Liverpool’s No. 6 “game plan” can’t be Alexis Mac Allister – Andre wanted

Eight weeks into his first Liverpool campaign, Alexis Mac Allister has already faced his brother, played out of position and been sent off only for the red to be rescinded.

Despite looking slightly out of his depth in the No. 6 position, Liverpool supporters are still excited to see what is to come from Mac Allister.

While the Argentine will no doubt become integral to Jurgen Klopp‘s side, holding midfield is clearly not where he fits best.

With Wataru Endo also not starting games, the big question from the summer has again reared its head, who will play No. 6 for Liverpool?

After failing to sign Moises Caicedo or Romeo Lavia, Liverpool turned to Wataru Endo for £16.25 million from Stuttgart.

He has started just four games since his arrival, though, and Klopp has opted to play Mac Allister as the team’s most defensive midfielder.

Cope weighed in on the discussion, saying: “We clearly wanted a No. 6 and we didn’t buy one.

“Endo isn’t the player they wanted, is he? He was just ‘oh, he’s a good option to have in the squad’

Cope said: “I’ve got a lot of sympathy for Mac Allister, because I actually think he’s been really good even though he’s been playing out of position.

“And that’s why I think it’s really harsh to blame him for the [first] goal (vs. Brighton).

“Because, actually, the bit about him playing as the six which is good, is that he’s good in tight spaces, he’s good at moving the ball on, he’s got a good touch. That’s the strength of his game.

“The bit that people are complaining about with that goal being given away isn’t the weakness in his game. The weakness in his game is the other stuff around it that Fabinho and Rodri could do really well.”

The duo agreed that the Argentine had been given a tough job, and Cope explained: “I think being No. 6 in this side is right up there [with the hardest positions in football].

“When you’re the best player in the best form of your life, you’re doing well, and when we’re compact. But there’s so many times when that lad in our team is just expected to do so much.”

Going forward, Cope predicted: “I think most likely we buy Andre in January, when we can, and that’s what the game plan was.”

READ NEXT……

Liverpool wanted to sign ‘excellent’ England international this summer, now he’s set to leave in January

Kalvin Phillips looks increasingly likely to leave Manchester City during the January transfer window.

Phillips has barely managed to get into the City team since joining from Leeds United in 2022. This led to plenty of rumours that he could leave in the summer, with Liverpool regularly cited as an interested party.

And whilst also reiterating that the Reds’ did have an idea to sign the 27-year-old before the season started, The i report that Phillips is now set to be on the move in January.

It’s claimed that the England international was told he could leave the Etihad in the summer. However, he reportedly decided it was too early to move again having only joined from Leeds a year earlier.

But after failing to get in the City team even during Rodri’s recent absence, Phillips looks set to now concede defeat.

Although there’s no indication that Liverpool would reignite a pursuit of the midfielder, there’s said to be ‘plenty of interest’ in him.

Newcastle United, West Ham United and Everton are named as three clubs who joined Liverpool in having an eye on the City man recently. Bayern Munich are also claimed to have had ‘tentative’ interest. A loan move in the winter is now described as being the ‘most likely outcome.’

Phillips concedes defeat at City

In different circumstances, it may have been that Phillips would remain at City to try and fight his way into the team.

But with the Euros set to come in the summer, the 28-cap international is in real danger of losing his place in Gareth Southgate’s squad.

As one of Southgate’s favourites, any kind of regular football would surely near-guarantee Phillips a spot in the travelling party. With every passing week though, his inclusion looks harder and harder to justify. As a result, the former Leeds man needs an exit route.

Despite his lack of impact at City, Phillips would still be a really good signing for a number of Premier League teams, especially on-loan.

There would be some debate about this, but we think that Liverpool could include themselves in that list of teams. Southgate has described the Yorkshireman as being ‘excellent’ [mancity.com], and in the right team he surely could be.

He may not be top of a lot of supporters’ wish-lists, and City probably wouldn’t let it happen anyway, but Phillips could do a job for the Reds right now.

Jurgen Klopp seems keen to persist with Alexis Mac Allister as Liverpool’s No.6 for the moment. But as Sunday’s game at Brighton showed, the Argentine is still basically learning on the job. A player like Phillips would give them much-needed security in the position heading into the back-end of the season. Let’s see if anything develops.