Macca (wearing blanco?) next season

[rurikbird]

View: https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/1790127928086270220

Alexis Mac Allister is a difficult player to pigeonhole - he has qualities that lend themselves well in a number of midfield roles, but also has limitations that mean you have to be careful to put him in a right place in the right system - he’s not a freak of nature like Gerrard or Yaya Toure who will dominate on his own whatever his teammates are up to.

One of these limitations is ability to cover space - yes, he will do his best to run and challenge runners, but a system where he is patrolling a large area all on his own will lead to stats such as above. There is also a downside to having a playmaker who plays risky passes from the #6 position - it means we’re instantly vulnerable whenever a pass doesn’t work out. I felt sorry for him about the first goal - you can see how crestfallen he was once the pass was intercepted; he knew he let the team down, but at the same time if you forbid him to play those kinds of passes that negates the whole rationale of playing him in a deeper position.

So what is his best role? The team’s main playmaker? An intelligent and versatile midfield partner for another playmaker? A jack-of-all-trades without a defined role? There is clearly so much skill and intelligence and heart in this player, but I’m not sure we saw a full realization of those qualities except for a 1.5 month period in February-March and there could be more and deeper reasons for why that couldn’t be sustained besides tiredness.

 

[Hyena]

Look at the number on his shirt.

That's his best role.

 

[StevieM]

As the more progressive part of double pivot alongside, say Wieffer, in a 4231.@ - where his role is not to cover the space defensively but to be the one to move the ball through midfield and get forward and support the attackers.

Or further forward as one of the 8’s in a 433.

Of course he can fill in various other positions if required.

 

[rurikbird]

Look at the number on his shirt.

That's his best role.

That’s an interesting thought and I was hoping someone would actually make a case for it. Can he and Elliott play together?

 

[Hansern]

This stat is probably sqewed by the fact that he has been playing as a 6 and been left pretty isolated. His best position is probably higher up the pitch, or in a double pivot.

We havent been playing to his strenghts when using him as an emergency outlet in that DM role.

 

[binomial]

Our player of the season!

 

[mark1975]

Macca is fine, Klopp tried to do what he did with Gini and others before him, in teaching him how to play the holding role and to help toughen him up even more. He can't play the role, but it's helped him learn things tactically and to be even more physical. It'll help him in the long term.

Yesterday was on Klopp though, making too many changes, taking off Endo, putting Macca back in the holding role where he was targeted and given zero protection by Gravenberch (who's been a lazy cunt all season) and Szobo, who was trying to play on the front foot in a more advanced role.

Macca can play alongside a holding midfielder, or in the more advanced midfield roles, he's a top player, but he looks knackered and Klopp has exposed him too many times in that holding role with zero support.

 

[keniget]

Look at the number on his shirt.

That's his best role.

Don’t think he has the classic skill set of a no.10.

 

[Squiggles]

I think he needs to function in a 4231, either as the second holding player or the number ten.

If he's playing the eight in the 433 then he needs some athletic and defensively minded players in his area or the pitch. Klopp still trying to use him as a six in games that are end to end is frustrating and dumb.

 

[juniormember]

Macca is fine, Klopp tried to do what he did with Gini and others before him, in teaching him how to play the holding role and to help toughen him up even more. He can't play the role, but it's helped him learn things tactically and to be even more physical. It'll help him in the long term.

Yesterday was on Klopp though, making too many changes, taking off Endo, putting Macca back in the holding role where he was targeted and given zero protection by Gravenberch (who's been a lazy cunt all season) and Szobo, who was trying to play on the front foot in a more advanced role.

Macca can play alongside a holding midfielder, or in the more advanced midfield roles, he's a top player, but he looks knackered and Klopp has exposed him too many times in that holding role with zero support.

I’d hoped Gravenberch would be a more dynamic version of Gini, but as you've mentioned he seems to be a bit of a lazy cunt off the ball and has only shown flashes of what he can do on the ball. Not been impressed at all.
Maybe we'll see a double pivot of Endo + Macca with Dom or Elliot advanced next season if Slot goes for a 4-2-3-1. I'd be very much up for that.

 

[mark1975]

I’d hoped Gravenberch would be a more dynamic version of Gini, but as you've mentioned he seems to be a bit of a lazy cunt off the ball and has only shown flashes of what he can do on the ball. Not been impressed at all.
Maybe we'll see a double pivot of Endo + Macca with Dom or Elliot advanced next season if Slot goes for a 4-2-3-1. I'd be very much up for that.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a more athletic and physically "big" central midfielder come in. I think Endo has been great and so has Macca, but they are a bit small for a midfield pairing. You look at City now and they have a BIG spine through the team. Previous successful Prem teams have been the same - look at Arsenal with Campbell/Toure, Vieira and Henry, Chelsea with Drogba, Essien, Mikel, Terry etc.

