Jurgen Klopp comments on how pleased he is with summer signing Alexis Mac-Allister’s performance
Jurgen Klopp heaped praise on Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister after the summer signing impressed him as Liverpool’s number six versus Nottingham Forest.
As Klopp noted in the interview covered by Liverpool’s official website, Mac Allister is far from a conventional defensive midfielder. But the Argentine offered creativity from deep in the 3-0 win.
Alexis Mac Allister’s attacking instincts gave Liverpool a different dimension with incisive passing between the lines.
“It’s obviously not really a discussion we have otherwise we wouldn’t play him there. I think today everyone could see the benefit of a player who comes from the offensive side of the game than from the other side. “
Klopp was unconcerned with the odd loose touch, prioritizing the Argentine’s positive risk-taking.
“In a game where you have to create things, where you have to pass, where you have to switch sides. That’s how it is then because not all balls reached the target.
If you try something in tight spaces that’s completely normal, I have no problem at all with losing balls around the box because that’s where we should be then for counter-pressing and that can happen.”
The manager rightly focused on the value Mac Allister provided going forward rather than minor errors. And he was equally pleased with the midfielder’s work-rate and defensive contribution.
“I am really pleased for him and [he had] a lot of defensively top moments, really killed the counter and stuff like this. He was really there.
He’s good in these things, that’s why we play him there. In one-on-one situations he is really good and we have to make sure as a team that the spaces are really small in these moments.“
Mac Allister offered steel through his tenacity and intelligent positional play. Jurgen Klopp clearly believes the midfielder has all the tools to shine as the deepest-lying playmaker.
The former Brighton man secured an 81 percent pass accuracy rate in the match and was also good with defence, having recovered the ball from opponents 11 times.
Deploying a creative technician like Mac Allister in the ‘number six’ role exemplified Klopp’s tactical flexibility and trust in the player. It was an inspired move that paid dividends and highlighted the Argentine’s well-rounded game.
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Klopp deserves immense credit for moulding his squad effectively and playing to Mac Allister’s strengths in an unfamiliar position. The early evidence suggests the manager’s faith in the midfielder’s ability to adapt is being vindicated.
