Alex Oxlade Chamberlain aka "The Ox"

[RedReet]

wiffs a wee bit of last day panic buy because the first choicers were not coming home. If he is just meant to be a squad filler, 35m is way too much.

Surely some of our loanees/u23s could have done the same job. (OJ/TAA for example)

Panic buy? We were link to him last year. Who were the first choicers we missed out on? As far as I remember, Lemar was the one who came from nowhere at teh last minute? And surely as Klopp proved with VVD, he doesn't panic buy. If he thought one of the U-23's were good enough, no doubt he'd had went for them.

Bar Keita, every one of Klopp's signings have been met with scepticism, yet bar maybe Karius, every one of them has improved the team and surprised us (Klavan less so, but he does seem the one signing brought in to make up the numbers and has been needed).

[dww]

There's a really good player in there and is still well young enough to develop. We play a completely different style to Arsenal and initially he's going to have a real struggle to get into the team, but his purchase reminds me a bit of Wijnaldum's last summer and I can see him being a really good option for us in time once Klopp's done his thing. He seems a decent lad too.

Not having a go at Ox or you MrM but that is such a cliche without evidence. Probably applies to many players.

I would say the evidence (eyes as well as stats) say pretty much the exact opposite. There's NOT a good player in there somewhere. Klopp can help him become an 'ok' player but that's only because Klopp is a miracle worker most of the time.

I think one of the skills of a good scouting and coaching team is to find the players who are not fully formed and bring them on. I guess it depends on where you put the bounds of OK and 'really good' but Klopp has really helped Lallana and Wijnaldum kick on and I would expect the same from Oxlade-Chamberlain. He has a lot of good qualities which he seems to not make best use of, but the same can be said of a lot of Arsenal's players. To the extent where you wonder if there is something limiting in the way Arsenal develop players.

[little dave hedgehog]

i think the reason there is an english premium is because the top clubs have top players and there's a finite amount of top english players. but you have an 8 home-grown player quota, so you have to get the best ones you can find. klopp likes him and 30m was nothing in this window. fine by me.

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

I hope he works out and proves me wrong but I've just never been his biggest fan, he's an athlete first, footballer second for me. He's been potential for about 6 years now without ever actually improving, that's a worry for me, Wenger aside we've seen it with plenty of players in the past, if Klopp can drag it out of him he could be useful but it appears to be mental rather than anything else, his decision making is rank average.

[dww]

i think the reason there is an english premium is because the top clubs have top players and there's a finite amount of top english players. but you have an 8 home-grown player quota, so you have to get the best ones you can find. klopp likes him and 30m was nothing in this window. fine by me.

If anything we should have signed him in January - we needed depth then and he might well have been cheaper. I suspect that does lend credence to the idea he wasn't first choice but he is still a solid buy and fits exactly the profile of player we need in the squad.

It has been ages since it has looked like our squad made sense. We have always had remnants of a previous regime or weird experimental signings in and around the first team who didn't fit the managers vision. Now it is clear that Klopp is getting what he wants and isn't having to make too many compromises (at least in terms of the style of players we get).

[dom9]

Not having a go at Ox or you MrM but that is such a cliche without evidence. Probably applies to many players.

I would say the evidence (eyes as well as stats) say pretty much the exact opposite. There's NOT a good player in there somewhere. Klopp can help him become an 'ok' player but that's only because Klopp is a miracle worker most of the time.

Sounds like an opinion to me.

[Charly]

Thatsbecause the team had no balance in a 442 with him and fatfrank in the middle

[The_weatherman]

I remember Klopp talking about Gomez after he came back from injury all bulked up, Klopp said he only need muscles like that at the beach, I'd imagine this be similar, Oxlade is quick and direct, has a good touch and can spot a pass, but I feel needs more direction, similar to Lallana who really kicked on under Klopp. Oxlade can shed some weight to be more nimble and agile but the main improvement will come after direction and fitting in a team that suits his skillset.

[gratziani]

If you watch England regularly i wouldn't have one player in my team as they are terrible .

Kane looks muck , Walker looks muck , anyone playing under Southgate looks muck beating **** teams.

Klopp is the man who turns them into Marmite

[danperkins]

He was very poor last night. His approach play and energy are great, his decision making and end product as discussed on here need some serious, serious work if he wants to get in the starting 11 regularly.

[danperkins]

Panic buy? We were link to him last year. Who were the first choicers we missed out on? As far as I remember, Lemar was the one who came from nowhere at teh last minute? And surely as Klopp proved with VVD, he doesn't panic buy. If he thought one of the U-23's were good enough, no doubt he'd had went for them.

Bar Keita, every one of Klopp's signings have been met with scepticism, yet bar maybe Karius, every one of them has improved the team and surprised us (Klavan less so, but he does seem the one signing brought in to make up the numbers and has been needed).

Where a majority not delighted with Mane & Salah?

[red g]

apart from his pla, I agree Dan his energy and willingness to chase the ball reall impressed me.

You can see he has a real desire to do well and could flourish under Klopp, He must really believe in himself as well. He turned down an extra 15 million pounds to come to us, don't think many players would do that.

[Norbs]

On last night's performance he looks like a wing back and nothing like a centre mid.

[red g]

Where a majority not delighted with Mane & Salah?

plenty of doubters on both though originally, specially Mane.

Think the only signing that has met with overall approval originally was Matip and thats because he was free

[danperkins]

On last night's performance he looks like a wing back and nothing like a centre mid.

said exactly this to my dad last night.