Topic: Welcome to Liverpool, Alexis Mac Allister

[StL-Dono]

Except for the times this season (not just today) where he gives the ball away in an absolutely lethal position and it comes back to bite us.  That was happening once a game through the first few months. 

He should have come off today, not Endo. 

[Yorkykopite]

He's actually a brilliant number 6. But it's been a long season for the lad. Our future captain, of that I have no doubts.

[PaleBlueDot]

He'll be fine while playing as a 2 under slot. He has intelligent pressing and covering of specific areas...just can't do the whole midfield alone.

I thought Jones would have got to the 6, or even Bajetic.

Both Curtis and Szoboszlai come on and.....Curtis plays LW 

Still playing with a 1 and 2 in front 83 mins into the game 3-1 up. Klopp's changes late into the season have been strange.

[Eeyore]

He's actually a brilliant number 6. But it's been a long season for the lad. Our future captain, of that I have no doubts.

If you were looking at midfield positions then for me Macca is far better as an 8 and under Slot may well end up in a kind of 10 role.

[Worgie]

Hope Arne was watching that and we won't see him in a 6 role next season. Great player but not suited to a 6 at all. He was a 10 in Argentina so keep pushing him back further and further to our goal makes no sense. We didnt look like scoring in those last 10 minutes with him so close to the centre backs and playing nothing little passes close to the centre circle, with Thiago out all season he is our most creative passer capable of a defense spliting pass further up the pitch.

Getting a proper DM with mobility and strong physical presence is a priority this summer, we were prepared to spend 100M on Caicedo last year so hopefully we have the funds to bring a top player in this year.

Strange subs recently, bit of a preseason friendly feel about making 4 subs at once and bringing on 3 midfielders at the same time, it cost us control in the same way Spurs go back into the game after the subs on Sunday. Don't see us doing that if we were still in the title race.

[bornandbRED]

The most dribbled past player in the league. Make of that what you will.

[Giono]

I thought Jones would have got to the 6, or even Bajetic.

That is what I thought too. I was stunned that he wasn't moved further forward or taken off.

[Jookie]

Great player and a good number 6.

But when he’s tired and being asked to cover loads of space then he’s not the player you want.

Amazed he didn’t come off when the 4 subs happened. He looked goosed before that. To put him as the 6 in the type of game it was seemed an odd choice to me. 2nd goal and 3rd goal come about from MacAllister giving the ball away & being dribbled past far too easily in front of the defence.


Needs the end of the season to recharge his batteries and come back refreshed

[Chris~]

The most dribbled past player in the league. Make of that what you will.

We play in a way that asks players to take risks to win the ball back a lot, he's played most minutes in midfield so not really a surprise.

[MonsLibpool]

We play in a way that asks players to take risks to win the ball back a lot, he's played most minutes in midfield so not really a surprise.

He still gets bypassed too easily IMO.

[A-Bomb]

He's a serviceable 6, but it'd be good for him to be able to settle into an 8 role week in week out.

[spider-neil]

I'm pretty sure Mac will be in the front 3 behind the striker rather than in the 2 in front of the defence. He's been doing a job but a DM or playing in the defensive third isn't playing to his strengths.

[Drinks Sangria]

Easy to forget in the face of last night, but he’s been our player of the season for me.

[spider-neil]

Easy to forget in the face of last night, but he’s been our player of the season for me.

VVD.

[Chris~]

He still gets bypassed too easily IMO.

Maybe but based on that stat he's better at stopping dribblers than Fabinho, Henderson and Wijnaldum were for us.

I think as a team we've kind of just been very direct/transition heavy this season and it leaves us open a lot more to counters than it has in the past+we ask players to take bigger risks to try and create these moments for us. We've kind of just reset to what made us good and I imagine if he'd stayed we'd have worked on other aspects under Klopp in to next year

[spider-neil]

Maybe but based on that stat he's better at stopping dribblers than Fabinho, Henderson and Wijnaldum were for us.

I think as a team we've kind of just been very direct/transition heavy this season and it leaves us open a lot more to counters than it has in the past+we ask players to take bigger risks to try and create these moments for us. We've kind of just reset to what made us good and I imagine if he'd stayed we'd have worked on other aspects under Klopp in to next year

The gaps are too large between our players. No DM is stopping that. We need better structure out of possession.

[MonsLibpool]

Maybe but based on that stat he's better at stopping dribblers than Fabinho, Henderson and Wijnaldum were for us.

I think as a team we've kind of just been very direct/transition heavy this season and it leaves us open a lot more to counters than it has in the past+we ask players to take bigger risks to try and create these moments for us. We've kind of just reset to what made us good and I imagine if he'd stayed we'd have worked on other aspects under Klopp in to next year

That's why stats have to be contextualised.  He's an easy target that opposing players are happy to square up 1v1 and his tackling is a bit weak.

When you look at equaliser, no way Endo gets like that. Endo would either barge him with his shoulder or commit a foul. Those little things nip transitions in the bud but we don't win enough challenges to play like this.

Duran probably doesn't even try that against Rice or Rodri because he knows he'll end up on the grass. It's hard to quantity that using stats.

[Fitzy.]

While he’s more suited to a more advanced midfield role, he’s obviously versatile and intelligent enough to adapt his game to play at 6. His mistake last night was obviously fatigue rather than a tactical issue.

[markiv]

Last night was clearly fatigue. It's been a long season and he's been our main midfielder and arguably our player of the season. He also hasn't played these many games in a season previously and hence the drop off in his impact over the last month or so.

For me, he has been exceptional this season. I knew he was a very good player but he exceeded my expectations. He's just so good at every aspect and is only going to get better next season. He has the potential to become a world class player. He has already been one of the top 3 midfielders in the league this season and is going to be pivotal under Slot.

Having a very good 6 next to him will really elevate his game and our overall performance. We already say that when both him and Endo were performing so well earlier in the year.

[Jookie]

He has already been one of the top 3 midfielders in the league this season

MacAllister has been our best midfielder by a mile. Probably in our best 2 or 3 players overall.

But he’s not in the Top 3 midfielders in the league this season. Rice, Rodri, Odergaard have all been better in my opinion whilst occupying similar areas of the pitch.

It’s not a knock on MacAllister but the big area of difference in quality between ourselves and City/Arsenal is in midfield. We’ve got some young players who may improve but we need to close that gap. Asking our midfielders to cover less space may help also