Following the international break, Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp may expect to see the best of one of his summer purchases following a shaky start.
Jurgen Klopp on Alexis MacAllister and what he can bring to Liverpool
Ryan Gravenberch, a new Liverpool signing, has declined a call-up to the Netherlands under-21 team in order to focus on settling into life at Anfield.
Gravenberch was scheduled to play in the under-21 European Championship qualifiers against Moldova and North Macedonia, but he notified his manager Michael Reiziger that he would not be attending.
His national squad may not be impressed, but the 21-year-old will do his best to prepare for a possible debut when the Premier League resumes and Liverpool travels to Wolves on September 16.
Gravenberch, who joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich on transfer deadline day for $43 million (£34 million/€40 million), was forced to watch from the stands against Aston Villa on Sunday because Liverpool was unable to register him in time to play.
Alexis Mac Allister, a fellow summer recruit and prospective contender, played 87 minutes before being substituted. A number of early themes persisted for Mac Allister. He topped the Liverpool ranks with three tackles, and he is the club leader in combined tackles and interceptions.
Only Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson (both 12) have lost possession more times than the Argentine (11), who presently has the lowest passing accuracy (85.6%) among the midfielders used by Jürgen Klopp this season. His long passing (56.5 percent accuracy) is particularly in need of improvement.
Mac Allister also committed three fouls against Villa, and he’s been flagged by the referee more times (seven) than any of his teammates this season. There have been a few setbacks for the $45 million (£35 million/€40 million) acquisition from Brighton.
It’s worth noting at this point that Mac Allister hasn’t had a bad start by any means — he’s had a generally good start. If anything, the fact that there will undoubtedly be more to come is exciting.
We must also identify any mitigating situations. First, he was unjustly sent off just before the hour mark on his home debut against Bournemouth, and his ban was later overturned. He also had to deal with a numerical disadvantage away to Newcastle last month, as did the rest of his colleagues. In an unorthodox start to the campaign, it’s been difficult to find a rhythm.
Second, Mac Allister is playing for a new squad and manager, and it takes time to adjust. Dominik Szoboszlai, a $77 million (£60 million/€70 million) newcomer, could help.
Third, and most importantly, Klopp has dropped the 24-year-old back into defensive midfield rather than a number eight role in three of his four outings. It remains to be seen how frequently he will be required in that capacity, given Liverpool’s decision not to recruit a top-tier number six during the summer transfer window.
Overall, we can expect Mac Allister to improve following the international break as he acclimates. We haven’t seen the best of him yet, but that’s thrilling because, even after a great start in which the team has accumulated 10 points from a possible 12, Klopp has two new additions — Gravenberch included — to completely unleash.
