For the past few months, Alexis Mac Allister has been getting to grips with a new role on the pitch. The Argentina international joined Liverpool from Brighton and Hove Albion over the summer, with Jürgen Klopp remolding him into a relatively defensive midfielder who would remain in deeper areas rather than getting forward.
At his previous club, Mac Allister occupied multiple different roles, but he was perhaps most renowned for playing as a number 10 of sorts, creating chances for his teammates and generally knitting things together in the final third close to goal. Klopp has used him in a different manner, primarily due to his decision to sell Fabinho.
The Brazilian international was allowed to move to Saudi Arabia in the summer, with Liverpool tasked with replacing him by acquiring the services of a holding midfielder who would form the base of the team’s engine room. Aside from Wataru Endō, though, who arrived as a 30-year-old with no experience of playing in one of Europe’s continental competitions, nobody was signed to fill the void.
The captain of Japan has since played a bit-part role at Anfield, having featured in domestic cup and Europa League games as opposed to starting on a regular basis in England’s top flight. There is still time for Endō to make an impact, but considering his age, Mac Allister looks like more of a realistic solution for the moment.
The World Cup winner has performed to a reasonable standard since effectively replacing Fabinho for Liverpool. He is particularly cool and composed when on the ball — offering plenty of value for the Reds in possession — and his work on the defensive side of the game has also been encouraging.
However, he has encountered one or two difficulties at times. Indeed, Mac Allister missed Liverpool’s last Premier League match due to suspension, having accumulated five yellow cards from his 11 starts so far this term, with those bookings offering an insight into his desperation at times.
The 24-year-old has made 41 tackles and interceptions up until now, which isn’t bad at all, but whenever he has been bypassed by an opponent, he’s struggled to recover those situations. Mac Allister isn’t the quickest when required to cover ground, and he looks like more of a controller than an industrious runner.
Klopp took a gamble during the summer in that sense, as he’s fielded the South American midfielder out of position so far. The Reds haven’t struggled too much due to their general strength over most opponents but this weekend, Liverpool is scheduled to face last season’s champion, Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola is renowned for being arguably the best coach in the world at exploiting the weaknesses held by his opponents. He is a tactical genius in many ways and once he inspects Liverpool’s system for defects ahead of Saturday’s clash, he will surely highlight Mac Allister as a player who is capable, but doesn’t look entirely comfortable in his current spot.
The Spaniard has the tools at his disposal to cause real problems for the Liverpool number 10, with the likes of Bernardo Silva, Julián Álvarez, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish all capable of occupying the valuable spaces around him. Guardiola could target Mac Allister by effectively overloading him with numerous opponents, which is why Klopp will surely have to prepare a plan in advance.
It remains to be seen how the German will organize his midfield for the high-profile bout at the Etihad Stadium. He could switch things up to ensure that Mac Allister always has a partner by his side — perhaps by adopting 4-4-2 — or he could use a more flat midfield three in comparison to previous years as opposed to having a holding midfielder and two number eights further forward.
Overall, Klopp will have to be wary of Guardiola’s game plan this weekend. It is not guaranteed that he will place Mac Allister under the spotlight but considering he’s still getting to grips with a pivotal role for the Reds, it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise. The onus will be on Liverpool to come prepared.
