What Does Alexis Mac Allister Bring to Liverpool? Transfer Analysis

Alexis Mac Allister at Liverpool:

It is perhaps not hyperbolic to say that this transfer window could make or break Liverpool’s season. Liverpool is in dire need of upgrading their squad on the back of a season where it looked as if imposter syndrome had filled the whole team. They couldn’t believe their downfall from potential quadruple to fighting for even Europa League at a stage. The signing of Alexis Mac Allister has provided renewed optimism and much-needed enthusiastic impetus to the Liverpool faithful as perhaps the squad is heading in the right direction. Upon analysis of what Alexis Mac Allister brings to Liverpool, he is certainly a signing in the right direction.

Traits/Characteristics:

Stylistically Alexis Mac Allister seems close to a replacement for Gini Wijnaldum. Think of the surging runs into the box, operating in the attacking half-spaces. While it would be a stretch to say it is an exact fit — perhaps that was the rough rationale of Jürgen Klopp when making this signing.

The image above is a great example of what makes Mac Allister such a goal-scoring threat. He has a natural tendency to make runs into spaces and get into scoring positions in the box. For Argentina, he has made similar runs, suggesting that it is typical to his attacking profile rather than just a stylistic thing, of course, his move to attacking midfield under De Zerbi enabled him to access such spaces at a higher frequency.

The UnderStat chart above highlights Mac Allister’s shooting opportunities in the 2022/23 season — there are numerous chances deep within the box for a midfielder, a testament to his attacking mindset.

As such, Mac Allister does showcase similarities to Wijnaldum and stylistically can be a great outlet for Trent Alexander-Arnold as he can get onto the back of his crosses and become a serious goal-scoring option.

The fact that Mac Allister thrived under De Zerbi’s system will be major good news for Liverpool. Both systems bank on the ability to catch teams out when they are in vulnerable and unorganised positions, punishing them through the exploitation of vertical spaces. Liverpool, through a highly aggressive counter-press and Brighton through provoking presses and playing vertical passes through them with a unique six-man structure. Mac Allister is at the very heart of this six-man structure occupying the vertical left and at times central spaces. His ability to thrive in primarily vertical play will ensure it will be a smooth transition into Liverpool’s system.

Versatility and IQ:

For a player so young — Alexis Mac Allister provides immense versatility in terms of the different positions he can occupy within a system but also the in-game adjustments that he can facilitate.

Under Potter, the Argentinian midfielder played in a defensive midfield role, while, for Argentina, he plays both a ball-winning role and a playmaking role. In the historic World Cup for his nation, Mac Allister won the most duels barring Rodrigo De Paul but also created the same amount of chances as Angel Di Maria, highlighting his effective two-way ability. This balance will likely be the essence of his Liverpool role, in a 3 man midfield in a 4–3–3 he will have increased defensive responsibility, while, if Liverpool continues with their box midfield and Trent inverts into midfield, then there will be great pressing responsibility to box the opposition in.

An example of the in-game adjustments he can facilitate is when Welbeck comes off the bench. When Welbeck is on, he stays primarily central, rather than occupying the left space, allowing Welbeck to play through that attacking zone as Mac Allister drops into a deeper position.

On the eye test, Mac Allister’s game IQ is unbelievable. He seems to have eyes in all parts of his head and always knows what is the right pass to play or the right movement to make with the ball in his feet. One criticism that can be offered is that at times he tends to make the safe passes rather than the aggressive option, a mindset that needs to be shifted due to his incredible through-ball ability.

Conclusion — What does he bring to Liverpool?

Alexis Mac Allister is definitely a signing that is a step in the right direction for Liverpool. The main issue they have is the lack of ageing and capable bodies in midfield. Mac Allister as a highly-skilled, technical, versatile 23-year-old stops that. However, he doesn’t necessarily fix the issues they had in terms of being broken in the press so often and balls breaking their lines.

If Mac Allister makes up their box midfield, with Trent playing as an inverted fullback and coming into a makeshift central position, the defensive issues stem from the space between Fabinho and Trent due to their lack of pace and defensive reactions, Mac Allister doesn’t solve that, however, he does enhance the quality in that position, albeit a bit harsh on Jones who had a great finish to the season.

If Klopp does ever get desperate, he could turn to what Potter had found in Mac Allister as a defensive midfielder, with a defensive quality ranking in the 82nd percentile and a defending quantity in the 90th percentile (link Smarterscout) as a DM in the 22/23 season.

What Mac Allister will bring is a player that has stylistic similarities to Wijnaldum. However they certainly need to be honed — his finishing can improve, but more importantly, his playmaking and energetic pressing is the main aspect of his game that Klopp will work on. Liverpool will still need an engine room midfielder that can complement if not be a backup for Thiago considering his frequent injury concerns. But in Mac Allister — they have bought a quality footballer.

If you did enjoy this piece — any shares and feedback + a follow on Medium would go a long way in enhancing production quality. Your support is always much appreciated.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vyom_nanavati
Podcast:
Apple — https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-sports-dome/id1673655282
Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/show/3D1ZZqtqsF63fdo3GFRMeC?si=a45910af641e4d07
RSS — https://rss.com/podcasts/thesportsdome/

Any inquiries + collaborations to vyom.nanavati@gmail.com