ask for this, and it is nice.”

“But a lot of players are like ‘yeah, yeah, yeah, I want’ and he is like ‘what do you want from me?’ and he reacts,” Klopp added, clearly too excited about how well Ox has been learning from him to care about how many Kloppisms he had just uttered.

“He will be a really important player for us.”