Liverpool legend John Barnes has backed new signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to be a huge success at Anfield despite his bumpy start.
Oxlade-Chamberlain moved to Liverpool from Arsenal during the summer transfer deadline-day for a whopping £40million amid much hype but he has failed to impress the Reds supports so far.
As a result, many have already gone to question the capabilities of the player while some even linking Liverpool’s recent poor form to arrival of the 24-year-old.
Amid the criticism though, former Liverpool winger and club legend John Barnes has come forward to defend Oxlade-Chamberlain and has urged fans to give the midfielder more time to prove himself.
Speaking with Standard Sport, Barnes stated that it was not Oxlade-Chamberlin who is responsible for Liverpool’s poor form and rather that his underwhelming displays was the reflection of the Reds failures as a whole.
He said, “He hasn’t started all the games but he’s come to be a main player at Liverpool for, hopefully, the next five, six or seven years. We’re too quick to judge. When players come in and do well we say they are fantastic. And if they aren’t in the team and don’t start, we say it’s a disaster. It’s not.
“I think he’s a fantastic player. He’s probably a reflection of the team. He’s come to be part of a good team and because the team has been inconsistent, maybe he’s been inconsistent. But I think he’ll be a fantastic signing for Liverpool long-term.”
Chamberlin rejected a much more lucrative move to Premier League champions Chelsea during the summer in order to play for Jurgen Klopp in his preferred position of center-midfielder but he has yet to earn a proper opportunity so far under the German.
