Klopp refuses to blame Wenger for lack of Ox development
- by Eloise Houston
- in Sport
- — Apr 8, 2018
"It's an fantastic place to play, it was stable, you build relationships, but I felt I had to do it for football reasons to try and better myself".
Oxlade-Chamberlain ranked his long-range strike past Ederson among the finest goals of his career but surprisingly, given his contribution in central midfield, admitted he was dissatisfied with his overall performance.
Jurgen Klopp has stated that the reason for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's massive improvement following his move from Arsenal to Liverpool is because he has been given the chance to play in a completely new team with a different style.
Towards the end of his time at Arsenal, Oxlade-Chamberlain was struggling to find his best form, but Klopp is adamant that Wenger was not responsible for the player's stagnant performances.
Liverpool have taken a 3-0 lead in their Champions League first-leg quarter-final against Manchester City at Anfield.
"He always took it by himself, he thought "OK, I could do more, I could have done more to change something", but he was aware of it - he was not coming here and saying "OK, come on, make the best of me, use me in the best way" or whatever".
Liverpool will head to the Etihad stadium on 10th April for the return fixture knowing that if they bag a vital away goal then the tie will all but over, and a place in the semi finals will beckon. It definitely got us going and you could see that. That gives you the opportunity to do things you're not used to, and that's what helped him. "I showed myself that if it's on more often I can keep doing it".
"I feel it was the right time".
The 24-year-old said: "The manager has been pushing me all season and shouting at me for not taking the game by the scruff of the neck and providing those kinds of moments, being the one shooting and making the difference".
"We definitely have qualities that are suited to this competition", he said. A pattern emerged of one good game followed by three or four hugely frustrating ones, with the Ox one of several Arsenal players particularly guilty of losing possession in indefensible areas. Oxlade loved Arsene Wenger, working together six years, and he never blamed [him] for not improving enough.
