MACNIFICENT SEND-OFF
World Cup winner Alexis: I’ve changed position, and happy to do it... if it means Klopp gets the perfect farewell. His decision has inspired us
ALEXIS MAC ALLISTER is happy to sacrifice himself - if it means Jurgen Klopp leaves Liverpool as a Premier League champion.
The Argentine World Cup winner has been forced to curb his natural attacking instincts to operate in a more withdrawn role since arriving at Anfield in a £35million move from Brighton last summer.
But the Reds have stormed clear at the top of the Premier League – and Klopp’s announcement that he is quitting Liverpool at the end of the season has only stiffened his team’s resolve to make sure the boss gets the perfect going-away present.
“The manager saying he is leaving has given us a greater incentive,” said Mac Allister.
“I do not know whether that was his idea when he made the announcement, but it’s definitely become an incentive. “We know what Jurgen means to this club and the fans – and we want the best for him. We really understand and respect his decision, and now we want to do our best to give him a very good season before he leaves.”
On his own role in that effort, Mac Allister said: “I like the way I am playing. I like that I’m helping my team-mates if they need any protection.
“In the position I am playing now, it’s more about the defensive things. But at that same time I’m able to get on the ball a lot and I really enjoy it.
“I always said it was a position that I like and I think I can do it very well.”
Mac Allister’s versatility made him a key part of the Argentina squad that ruled in Qatar in 2022.
But he admits that being asked to anchor the Reds midfield was not part of the plan when he agreed to make the move to Merseyside. Now he’s at a club chasing a Quadruple – with Liverpool already in the Carabao Cup Final and through to the last 16 of both the FA Cup and Europa League. Mac Allister said: “My current position was clearly not the idea, but things changed. At the start of the season, we didn’t have a proper No.6, so I had to do the job – and Jurgen likes it! “So I try to do my best and it’s all about the team. It’s different, because as a normal No.8 you need to be able to carry the ball more and use it further forward. “Playing deeper is maybe a little bit easier in some respects because you get more space and time when you’re on the ball. My team-mates make it easier for me.” Liverpool will meet
Chelsea at Wembley on February 25 having smashed the Londoners 4-1 in midweek.
Today they head to title rivals Arsenal – just four weeks after knocking the Gunners out of the FA Cup in a 2-0 win at the Emirates.
Mac Allister revealed: “Confidence is very high. But we expect a hard game at Arsenal. The FA Cup there was a tough game, they have very good players and a clear idea of what they need to do.”
He added: “It’s clear that we have improved a lot as a team since the beginning of the campaign. You can see that every player who comes in knows exactly what they have to do.
“But we’ve only just gone past the halfway mark of the season. We know the potential.
“If we can keep playing like we did against Chelsea, we can achieve something.”