The Year of the Ox

[rurikbird]

I think, sadly, he’s not been the same player after the big injury and probably never will be. He was still not a finished article and quite inconsistent in his first season under Klopp, but in the 2nd half of that season it really looked like all the elements of his game were starting to come together into a really exciting player - a playmaker with pace and physicality, aggressive and with a thunderous shot - almost like Gerrard. You could see why Klopp brought him in and spent all that time and effort coaching him in a new position; Ox playing at his best frightened the shit out of Pep and City who simply had no answer for a player with his qualities.

Unfortunately after that horrible leg break, he lost much of the dynamism and his touch is now noticeably heavier, making him ineffective in tight spaces. Now he doesn’t look remotely like a playmaker, more like a misfit winger who wouldn’t look out of place at Newcastle or West Brom. It’s really sad - we’ve waited all this time for his return thinking he was going to add the missing element to our midfield... I actually happened to be at Anfield for his first game back; he seemed to hit the ground running and even almost scored a goal with his second touch - but in the end it seems that injury has ended him as a world-class potential player. Seems like a great bloke too, but I just don’t see the future for him here after this season.