It’s not often a Brighton & Hove Albion player wins a World Cup with his national side and helps guide his team to a top-six finish in one Premier League season.
Alexis Mac Allister has done just that.
This season, Mac Allister has not only had stellar performances playing alongside Lionel Messi in a World Cup-winning Argentina side, but he also played a pivotal role in a Roberto De Zerbi team that qualified for UEFA Europa League.
Earning a reported move to Liverpool for an initial £35 million, Mac Allister will look to replicate his incredible season with the Seagulls to help his new side recapture their Premier League form.
Liverpool will be looking to rebuild their side, starting with Mac Allister, who has dropped off massively since last year’s title charge against the treble winners of Manchester City.
This tactical analysis will be a scout report on Mac Allister.
The analysis will look at Mac Allisters player profile and what qualities he could bring to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool tactics next season.
Technical and tactical brilliance
Mac Allister can be described as a versatile midfielder.
He has played at the base of a two-man midfield, as a number 8 for Argentina or sitting in the pockets as a 10 with Brighton towards the end of the season.
Boasting incredible technical skill, Mac Allister is incredibly comfortable on the ball and receiving under pressure, hence he was often trusted by De Zerbi to help with Brighton’s build-up in the base of midfield.
His biggest quality is being able to retain the ball under direct pressure from opposition midfielders, and despite not being the tallest or strongest, he is adept at shielding the ball from defenders.
It is rare if ever to see the Argentine lose possession due to a bad touch or poor decision.
This often allows his team an option to offload the ball to Mac Allister when they are being pressed, with the assurance that he will be able to retain possession or progress them up the pitch.
Being able to play through the opposition press has been one of the hallmarks of Brighton’s side under De Zerbi.
The key to this is Mac Allisters ability to bypass the opposition press with his technical talent and tactical awareness to find the free man.
Although the Argentine has shown his ability to play at the base of midfield for Brighton, his strengths are fully utilised when he plays further up the pitch.
As mentioned, Mac Allister has great tactical awareness and is always scanning the field to find spaces and pockets in the oppositions defence to exploit.
He can fully actualise his awareness and t
