Former Portsmouth and Newcastle striker, Micky Quinn, is perplexed over Liverpool decision to sign of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Liverpool fan Quinn doesn’t appear to understand why Jurgen Klopp signed the Ox this summer after the 24-year-old’s mediocre performance against Leicester in the League Cup on Tuesday.
“They’ve signed Oxlade-Chamberlain, I don’t know why the signed him at the time,” Quinn said on talkSPORT.
“I know they’ve been after him for a couple of years so Jurgen Klopp can see something in him.
“But let me tell you, I’m not going to slag the kid off because I played with his dad at Portsmouth, Mark. Mark didn’t have Oxlade-Chamberlain’s ability, but he could finish and his end product was good.
“Now this kid looks absolutely shot to bits confidence-wise. He couldn’t pass it, he had a great chance where he should have scored.
“You know when your confidence is gone and you’re getting the ball and you’re thinking about passing it, thinking about dribbling, and then you’re closed down and you’re falling over. That’s what he was like.
“He’s got a mental rebuilding problem for Oxlade-Chamberlain, Klopp, he’s got to turn that kids form around.
“He’s gone there to play in the middle and he’s started on the right-wing.
“I just don’t see the sense of that signing. He’s a kid of ability but I can’t even remember the last team he played in that won, for Arsenal or Liverpool.”
Liverpool finally signed the Ox at the end of the transfer window after being linked with the England international all summer. He had less than a year left on his deal, wanted to leave and either the Reds or Chelsea were offering £35m so Arsenal were willing to let him go.
The player chose Merseyside, since he figured he might get more experience in his favoured position, central midfield, under Klopp. He also admires the German manager and most likely doesn’t have much faith in Arsene Wenger.
#OxCam … pic.twitter.com/smCPzNXlyy
— ELLIOTT (@elliottsimmonds) September 19, 2017
The Ox has gone on the make just one start for Liverpool so far. In the League Cup. Against Leicester, which his team lost. He played on the right, where he doesn’t want to play.
Individually he had a stinker.
The midfielder’s inconsistency combined with injury woes is what Arsenal had to deal with for six years. The difference is, Klopp’s not fighting to keep him happy, so isn’t bothered about letting him stew on the bench until the former Dortmund boss sees him as fit to start. Whether that will happen in the Premier League this season remains to be seen.