Data Scout Report: Alexis Mac Allister
By Tactical Touchline.
It was unusual really to see a Brighton player lift the World Cup in December. But Mac Allister did just that. Mac Allister was key to Brighton finishing 6th in the premier league table and qualifying for European football for the first time in the club’s history.
The midfielder recently signed with Liverpool for an estimated fee of around £35m. This move sees the midfielder locked to the club until 2028. His versatility to play in multiple positions in midfield is noteworthy. He played at the base of a two-man midfield for Brighton early on in the season and then occupying the #10 position with Brighton towards the end of the season.
For Argentina, he was sometimes stationed on the left of a four man midfield which played behind a 2 man strike force of Lautaro Martinez and Lionel Messi. The latter, often dropping deep to assist in the build up play. Mac Allister has the ability to drop deep and receive passes in the middle third of the pitch. Under De Zebri, he has often been the outlet of most passes to evade press from the opposition teams. Despite not being the tallest or the strongest player on the team, he has managed to shield the ball and retain possession.
In this data report, we will look at some of the key aspects of Mac Allister’s game and how he can fit into this new look Liverpool side.
Analysis -
1. Goal Scoring:
Based on the chart, he ranks high in terms of expected goals per 90, indicating his proficiency in positioning himself for goal-scoring opportunities.
Throughout the past season, whether playing for Brighton or representing Argentina, Mac Allister has demonstrated his knack for making runs into the box and converting goals, often on low crosses from wider areas of the field. This role resembles highly to the role Wijnaldum played for Liverpool in their Champions League winning season. *Insert a corner taken quickly joke*.
Mac Allister is also a reliable penalty kick taker however it doesn’t look like he will get too many chances because of a certain Egyptian King. If we exclude penalties, we can see that there is a drop in the expected goals. He is still well above average in terms of expected non-penalty goals. However, his non-penalty goals per 90 is 0.12, almost half of his non-penalty xG per 90, which is 0.23. He is thus underperforming his non-penalty expected goals, pointing towards potential areas for enhancement in his goal-scoring prowess.
While Alexis Mac Allister may have fewer touches in the penalty box per 90 minutes compared to Bruno Fernandes, it is worth noting that he still manages to maintain a similar number of shots per 90 minutes. This observation implies that a significant portion of his shot attempts have originated from low expected goals (xG) situations.
2. Chance Creation
Analyzing the chart (shoutout to Kevin De Bruyne for causing me all sorts of trouble while editing this chart), we observe that Mac Allister delivers around 1.5 key passes per 90 minutes, placing him in the same category as players such as İlkay Gündoğan, Jacob Ramsay, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Emi Buendía, and Granit Xhaka. These players however tend to prioritize goal scoring over chance creation, with the exception of Dewsbury-Hall, who leans more towards creating opportunities.
Mac Allister’s playing style diverges from the aforementioned players as he primarily focuses on connecting the midfield, wingers, and strikers. This distinction stems from his exceptional decision-making abilities, which enable him to consistently execute simple yet effective passes while intelligently positioning himself to receive the ball again.
While Mac Allister also operates in an attacking midfield position, he encounters difficulties in directly generating opportunities for his team. This is perhaps attributed to his inclination towards maintaining possession rather than attempting risky passes like a Bruno Fernandes or a Kevin De Bruyne. It is evident that Mac Allister is more of a dynamic and tenacious midfielder who possesses remarkable technical skills. It was perhaps this particular attribute that played a significant role in Mac Allister accumulating over 500 minutes of playing time in the World Cup 2023.
3. Dribbling
Although Mac Allister may not be considered an elite ball carrier, he possesses commendable dribbling skills and ball-carrying abilities. His low center of gravity and strength enable him to frequently receive the ball in advanced positions, right in front of opposing defenses. In fact, he ranks in the 84th percentile for progressive carries, surpassing notable players such as İlkay Gündoğan, Mason Mount, and Mateo Kovačić.
Mac Allister ranks 9th in passes received by a midfielder in the middle third throughout the season. He excels in operating within the half spaces, showcasing his ability to receive the ball on the half-turn and execute precise, straightforward passes into the opposition’s final third. This is evident from the chart, indicating his proficiency in receiving the ball in advanced areas of the pitch and distributing it to his teammates in advantageous positions.
How he fits into the new Liverpool 2023/24
We’re assuming that Liverpool employs the 3-box-3 or 3–2–5 system, where Alexander-Arnold is pushed up alongside Fabinho, and two attacking midfielders are positioned on either side of the striker next season. In this setup, Mac Allister would be an ideal fit as one of the attacking midfielders, operating in an advanced position on the field and receiving the ball in the left inside channel.
We’ve seen Mac Allister possess the capability to make runs behind the opposing defenses. This presents an exciting prospect of having him play off Cody Gakpo, who has fit into this new look Liverpool side smoothly playing as a false-nine. With Alexander-Arnold’s proficiency in threading passes behind the defense, as he often does in his new hybrid midfield role, the potential for effective combination play and goal-scoring opportunities involving the Argentine midfielder becomes evident.
Liverpool cleared a lot of dead wood in their midfield after letting go of four midfielders. The arrival of Mac Allister brings fresh energy to Jurgen Klopp’s footballing philosophy. Early on last season, Klopp struggled to find a balance due to lack of options in the midfield. While Mac Allister has flourished in a more advanced playmaker role, he can also fit right into a 4–3–3 system as a #8 where he is tasked with retaining possession and pressing high up the pitch.
If Mac Allister can replicate the exceptional form he displayed last season while playing for Brighton and representing Argentina, he has the potential to emerge as a pivotal player in Liverpool’s pursuit of reclaiming the Premier League title.