 

[rurikbird]

I wouldn't be surprised to see a more athletic and physically "big" central midfielder come in. I think Endo has been great and so has Macca, but they are a bit small for a midfield pairing. You look at City now and they have a BIG spine through the team. Previous successful Prem teams have been the same - look at Arsenal with Campbell/Toure, Vieira and Henry, Chelsea with Drogba, Essien, Mikel, Terry etc.

Especially with Elliott as our 3rd midfielder - this trio worked well against City, but they are not athletic enough against most Premier League midfields.

 

[King Binny]

https://www.directvsports.com/futbol/Refuerzo-bomba-el-Real-Madrid-esta-interesado-en-Alexis-Mac-Allister-20240517-0040.html

Speaking on DSports Radio, Marcelo Benedetto has said that the LaLiga champions are interested in Alexis Mac Allister, with Los Blancos seeking to replace veteran duo Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, both of whom will be out of contract next month.

Fellow reporter Juan Carlos Pasman told the same outlet that ‘it is very possible’ that the Champions League finalists could swoop for the Argentine ‘within a year’, even though his deal with the Reds lasts until 2028 and reportedly contains a €70m (£60m) release clause.

 

[Markeh]

🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

believable though, he was reasonably priced from brighton and very possibly used that to get himself a similarly reasonable next move from lfc

 

[Fabio]

I'd be annoyed, but I don't think we could stand in his way. We're in transition with an unknown Dutch coach with a vaginal euphemism for a name, while they're consistently winning CLs with one of the greatest to manage.

 

[Fabio]

If we're as desperate for rodrygo as the media makes out, perhaps there's a deal to be made

 

[Farkmaster]

Yes he's not a dm, but the dribbled past stats are meaningless. Our entire team is dribbled past at historic rates because of systemic issues. If you can't hold the ball and concede counterattacks, if you constantly have teams running at you at pace in 3v3s and 4v4s, if you leave tons of space to exploit, then all sorts of players are going to look bad.

 

[Hansern]

He aint going anywhere. You know its a bs story when they claim he’s got a 70 mill release clause.

 

[Squiggles]

I would be staggered if we allowed a release clause.

 

[Beamrider]

I would be staggered if we allowed a release clause.

I agree. This was supposedly why we lost Emre Can on a free - he / his agent wanted a release clause and we refused on principle, even though it meant we lost him on a free. We're not a stepping stone club any more, we're a destination. You sign for Liverpool, you leave when we say so, not before.

 

[Hansern]

Edwards doesnt do release clauses, so I doubt Julian Ward does either

 

[binomial]

I would be staggered if we allowed a release clause.

Doesn't seem like us unless the player himself or his agent has asked for 1 to go in......smells like bullshit & there's gonna be a whole lot of for the next 3 months.

 

[rubans]

He can focus not falling over when trying to defend in his own box and getting better in his position. He had a good season but I don’t see him getting into that Real midfield which is stacked. Get Real lad.

 

[Markeh]

i think he’d make their midfield alright, he’s a very good player.

and real wouldn’t be forcing him to be a dm because they had a nightmare summer window scrounging around for dm’s

 

[StevieM]

So we’re expecting a 70,000,001 bid then.

 

[rubans]

i think he’d make their midfield alright, he’s a very good player.

and real wouldn’t be forcing him to be a dm because they had a nightmare summer window scrounging around for dm’s

I don’t see what he adds to them but Bellingham may play even further forward, they have a good balance already but assume they are looking at him being more of a Modric replacement.

 

[rurikbird]

Yeah, definitely a Modric replacement. They already have the #6 in Tchouameni, legs and ball-carrying in Camavinga and the best midfield runner on the planet in Valverde. Easy to see where he fits in; wish we had a midfield that complements him similarly well.

 

[Holle]

What a load of Bull.

They can have Nunez though!

 

[Frogfish]

Yeah, definitely a Modric replacement. They already have the #6 in Tchouameni, legs and ball-carrying in Camavinga and the best midfield runner on the planet in Valverde. Easy to see where he fits in; wish we had a midfield that complements him similarly well.

It’s all bollocks of course. And I thought Tchoui wasn’t getting many games and could be on his way out? Haven’t checked like.