Klopp Talk: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain “Could Have Been Better” Against Genk

Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

The goals were “unbelievably beautiful,” but the manager still thought both player and team could have been better.

Liverpool beat Genk 4-1 on Wednesday evening, but the performance itself didn’t feel nearly as impressive as the scoreline, with the Reds dominating possession and looking the better side but never really clicking into top gear.

The same could be said, perhaps, for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who score two goals—the second a cracking goal of the season contender—but still looking away off his best form. So said manager Jürgen Klopp following the match.

“It was absolutely a great moment for him,” Klopp noted. “But I would say with Ox his performance was exactly the same as the performance of the team—the goals were great but all the rest could have been better.

”That’s how it is, but it’s no problem. The [second] was sensational and very important for us. Wonderful “On Sunday, Adam [Lallana] scored the goal, and now Ox has scored two goals. It’s really nice. Absolutely a great story.”

Of course it’s far better to score a world class goal or two and comfortably win the game when you’re not at your best than it is to miss the goal and drop points, but Klopp’s note of caution is a valuable one for the players and fans.

The 4-1 scoreline looks decisive, and without a late defensive lapse it would have been even more so, but Liverpool will need to be better than they were when they face stronger opponents—like Tottenham on Sunday.

“We had good moments and made a very good start,” Klopp added. “The plan worked okay then not any more. Sometimes we took in the wrong moments a risk—passing a one-two in a very tight situation makes not too much sense.

“They got a bit of momentum which after our start was completely unnecessary but that’s what happened. But all our goals were unbelievably beautiful. We won the game, job done. That’s it.”

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com