Liverpool’s new double will surprise even Jürgen Klopp
Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister faces Union Saint-Gillois’ Alessio Castro-Montes in midweek. Photo: Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith
Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister faces Union Saint-Gillois’ Alessio Castro-Montes in midweek. Photo: Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith
Changing of the guard: Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai replaces Ryan Gravenberch. Photo: Phil Noble/Reuters
Changing of the guard: Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai replaces Ryan Gravenberch. Photo: Phil Noble/Reuters
Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister faces Union Saint-Gillois’ Alessio Castro-Montes in midweek. Photo: Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith
Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister faces Union Saint-Gillois’ Alessio Castro-Montes in midweek. Photo: Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith
Changing of the guard: Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai replaces Ryan Gravenberch. Photo: Phil Noble/Reuters
Changing of the guard: Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai replaces Ryan Gravenberch. Photo: Phil Noble/Reuters
Richard Jolly
UK Independent
Today at 02:30
Alexis MacAllister was first, Ryan Gravenberch was last. The £35m signing from Brighton was the start of a £150m overhaul of Liverpool’s midfield, which was completed on deadline day with a similar fee for another talented technician. The Argentine has been a fixture in the Premier League since the start, his life at Anfield cut short by a red card that was overturned, but his importance has grown as he has taken on additional duties. The Dutchman has featured more midweek so far.
But his first two starts each resulted in an assist. The third brought Liverpool’s first goal – the best goal of his career, Gravenberch said, even though it was stoppage time – and this weekend could bring another kind of first. The debut signing’s full Premier League debut could take place in Mac Allister’s second meeting in days: one with his brother Kevin in Thursday’s win against Union Saint-Gilloise, the other with his old club Brighton. If that justifies Gravenberch’s decision to swap Bayern Munich for Liverpool – he made just three Bundesliga starts in Germany all year – Jurgen Klopp has seen enough to be excited about. This includes his physicality.
“I’m not sure many people would have described brute force before,” he said. – He is technically incredibly good, the first touch is crazy, the speed is great, a very good shooter: he is a really good player. Yes, he came late, and yes, we play a little differently, and yes, he has time to adjust and we can give him that, thank God. He had assists in other games and now he has his first goal, now it’s good: a long time to go.
That combination of attributes helps show why Klopp has followed Gravenberch since his Ajax days. His inability to break the partnership of Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka at the Allianz Arena could benefit Liverpool.
He could also benefit from Mac Allister’s versatility. Both were largely bought as No. 8, albeit with the idea that they could also be No. 6. However, neither was the opposite of the departed Jordan Henderson and Fabinho. In short, neither is a conventional defensive midfielder. Each is more constructive than destructive, but Mac Allister has shown that his passing can be an asset in midfield. Klopp believes part of the key is to ensure he is not isolated or exposed. His aging midfield ran into problems last season when gaps grew too large as various departments in his team fell apart. Now, after a summer makeover, he has younger legs and more attacking options. Mac Allister 10 may have a longer service life than 6.
“We haven’t even looked for his best position yet,” Klopp added. “We just use him. He’s a fantastic player: I love everything about him – [he’s] super smart tactically and off the pitch, so he’s really nice to work with. If we defend well as a team, he can definitely play at a number .six And because we defend tighter and better than last year in our bad phases, we have small spaces and then it is very good because he sees the situations very well and we have a very good football player and it is very cool.
Mac Allister formed a formidable trio with Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones, but the Merseysider’s suspension appears to be a question of whether Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo or Gravenberch will be included.
Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister faces Union Saint-Gillois’ Alessio Castro-Montes in midweek. Photo: Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith
Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister faces Union Saint-Gillois’ Alessio Castro-Montes in midweek. Photo: Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith
So this could be only the second time Klopp has started a midfield made up entirely of summer signings. Endo had a tough afternoon in Newcastle with Mac Allister and Szoboszlai. However, the Japanese is 30 years old: the long-term trio could be Gravenberch, who is only 21 years old, Mac Allister, already a 24th World Cup winner, and Szoboszlai, who betrayed his 22 years with an excellent start.
Liverpool were terrible at Brighton in January, starting with the veteran trio of Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago. “If you play like you did last year, you get another massive blow,” admitted Klopp. “We have to fix some things because one time you can look stupid, but the second time you shouldn’t look stupid.”
They lost 3-0 at Sussex with an aging midfield that needed a makeover nine months ago. They could be back there with a whole new trio. Brighton v Liverpool Live Sky Sports Tomorrow 2.0