He has already been judged by social media – an expensive flop, naturally – and even ridiculed by a vicious, if tiny, element of his own support.
Yet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is about to show why Liverpool paid so much money for his special talent, according to his manager Jurgen Klopp… who is ready to unleash him for his first Champions’ League start in a Reds shirt.
So far, the former Arsenal man has played a role for his new club that is more camouflaged than cameo, such has been the rarity of his sightings at Anfield.
He has made just one start for Liverpool since his £35m transfer window arrival, in the Carabao Cup, and a total of just 86 minutes in all other competitions, over the course of six fleeting substitute appearances.
It is fair to say he made little impact in those games, but after showing more energy and incision in his 12 minutes against Manchester United at the weekend, Klopp was confident the versatile new signing has finally arrived.
“I cannot say how happy I was to see Chambo playing like this. I said he needed a little bit of time and my most positive thing was that finally he has arrived, but it always takes time,” Klopp said after the improved United display.
“I really loved the performance when he came on. He is a big signing for us, obviously, but a fast player like him needs the circumstances to perform so he needed time.
“So far it has been okay but not what we know he is able to do. But then Saturday, bang – comes on, uses his speed, really spot on, it was a very nice sign. I loved to see it.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain has struggled for game time since his arrival, with Klopp blaming a lack of pre-season with the Reds and limited time on the training ground getting used to his new club’s system.
He has also faced stiff competition in the forward line, with the Liverpool manager insisting at this stage in his fledgling Anfield career he only sees the England star as a winger, not the central midfielder he wants to be.
But Klopp also insisted there is plenty of time for Oxlade-Chamberlain to convince him he has a long term future in the middle of the park, not out wide.
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