Shortly after his £35 million move from Arsenal to Liverpool, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain found himself on the receiving end of some surprisingly sharp-tongued criticism from Thierry Henry.
Speaking ahead of Manchester City’s Premier League clash against Liverpool back in September - the game Oxlade-Chamberlain made his debut for his new employers - Henry revealed he wasn’t sure what the English winger was actually good at.
“You also have to bring something yourself,” Henry said of Oxlade-Chamberlain, live on Sky Sports. “You talk about the manager, the manager is amazing, the manager is this, the manager is that - good.
“You also talk about the stuff that you didn’t have at Arsenal, apparently. You also have to bring something to the table.
“I’ve been watching him for a very long time and I still don’t know what he is good at.”
Ouch.
“You can find out about any player what they’re not good at, but normally you find out at one point what they *are* good at,” the Gunners legend added. “And that’s what thing that he needs to understand very soon: that he also needs to bring something to the table.”
Watch Henry's criticism of Oxlade-Chamberlain here...
Oxlade-Chamberlain is now shining for Liverpool
Oxlade-Chamberlain endured a disappointing start to his Liverpool career and many Arsenal fans were convinced at the time that Arsene Wenger had made the right decision to offload the inconsistent 24-year-old.
However, six months later and it’s fair to say that Oxlade-Chamberlain is currently in the process of proving his doubters wrong.
The England international impressed in Liverpool’s 4-1 victory over West Ham last month and shone again in the 2-0 win over Newcastle United on Saturday evening, producing another assist for Mohamed Salah.
Oxlade-Chamberlain finally responds to the criticism
After the match, Oxlade-Chamberlain was asked about Henry’s comments, which Gary Neville concurred with at the time, and he provided the perfect response.
"I was very aware of those comments. It is not nice to hear it from your peers or people you have worked with,'' Oxlade-Chamberlain is quoted as saying by ESPN.
"Saying you don't know what I do when you have worked with me, I think it is a bit stupid.
"When you have watched someone long enough you know what they can do. They can have their own opinions. It cannot shake me.
"Fair enough if that is what they think, I am not really too bothered.''
Well said, Alex.
The Ox: I haven't spoken to them about the comments
Asked if he’d spoken to Henry and Neville about the comments, Oxlade-Chamberlain continued: "No. I don't need to. If people want to say those things, you remember them, you don't forget them, but I am not here to make enemies.
"The important thing is that when I came here I had a manager who had faith in me and he felt something different to that and I had faith in myself.
"Everyone says you have to be your own biggest fan and believe in yourself. I am old enough and wise enough and I have been around it long enough to know that things will be said, and not nice things a lot of the time -- and when you are doing well, nice things will be said.
"That is all part and parcel of it [but] it is never nice to hear it from people you have worked with.''
He wants to improve his end product
He added: "It is about end product, scoring goals, setting up goals as an attacking player and that is what I have to keep doing.
"If they [Neville and Henry] are referencing more end product then that is fair enough, I hold my hands up.
"There is more in me, I know I have to keep pushing on. I can take so much from someone like Mo Salah.
"Just look at him this season. It has been never-ending and relentless and when someone can be competing with Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero for top goalscorer those are the things you have to learn from.
"Even if you have had a couple of good games you don't take your foot off the gas but you want more. Success breeds success.''
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