Alexis Mac Allister, a fellow new recruit, might be facing competition from teammate Curtis Jones as a result of Dominik Szoboszlai’s quick turnaround at Live.
There was much excitement when Alexis Mac Allister arrived in Liverpool in June. Because of an exit clause in the player’s Brighton contract, it looked like the summer transfer target for a price of only about $45 million (£35 million/€40 million).
This was a player who, after all, had helped Brighton reach Europe for the first time in the club’s history and had been nominated for the Young Player of the Season award in the Premier League. Even better, he had started every game but one for Argentina in their World Cup run as a player, including the championship match assistance. Mac Allister hasn’t been able to live up to the hype altogether up to this point, but Liverpool shouldn’t worry because the 24-year-old hasn’t been playing in his best position.
We may anticipate that Jürgen Klopp will move him up to his ideal position of number eight if the experiment of playing him at number six continues to yield variable results. It’s definitely not a bust or defensive midfield. Apart from Dominik Szoboszlai, who cost $77 million (£60 million/€70 million) to acquire from RB Leipzig, Mac Allister is one of two new players who have started every Premier League match for Liverpool this season.
Szoboszlai has been nothing short of amazing; he was voted the club’s Player of the Month in August and most likely placed highly in the September poll as well. In Klopp’s eight years in charge, few players have started more quickly. In a way,
Mac Allister might be hurt by the unavoidable comparisons to Szoboszlai, as said last week’s Liverpool . com podcast covered. It usually takes time for players to adjust to a new club and setup, especially when they’re playing a role they’re not used to, but the Hungarian player is an exception to this rule. Since Mac Allister is the defensive anchor in midfield, his errors are also more noticeable, but Szoboszlai’s game errors are less significant and, consequently, less examined.
Conversely, an aggressive number eight can also garner positive press far more easily than a quiet midfield anchor. Mac Allister will face Curtis Jones for the starting eight spot on the left side if Klopp chooses to go with Wataru Endō, a specialist, to play the role instead. With his reputation as one of the first names on the team sheet and his subtle but significant contribution both in and out of possession, Jones would be hard to beat. In addition,
Jones has gained more experience under Klopp, so he is more familiar with the subtleties of the role, whereas Mac Allister is still learning. Even though there are reasonable doubts about the $45 million player’s suitability for a holding role, one could contend that, at least for the time being, it’s his best, if not the only, path to the starting lineup.
