19 November 2023 , 23:39
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Alexis Mac Allister has been backed to kick on and become a top-class deep-lying midfielder by his Liverpool team-mate Wataru Endo.
Mac Allister has been thrust into a slightly different role by Jurgen Klopp since joining Liverpool in a £45million transfer from Brighton in the summer. The Argentine has been asked to sit deeper in midfield, with Thiago Alcantara struggling with an injury and Jordan Henderson and James Milner leaving.
He has been a key player this season, featuring in 15 games across all competitions, but there have been some difficult times. The 24-year-old made a dreadful mistake to gift Brighton their opening goal in a 2-2 draw in October, leading some to question his suitability for the No6 role in midfield.
Endo was signed from Stuttgart in the summer to increase the amount of depth Liverpool have in holding midfield and the Japan international is sure Mac Allister has what it takes to master the position. “Macca is more offensive, but defensively he always tries to make it better. As he keeps playing, he gets very strong defensively,” he told the club website.
“Also, I can learn a lot of things from him and I think it’s a good balance between me and Macca. He is still young, but he has already won the World Cup and has a very good mentality.”
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Endo added: “We have very good midfielders, and we are team-mates who play together. I have learned a lot of things from these players, and I can improve more. This is the most important thing that I have to do.”
Wataru Endo is backing Alexis Mac Allister at No6 (Florencia Tan Jun/UEFA via Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! What have you made of Alexis Mac Allister's role in midfield this season? Comment below.
His comments echo those of Mac Allister himself. The World Cup winner is determined not to shy away from the challenge, which he believes will make him a better player over time. “I like it, I like it,” he said after the Brighton game last month. “I've said it many times, for me it's easy to say, 'No, it's not my position and I do the best I can.' But it's not like that. Jurgen is playing me there, he is giving me his support and I try to do the best I can.
"I think I improved a lot in the last couple of years defensively and I think it's a job that I can do very well. I feel good and I feel that my team-mates and the coaching staff are supporting me. That's important.”
Klopp will be able to mix things up more in the position soon, with injuries easing in midfield. Liverpool have Mac Allister, Endo, Thiago, Curtis Jones and Stefan Bajcetic capable of playing the position, with Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai also on the books following summer transfers.
Liverpool face a tough task after the international break, with a trip to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City on Saturday sure to test Klopp’s side. The Reds are second in the Premier League, just one point behind defending champions City.