Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister played in midfield for Brighton until last season and helped his country win the World Cup in Qatar. At Liverpool, where he joined this summer, he now plays in the bottom part of midfield and is working hard on a new positional challenge.
He is dexterous in his new role, with his skillful ball retention and vision of what is going on around him, and his unflappable mentality in the face of intense pressing.
However, there are times when he is outclassed by speed and physicality, and Liverpool could move to acquire a defensive midfielder this winter.
Former England defender Glen Johnson, who played for Chelsea, Liverpool, Portsmouth, and Stoke City during his career, questioned the former Brighton midfielder’s use as a defensive midfielder, saying his ability is wasted in the same position.
“He’s being wasted in that role and I don’t think he wants to play there, so credit to him for doing a job for the team.”
“He’s good enough to play in that position here and there, but it’s not fitting of his attributes because he’s more of a clever player that gets in between the lines and has an attacking brain, so I don’t think he wants to do it, but the team needs him to do it at the minute.”
“For the team to really kick on, I think they need a natural player there who doesn’t really want to attack and just performs that role really well. He’s a great player and I do feel as though he’s being wasted because he is better than that.”
Betfred