Liverpool: Klopp could drop Mac Allister for Anfield’s stunning £40k-p/w talent
Liverpool have begun the 2023/24 season as fiercely as their fans could have hoped, winning four consecutive Premier League matches after opening the season with a draw at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.
It’s a huge sigh of relief for everyone associated with the Anfield club after Jurgen Klopp endured a terrible season in which his team failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven years, a departure from the intense, high-octane system that has been the hallmark of his successful English club.
| Liverpool Summer Signings | Transfer Fee |
|---|---|
| Alexis Mac Allister | £35m |
| Dominik Szoboszlai | £60m |
| Wataru Endo | £16m |
| Ryan Gravenberch | £34m |
The Reds have completely reshaped their midfield after displaying such depleted energy last season, and the early signs are undoubtedly encouraging. However, Klopp will now look to foster the team’s cohesion and unity over the coming weeks and months in order to achieve silverware once more.
The Merseyside club began its summer expenditure by acquiring Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion. Although he has had a solid and energetic start to his Liverpool career, he may benefit from a spot on the bench this week.
How is Liverpool performing?
Liverpool is performing exceptionally well, all things considered. The 1-1 draw against Chelsea to begin the season demonstrated the potential of this revamped squad, but also the defensive frailties that destroyed the club’s optimism last season.
Klopp worked tirelessly to rid the team of its woes from the previous season, and it would be absurd for the Reds to reach their peak so soon after such a drastic change, but the early signs are encouraging, and Liverpool’s current four-game winning streak is exciting when looking ahead.
Former England striker Tash Dowie has compared Dominik Szoboszlai to a youthful Steven Gerrard since the Hungarian midfielder’s transfer from RB Leipzig.
Harvey Elliott's goal vs Ajax 🔥
— Football Tekkers (@BallTekkers) October 28, 2022
📽 @LFC pic.twitter.com/RoOcdYkmK7
Mohamed Salah has already registered two goals and four assists in just five Premier League matches, while last season’s under-fire backline has conceded only four goals in the league thus far, second-best to Manchester City, the reigning champions and pacesetters.
What style does Alexis Mac Allister play?
Gary Lineker praised Mac Allister for his “sumptuous” assist in Qatar. Allister, who rose to prominence as a pivotal member of a successful Brighton team last season and won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, played a pivotal role and was praised for the assist.
However, after beginning against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, the star player endured a torrid time and was removed from the game by Klopp, who simply stated, “he’s done.”
Mac Allister had just completed a match with his national team against Bolivia less than four days prior, during which he played at an extremely high altitude.
Coupled with the arduous journey halfway around the world back to Liverpool, it’s no surprise he was out of sorts at Molineux.
The 24-year-old has started all five of Liverpool’s Premier League games this season (despite receiving a red card against Bournemouth, which was overturned following a review), completing 86% of his passes from central midfield, making 2.6 tackles and 5.4 ball recoveries per game, completing 63% of his dribbles, and winning 58% of his duels, according to Sofascore.
Coupled with two appearances for Argentina during the international break, it may be prudent to drop the £150,000-per-week phenomenon for the time being, particularly with Liverpool’s Europa League opener looming.
Although Mac Allister is a talented midfielder, there may be a suitable replacement in Harvey Elliott, who has been impressive this season despite not yet receiving a starting position.
Why should Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott start?
Elliott, who joined Liverpool from Fulham as a 16-year-old, played a crucial role last season, making 46 appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals, and earning praise from Liverpool writer Matt Addison for his “superb” performances.
This year, Jamie Carragher praised him for his “excellent” impact off the bench against Wolves, and after making cameos in each of his previous appearances, his performances warrant his first start of the season.
According to Sofascore, the £40,000-per-week star has completed 86% of his passes and won 60% of his duels. While it is still early in the season, the latter statistic indicates an improvement in physicality and application from last season, when he won just 45% of his duels and was criticized for being “outmuscled” by writer Leanne Prescott.
According to FBref, the 20-year-old also ranks among the top 14% of midfielders in Europe’s top five divisions for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive passes, the top 5% for progressive carries, and the top 6% for blocks per 90.
Mac Allister, in comparison, ranks among the top 14% for shot-creating actions, the top 16% for progressive carries, and the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90 minutes; while Elliott is not yet the refined, all-encompassing ace that Mac Allister is, he possesses the ability to replace his South American counterpart.
Elliott will presumably be among the starters for Thursday’s match against LASK in Austria, but if he performs well at the Raiffeisen Arena, Klopp could begin to utilize his talents from the opening whistle in the Premier League with greater frequency.
Mac Allister is unquestionably a first-class midfielder, but he has been steady if unspectacular for Jurgen Klopp’s side thus far. Although he is unquestionably one of the club’s finest midfielders, it may be time to shake things up.
Without a doubt, he will and should start the majority of Liverpool’s games this season, but Elliott has excelled off the bench on a number of occasions and will be eager to show off his talents more frequently after bursting through last season.
The former Fulham youth offers something unique, and Klopp would be prudent to now allow him to take the field.
Liverpool: Klopp could drop Mac Allister for Anfield’s stunning £40k-p/w talent