Alexis Mac Allister has shouldered the pressures of the No. 6 position for Liverpool, and while Jurgen Klopp knows it’s not a “natural” fit, his team have a big role to play in his success.
The position of Liverpool’s new No. 10 is debated each and every matchday for both its positives and negatives after the club did not land a natural successor to Fabinho in the transfer window.
Mac Allister’s lack of pace is a recurring discussion, but while his manager has acknowledged the Argentine is not a “natural born No. 6,” he can prove vital with the skillset he has.
Ahead of the trip to Man City, Klopp was again asked about Mac Allister’s deep-lying role, and he explained his reasoning for the decision and how the team’s discipline and structure goes a long way in ensuring its success.
“I understand that from the outside world, it’s always about how is the player in this position [or] this position,” Klopp told reporters. “But, in the end, it’s all about how the whole team is set up.
“Is Macca a natural born No. 6? No.
“Did football develop in the last year in directions that we could not have imagined before? Yes.
“Does that mean a player like Macca can play the No. 6? Definitely, but it depends how the whole team defends. Easy as that.
“If you do that properly, you have an incredible player in the central position, an extra player, who can find passes, who is forward thinking.
He continued: “Do you want someone there who is just knocking players down and in possession thinks my job is done, give me a break? It’s not that easy.
“I like him there a lot, to be honest. We as a team can benefit a lot from it, if we make sure we have a compact formation and that’s what we need, especially [at City].”
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