Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain faces Arsenal for the first time since Liverpool move still standing on the verge of making his mark (even the Kop kids think he needs to step up)

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Ned, a nine-year-old from St Paul’s Junior Catholic School, summed it up as well as any pundit.

When brought face-to-face with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, in the brilliant Christmas video of Liverpool’s visit, his youthful honesty was brutal. ‘You need to get into the first team more,’ he said. Ned was not wrong.

‘I know,’ said the former Arsenal man who will be hoping for some form of action when his new employers face his old for the first time since his £35m summer transfer.

Liverpool's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain faces former club Arsenal with questions to be answered

In a Christmas visit to a local school, Oxlade-Chamberlain was told he needs to play more

The brutal honesty of the kids reflects the midfielder's fringe role so far at Anfield

It is safe to say that all has not gone to plan for the 24-year-old, whose own willingness to face reality is refreshing. ‘Why do you want to speak to me – I didn’t do anything!’ he joked with journalists in the mixed zone after he had 15 minutes off the bench following a 3-0 victory over another former club, Southampton.

Since that late cameo in a November stroll, there have been signs that the move may well pan out as the Ox had planned. Starts have suddenly started to become more regular with four coming in the last six matches. It is beginning to look like Thierry Henry may get an answer.

‘I have been watching him for a very long time and I still don't know what he's good at,’ said an exasperated Frenchman following the move, but Jurgen Klopp appears to have found a position for the England man, on the right of a midfield three in his high intensity XI.

Jurgen Klopp is a big fan of Oxlade-Chamberlain and has used him more in recent fixtures

That it took such a long time may come as a surprise. If the German was to create a player on FIFA you would imagine he would be a clone of the Ox. Strong, physical, and rapid. Klopp is one of life’s optimists and Oxlade-Chamberlain would appear to mirror that off-the-field.

Joking aside, you can learn a lot about the player from that video. He is clearly a man of sunny disposition and not short of intellect. He will have known, when appearances were scarce, that should he continue to do the right things, his time will come.

Sportsmail understands that his attitude in training has been spot on. There has been no sulking, no dummy spitting and he appears to be on the verge of a long run. While Bournemouth were the most generous of hosts on Sunday, his man-of-the-match performance on the south coast was superb.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was in demand in the summer before swapping Arsenal for Liverpool

Let us not forget – Arsene Wenger wanted to keep him and Antonio Conte wanted to take him. Although, speaking ahead of tonight’s reunion at the Emirates, the Gunners boss was at his sour best, claiming he was not surprised that his old boy had found first team football hard to come by.

When asked whether Oxlade-Chamberlain’s decision to leave Arsenal was because he wasn’t guaranteed a starting slot, Wenger replied: ‘Is he sure of a place there? You are sure of a place nowhere. In a big club you have big competition with some good players. That is absolutely normal. What do you want to be, a big player and not have to fight?’

Klopp was reading from a different hymn sheet earlier this week. ‘He has so much – he’s like a wonderful package,’ he said. ‘I think the biggest potential for him is being involved in goalscoring situations. It is unbelievable, but he was not asked for this too much in the past.’

The England international made the £35m move to get more first team action, but is waiting

Perhaps that was a nod to Wenger’s decision to use the player as a right wing back, but it has to be said that was not always the case during his years in North London which yielded nine goals in 132 games.

It is understood that Oxlade-Chamberlain has taken about £60,000-a-week less than the staggering £180,000 he was offered to remain at Arsenal, which should tell you a lot about his priorities and how much Wenger wanted to keep him.

Tonight his reception will not be kind and the old adage of never booing a bad player rings true. It is a big match to start a big few months.

In that wonderful video another pupil, eight-year-old Ben, shakes his head when asked if he likes Oxlade-Chamberlain but at the end, after meeting the player, he has been won over.

‘I really like the Ox now because he’s dead nice and I think Klopp should pick him,’ he says. Ben – and Alex – look like they will have their wishes granted this Christmas.