Paul Merson says Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is better suited to Liverpool's system, following his summer move from Arsenal.
The England international made the move to Anfield in August, following a period of playing as a wing-back in a 3-4-3
formation at Arsenal, and has scored two goals for Jurgen Klopp's side.
Speaking on The Debate, Merson believes Oxlade-Chamberlain is better off playing away from the Emirates in order to
develop ahead of Liverpool's clash against Arsenal on Friday, live on Sky Sports Premier League.
At Arsenal, when you are playing with those two players [Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil] - world class footballers -
the natural reaction is, as soon as they get the ball, to look for those two," Merson said. "You give them the ball
and they'll probably touch it 40 beer777 times more than Oxlade-Chamberlain.
"Straight away that knocks his odds down of having a good game compared to them. I've followed his career
from Southampton to Arsenal, I still don't know where he plays, I don't know his best position.
"I think you've got to put him in the centre, in the midfield three and say 'you are playing there' and leave him
there for 10 games. He plays one game there, then he plays wing-back, on the wing and he just needs a position."
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Liverpool from Arsenal in the summer
Merson laughed off the suggestion that Chelsea were wrong to let Mohamed Salah and Romelu Lukaku leave in 2016
and 2014 respectively, and argued that sometimes players just do not fit the approach a club choose to adopt.
"People say they can't believe Chelsea let Salah go; he didn't fit Chelsea. It's like Lukaku didn't fit Chelsea.
He could've gone there but he looked and that and though: 'No, I'm going to be playing wing-back at Chelsea. I want to play in midfield'.
"Hopefully he [Oxlade-Chamberlain] will stay in midfield and, after tomorrow, start playing well.
"At Arsenal he didn't really play with a lot of pace in front of him; [Olivier] Giroud usually played up front on his own។
It's hard, when you get into positions like a No 10 position, you are crying out for someone who can just go 'bang' and they are away.