- The Liverpool manager was full of praise for midfielder Alexis Mac Allister
- Jurgen Klopp described the Argentine as an ‘excellent six on the ball’
- Sir Jim Ratcliffe should target Thomas Tuchel, he has unfinished business It all starts
Jurgen Klopp praised Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister as ‘better than all sixes’ after the Argentine starred in Sunday’s 4-0 win over Bournemouth.
Mac Allister joined the Reds in a £35 million summer transfer from Brighton as Liverpool looked to revamp their midfield after a difficult last season.
He quickly settled into his new surroundings, often partnering Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones in midfield as Liverpool stormed to the top of the Premier League.
The win over Bournemouth puts the Reds five points clear of second-place Arsenal, and Klopp praised Mac Allister’s intelligence in helping Liverpool create chances against the Cherries.
Explaining the 25-year-old’s impact, Klopp said: ‘I was part of the discussions now, let me say this: I know this boy and since the summer we wanted him.
Jurgen Klopp was full of praise for Alexis Mac Allister after Sunday’s 4-0 win over Bournemouth
Mac Allister starred as a driving force for Liverpool as the Reds secured a five-point lead at the top of the table
Your browser does not support iframes.
‘He didn’t play the simple six at Brighton, but he’s an incredibly smart player. incredibly smart. And as long as you can create a compact formation, he’s an excellent six.
‘You can all tell me what you want, but he is an excellent six on the ball, better than any six, as you can imagine, and against the ball he is just very strong.
“If the field is too big, we have room to open. I don’t know many sixes that are great then, but there may be a few that come from the defensive side.
‘But again he played absolutely brilliantly today, I would say also in the second half. The first time he was excited a few times while he really went for it.
Mac Allister has scored just one goal since joining Liverpool from Brighton this summer
The World Cup winner has been crucial in revamping Liverpool’s midfield this season
‘But in the second half he is just involved. He’s so calm on the ball and everything, he’s a really good player,” the Liverpool boss added.
Second-half braces from Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota secured a convincing victory for the Reds as they recorded a third victory over their south coast opponents for the third time in all competitions this season.
Mac Allister did not assist any of the goals, but was influential in linking play in midfield and getting his side to the fore as Bournemouth attempted to play high up the pitch.
The Argentine playmaker has scored one goal for Liverpool this season and assisted twice in all competitions.