Alexis Mac Allister Faces Major Question Over Andoni Iraola Liverpool Role
Alexis Mac Allister looks set to remain at Liverpool this season, but serious questions have been raised over how comfortably he fits into Andoni Iraola’s midfield.
Speaking to Dave Davis on Anfield Index’s Media Matters podcast, journalist David Lynch expressed significant concerns about Mac Allister’s suitability for the structure Liverpool have used during pre season.
Davis introduced the discussion by referencing comments from Mac Allister’s father, Carlos, that his son was not moving. Davis then turned attention towards the footballing issue, highlighting concerns about the midfielder’s movement and ability to operate in Iraola’s system.
Lynch did little to ease those worries.
Mac Allister Concerns Under Iraola
“I’ve said many times I’ve got huge concerns about Mac Allister this season, to be completely honest,” Lynch said.
His concern centres heavily on the physical requirements of Iraola’s current shape.
“I just think he looked like a player whose legs have gone and I think particularly in this 4-4-2 formation.”
Lynch explained that he had previously considered whether a different tactical setup might help Mac Allister.
“I kind of wondered whether if they were playing a little bit more of a 4-2-3-1 whether Iraola could make it tight enough that it didn’t really matter so much and he could cover some of Mac Allister’s weaknesses off.”
His conclusion, based on what Liverpool have shown so far, was far less encouraging.
“But I really don’t see that being the case.”
Two Man Midfield Raises Bigger Questions
Lynch’s concern becomes particularly pronounced when Mac Allister is considered as part of the two man midfield Iraola has used.
“The big question, I’ve always mentioned this, is somebody going to come in for him?” Lynch said when discussing the possibility of a transfer.
He added that there currently appeared to be no movement, meaning Liverpool would have to “move on with it and see how he gets by”.
“But he is a concern for me.”
Lynch then placed Mac Allister at the centre of his wider worries surrounding Liverpool’s midfield.
“For all the talk about Gravenberch and Szoboszlai, Mac Allister is a bigger worry because I think he’s going to end up playing some minutes.”
His assessment of Mac Allister operating in the midfield pair was particularly stark.
“In that two man midfield I think he’s going to get absolutely run through, to be honest. I’m very, very concerned about that one.”
Photo: IMAGO
Could Mac Allister Play Further Forward?
One intriguing possibility emerged from Liverpool’s final pre season preparations.
Davis noted that Mac Allister had been used as the number 10 rather than in the double pivot, playing ahead of Trey Nyoni and James McConnell.
Lynch acknowledged that using Mac Allister further forward could potentially reduce the physical demands placed upon him.
“Maybe that will kind of be the idea, is what they want to do with him, is kind of get him in those areas and out of there, and so he’s not having to do the running.”
There remains a major complication, however.
Lynch does not expect there to be enough opportunities available in that position for Mac Allister to make it his regular role.
He explained that other Liverpool players are likely to command those minutes, before adding that Mac Allister does possess attributes that could work higher up the pitch.
“You could, it would cover off a lot of his weaknesses to use him there. And I think he’s capable of kind of making the passes in between the lines and whatnot.”
Yet Lynch still expects Mac Allister eventually to feature deeper.
“I think he’s going to end up getting minutes in the double pivot.”
Liverpool Midfield Could Define Mac Allister’s Season
Lynch stressed that his concerns do not amount to a dismissal of Mac Allister’s quality.
“He’s a really good player. He’s been a great player for Liverpool. He’s smart. He’s a hard worker,” he said.
The issue, in Lynch’s view, is whether those qualities are enough to compensate for the mobility required within Iraola’s football.
He suggested that Liverpool would benefit from a midfielder with greater physical capacity who was still technically capable of operating at the club’s level, although he acknowledged how difficult that profile is to find.
For Mac Allister, therefore, the question is no longer simply whether he remains part of Liverpool’s squad.
All indications from the discussion point towards him staying and receiving minutes. The much bigger issue is where Iraola uses him and whether Liverpool can construct a midfield around him that limits the physical problems Lynch believes could emerge.
There is still a role available to Mac Allister. How substantial that role becomes may depend on whether Iraola can find a tactical solution that allows his technical qualities to outweigh the concerns surrounding his mobility.