If Oxlade-Chamberlain is fine not playing much for Liverpool, we should be too

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain looks set to stay at Liverpool and probably won’t play much. If that’s fine by him, it should be by us.

One of the symptoms of objectifying footballers is anger when they don’t ‘make the most of their ability’. The guys down the pub, at least half of whom had trials at [insert Premier League team – a local one so as not to seem too farfetched], would have done anything to be where so-and-so is and wouldn’t waste their career on the bench, accruing insane wealth, instead of playing football week in, week out. But they would of course only move to the right football club. Not a local rival, God no. Or to China or the Middle East while they can still bend down to tie up their bootlaces.

They would stay in England, maybe Spain or Italy at a push because they’re not farmers, definitely not Paris Saint-Germain (erm, sell your soul much? *snort snort*). But yes, they would absolutely leave a club for more game time. What a waste otherwise. You’re a footballer, go play football, you don’t know how lucky you are. Look at me, I work as a [insert career deemed to be far worse and more laborious than football].

To those people, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is an enigma.

The 28-year-old started just nine Premier League games in 2021/22, with his last appearance coming in mid-February. And yet, amid surprise interest from Manchester United, among others, over a possible £10m move, Oxlade-Chamberlain looks set to stay at Liverpool.

Barring a midfield injury crisis, next season will be similar to the last – Ox will be a bit-part player. He always has been. In his time with both Liverpool and Arsenal he’s never started more than 17 Premier League games in a single campaign (admittedly for much of his career through