'Big change': £35m Liverpool player admits he's playing with much more freedom under Arne Slot
Today at 01:30 PM
Liverpool are enjoying an elongated honeymoon period after seeing Jurgen Klopp leave over the summer.
Many within the game had expected the Reds to suffer a steep drop-off after their legendary former manager exited the stage.
On the contrary, though, Liverpool have gone from strength to strength.
Arne Slot has so far proven to be an exceptional appointment to carry on the marvellous work done by Klopp at Anfield.
The Liverpool squad deserves immense credit, too. Slot’s players have been so receptive to their new boss’ ideas and have carried them out with aplomb.
One of those to have excelled during the early part of the campaign has been Alexis Mac Allister. And the Argentine has spoken out to detail the difference between his old role and his new one.
Alexis Mac Allister details role change
Mac Allister has been a top performer pretty much ever since his £35m arrival from Brighton in 2023.
The 25-year-old has perhaps looked slightly off it since the October international break, but prior to that Mac Allister was putting in one bewitching performance after another alongside Ryan Gravenberch.
With Gravenberch retooled beside him, the World Cup winner is playing noticeably higher up the pitch than he was.
And speaking via the Liverpool ECHO, Mac Allister admitted that his position this season has afforded him to play with a touch more freedom than under Klopp.
READ MORE: Alexis Mac Allister hails Anfield ‘magic’ after Liverpool thrash Bayer Leverkusen
“Perhaps with Jurgen (Klopp) I played as a lone six, so, the position was very different,” says the No.10. “I was much more defensive than anything else. Nowadays, we play with two sixes, I can be a little freer and if we start with two sitting midfielders and one a little further forward, that changes things.
“For instance, when the ball goes out to the left full-back, I’m the one who can move further forward and Ryan becomes the number six. So, the system has changed a little, but the main ideas are the same.
“I think perhaps the big change is in having that patience to have longer periods of possession and dominate games more and obviously that creates more chances.”
Mac Allister set for another long haul
After Liverpool’s game against Aston Villa on Saturday, Mac Allister will be heading off for another long trip to Argentina.
The World champions face Paraguay next Thursday and then Peru three days later.
With a bit of a feeling that he hasn’t really shaken off the knock that worsened on the last international break, Mac Allister does not sound especially ready to go again.
“To be honest it’s not at all easy, but you also have to say that we get great support from the club,” he said.
“Of course, we can’t avoid the different time zones or the long travel times, but we can say that the club has been impeccable with us and whenever we’ve played, they’ve arranged private planes so that we get back in the best way possible to England. So, these are the finer details that help us greatly but obviously the difficulty is there.”
